Case ID: misc_14/html/0605-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Daly, Oh. J1", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Samuel D. Folsom et al., Respondents, v. Robert C. Lewis, Impleaded, Appellant.
    (New York Common Pleas
    General Term,
    December, 1895.)
    "Where brokers have knowledge at the time of their employment that some-of the owners were minors and could only convey under an order of the court, although they are erroneously informed that such order was provided for, they are not entitled to commissions by the production of a. purchaser who objects to taking title under such an order, but requires-a foreclosure and the taking of title through a sale.
    Appeal by defendant, Robert 0. Lewis, from an affirmance,, by the General Term of the City Court, of a judgment in ' favor of plaintiffs, entered upon a verdict of the jury, for $290, and of an order denying a motion for a new trial.
    The action was brought by plaintiffs, who are real estate brokers, against three defendants, only one of whom was-served and answered, to recover one per cent commission upon procuring, at defendants’ request, a purchaser for the house and lot, 146 East, Sixty-first street, in the - city of Rewi York,, at the price of $29,000. The answer denied the employment and alleged, that, in answer to an inquiry by one of the plaintiffs, defendants said that the owners of the premises would sell the same for $29,000, but told him -that part of the owners were minors'and could only convey under an order of the court. It is also denied that plaintiffs procured a purchaser who was accepted by the defendants, as alleged in the-complaint.
    
      Bengami/n Wright {E. I. Spunk, of counsel), for appellant.
    
      Samuel Mullen, for respondents.
   Daly, Oh. J1

We must assume, from the finding of the jury, the facts as testified to by plaintiffs, that they were employed as brokers by the adult owners, .these defendants, to sell the house and lot described in the complaint, and were informéd that an order of court authorizing the sale of the-interests of the infant owners had been provided for. Re order in fact had been applied for, and the purchaser pro? duced by the plaintiffs refused to make a contract under advice of counsel, whose opinion was that the court would not find any necessity for a sale of the infants’ interest, as their father had left, beside the house and lot in question, other real property and a very large personal estate.

Defendants proposed to the purchaser to make an application to the court for leave to sell, but the latter declined ' to take title' that way, suggesting, on the other hand, the fore-. closure of a mortgage then on the property and the taking of title through a sale. This proposition was rejected by the defendants. x

The question presented on this appeal is the right of the brokers to recover commissions under the circumstances. Conceding all the facts claimed by plaintiffs, that they wére induced to look for a purchaser by the representation that leave of the court for a sale of the infants’ interest had been already provided for., it does not appear that they brought a purchaser willing to take title through such proceedings even if the order therein had been already made. The objection made by the counsel for the proposed purchaser was, as he testified, to the propriety or legality of an order made under the state of facts disclosed; and,, while he was willing to wait while title was made through another proceeding, 'he would not accept it through an order for the sale of the infants’ interests. He made no objection that the order had not been already obtained, and it, therefore, appears that the. represent tation of defendants to that effect to the broker was wholly immaterial.

This is not a case in which the sale -falls through through the inability or unwillingness of, the owner to give title. The broker knew at the outset the source of title which wras to be offered, and it was for him before offering a purchaser to ascertain that the latter .would take such title. This he did not do, and his loss of time and trouble was caused,by his 'neglect of that simple precaution and. not from any" false 'assurance of defendants, for it was certain that the proposed purchaser would not buy if the assurance had been true. The failure of plaintiff to procure a purchaser willing to take title through an order for the sale of the interest of the infants, •which was one of the terms of the employment, was duly raised at the close of plaintiffs’ case and at the ' close of the whole case, and is presented by proper exceptions. It was error to refuse defendants’ motion to dismiss the complaint. The judgment must be reversed and a new trial ordered, with costs to appellant in this court, and of the appeal in the City Court and of the former trial, to abide the event.

Bisohoff and Pryob, JJ., concur.

Judgment reversed and new trial ordered, with costs to abide event.