The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-20
Voice Of the p eople
Queer Ideas or Commissions lii the
Real ICAttttc IlusincHs.

SGNGCEr lVSuN VI iAOU10lHSIOnS III Tic
Real Icstnte BUSINESS.
Editor of The Times.D Dispatch:
SID uring the present hard times
and scarcity of customers In tile real
estate business, there seems to be a
great anxiety among the agents and
curbstone brokers to do business.
In the farm line any man who ap.
pears on the street with his grip and
and foewea hnnss
would follow a good fat hen. This
scarcity Of customers has led to COM
plications between the brokers and
consequently consultations with their
attorneys.
Now, to an ordinary individual not
versed In the deep things of law, many
Of these opinions have seemed to be
a farm listed by the owner and signed,
agreeing to giye eommiss!on + sale
Ihs Took h faoff he farm and
tho owner had given him. He at once
notified the owner that he had shown
he he t RrSRshts would IA fs The %s
acknowledged receipt % the letter, in
which tho agent gave The, name OF a
prospective buyer. Meanwhile curb
less money. cutting his commissions.
He closes the deal with the customer,
Mr. A, and the owner signs the deed
for the sale of the farm and pays his
commission to the curbstone man.
Now, by consensus of opinions from
four of the leading attorneys Of Rich
mond, and also from the following.
the Laws of Virginia and West vir-
ginia, book No. ., page 63s. in Rey..
mold vs.. Thompson. The. general
rule Of law as to commissions un-
doubtedly is. that the whole service
or duty must be performed before the
right to any commission attaches.
either ordinary or extraordinary, for
an agent must complete the thing re-
CURED Of him before he Is entitled to
charge for 1t.
The above decision puts the regular
| ly licensed agent where any man in
or put OF the, business when he can
| get between the buyer and seller and
| offer to sell the place for few dollars
less. can cut out the legal agent and
| give the money to the outsider or curb.
stone broker, for the law does not
as he does not follow that BUSINESS for
a living. We may be SO dense that
| our brain cannot digest the meaning
of the above law. but to us this seems
work by cutting the commissions, GET
ting between sales and knocking
them or, in other words, the man
| honor or honesty about him would
not do. is more likely to make the
sale, and consequently the money,
\ Another case decided in court last
/ week was where broker was noti-
| fed by friend of piece of timber
| land for sale. The broker agreed to
give this friend something II he made Ia
| the sale. The sale was made The
broker offered the, friend suit Of
clothes. This friend did not think this
enough. He sued, and out Of $500
Others Instance: q lady stepped into a
Main Street real estate office and
| wanted to buy farm. AT the time
! gentleman was listing farm that
i the agent thought would meet her re-
! quirements. He introduced the gentle.
man to the lady. and after they talked
over the matter. the agent agreed tc
show the lady the farm. After the
/ lady left the office, salesman from q
/ neighbor firm entered the office, where
/ the buyer and seller were introduced
/ and asked what they intended to show
! said lady. The salesman was informed
of the place. BY consulting the lady
he persuaded her to go with him tt
see some other places, but wound ny
i by showing her the above menuonet
j gentleman's place, though this ngen
did not have 1t listed. The lady bough
the farm from the agent, who intro
duced her to the owner, and now aSen
No. 2, whose man learned the name O
the place in the other agents office. u
of the above instances occurred las
week. 1t would seem that some pre-
cedent or law should be established Y
destroy these low and contemptibl'
means of doing business.
j, S, YOUNG.