Case Title: Coats v. Taylor

Citation: 332 So. 2d 417

Docket Number: 

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1976-06-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
332 So. 2d 417 (1976) G.C. COATS, Jr. and Mrs. Rosalie Coats v. J.F. TAYLOR and Mrs. Doris I. Taylor. No. 48694. Supreme Court of Mississippi. June 1, 1976. Adams & Odom, Meridian, for appellants. Corey & Corey, Meridian, for appellees. Before PATTERSON, ROBERTSON and BROOM, JJ. ROBERTSON, Justice: By original bill of complaint sworn to on March 6, 1974, J.F. Taylor and his wife, *418 Mrs. Doris I. Taylor, brought suit in the Chancery Court of Lauderdale County against G.C. Coats, Jr. and his wife, Mrs. Rosalie Coats, for $1,713.67, which represented a down-payment of $1500 and $213.67 (the first monthly installment on a promissory note to be executed) on the purchase of a residence. The complainants averred that an oral contract had been entered into on February 8, 1974, for the purchase of the residence, that their check was given on that date, and that the deed, note and deed of trust were to be prepared on that date and submitted to them for their approval. Complainants then averred: Defendants answered: The undated letter, Exhibit "A", recited: Complainants by written motion requested the court to set this matter for hearing on bill and answer, and the court sustained this motion. The complainants and the defendants submitted briefs, and the court by final decree on December 18, 1974, entered judgment against the defendants for $1,713.67 "plus all costs herein expended", granted a lien on the property to secure the payment of the judgment, and provided that if the defendants did not pay the judgment in full *419 within 45 days that the chancery clerk, upon the request of the complainants, would sell the property at public sale after publishing notice for three weeks. Our holding in Vanlandingham v. Jenkins, 207 Miss 882, 43 So. 2d 578 (1949), is dispositive of this case. In Vanlandingham, there was an oral agreement for the purchase of property. The Vanlandinghams put up $400 as earnest money with the real estate firm of Holcomb and Longino. Jenkins had his attorney, E.M. Yerger, prepare the necessary papers. In affirming the decree of the chancery court awarding the earnest money to defendant Jenkins, this Court first stated the pertinent facts: This Court continued, in its opinion: Actually the law of this State on this particular point has been settled since 1847, when in deciding Sims v. Hutchins, 8 Sm. & M. 328 (Miss. 1847), the High Court of Errors and Appeals for Mississippi said: The bill of complaint should have been dismissed. The judgment of the chancery court is reversed, and judgment rendered here for the appellants, G.C. Coats, Jr. and wife, Mrs. Rosalie Coats, dismissing the bill of complaint. REVERSED AND RENDERED. GILLESPIE, C.J., PATTERSON and INZER, P. JJ., and SMITH, SUGG, WALKER, BROOM and LEE, JJ., concur.