The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1883-01-31
FARM LAW.


kA1gmm3mpDe Decs
A. 1875.
In an article upon the Rights and
Duties OF farmers. we shall naturally
be expected to treat of those rights
and duties which are peculiar to farm
ers, or rather such as are peculiar
ly important to them and if you
find this an unuasially dry subject,
though to those pecuniarily concern
ed, not wholly devoid of interest
and naturally the first inquired is
SHOW TO BUY A FARM?"
It is quite generally known that a
mere oral bargain for farm is not
binding in law upon the owner, but
it may not be so well understood
that an offer to sell arm for a CIV
en- price, even thougH 1t may be by
letter, or other simple writing, may
not be binding upon the proposer
until it is actually accepted by the
buyer, and he has also agreed TO take
it and pay the price stated in the of
fer. Therefore the owner may re-
tract his offer to sell at any time be-
fore it is accepted, and he is notified
thereof, and although in making his
offer to sell he should expressly give
you Q certain number of days in
which to decide. he may neverthe-
lesa change his mind in the mean
time and sell to another who offers a
higher price, even before the given
time has expired, ami you would
haye no legal redress kr your disap-
pointment.
Nasys naeres althegg on had tnllg
made up your mind to take the farm.
but had not notified khe vendor OF
that fact, and should go to great
trouble and expense in'b|uying stock,
tools, agricultural. .implE ipsnts, etc, to
carry on the farm, apdvshould even
move your family there to take pos-
/ session, the owner might even then
refuse SO sell. and you would have
no legal remedy either to compel
him to convey. or for the expenses
you had thus incurred. relying upon
his keeping his word. The only
safe way in such cases is to take a
bond for deed, as it is called; an or.
binary REFUSAL OF property, for a
stated time, as it is termed, is a dang.
erous thing to rely upon, unless you
are dealing with a man n"whose word
| is as good as his bond" and
they are very scarce, and if a parties
ular time is given you in which to
accept an offer to sell, you should be
particular to signify your acceptance
strictly within the time, and to do so
entirely unconditionally. In one in
stance a man. had ten days in which
to make up his mind, and on the
night of the last day, at about. half
past eleven at night, he called
at the owners house, after he was
abed and asleep, and said he would
take the farm. The owner refused
to get up or to take the money the
next day, and the buyer tried to get
the farm by asuit at law, but it was
OOClU6Q bu6L uO CotAO 1OO 1d0Cs Ou
the last day, and he not only lost his
trade, but had to pay the cost OF
his suit. In another case A.
wrote to B. he would sell him his
farm for $4,000 cash. B. wrote back
Immediately he would take it if A.
would make out his deed and send it
to a lawyer for examination, and il
all right the lawyer would pay him
his $4,000; but it was decided that B.
had not duly accepted AS offer, and
consequently that he might with
draw it. But supposing the
grantor Is willing to give you a
deed, it is unnecessary to say that
it must have the seal Of the grantol
attached, or it is not sufficient. A
scroll of the pen, or the letters L. S
are not sufficient in Maine, as in some
other States. 1t may not be as well
( understood that it is not equally nee
essary that deed should be wit
messed or acknowledged and recorded