Opinion ID: 1137752
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Smaller Parcel with The House

Text: Whether the broker procured the ready, willing, and able buyer of the smaller parcel with the house is not as clear. After looking at the large parcel of land, on the way back, simply in passing by the house, the broker mentioned to the ultimate purchaser, Mr. Maulden, that the house was for sale also, and that he had it listed. He did not show the house, nor, as with the large parcel of land, did he participate in any negotiations. Undeniably, the broker was the cause of the purchaser and the owners/sellers' coming together, for neither knew of the other except for the efforts of the broker. Indeed, the purchaser, Mr. Maulden, did not know the house was for sale except through the efforts of the broker. But, do these facts constitute procurement, as a matter of law, as our case law defines it? While the ore tenus presumption of correctness rule was inapplicable as to the large tract of land, because no contrary inference could be drawn from the undisputed facts, we are unable to conclude that the ore tenus rule is likewise inapplicable with respect to the sale of the house. The substantial difference between the factual background with respect to the large parcel of land and the smaller parcel with the house left the trial judge free to infer from the evidence relating to the sale of the house that the requisites of procurement were not met. Moreover, as we noted earlier, the property presentation notice sent by United Farm to Green concerned itself only with the large tract. Therefore, the ore tenus presumption-of-correctness rule with respect to his findings of fact as to the sale of the house requires this Court to affirm that portion of his judgment. AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED. TORBERT, C.J., and MADDOX, SHORES and BEATTY, JJ., concur.