Court Opinion

ID: 9530600
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:01:27.516051+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:11.114769
License: Public Domain

Ott, J.
(dissenting)—I dissent for the following reasons:
(1) It is conceded that the contract involved in this proceeding was for the sale of real property owned by appellant husband and wife as community property, and that the wife did not sign the contract. A contract to sell real estate is an encumbrance upon the land. Culmback v. Stevens, 158 Wash. 675, 291 Pac. 705 (1930). See, also, Griffith v. Whittier, 37 Wn. (2d) 351, 223 P. (2d) 1062 (1950); Peterson v. Paulson, 24 Wn. (2d) 166, 163 P. (2d) 830 (1945). By statute, the wife is an indispensable party to the sale, conveyance or encumbrance of community real estate. RCW *77826.16.040. Since it is conceded that an indispensable party did not sign the instrument, it is unenforcible and void as a contract of sale.
(2) The majority hold that the contract was voidable at the option of the wife, but that, by joining as a party plaintiff in this action, she thereby ratified the contract. Conceding, arguendo, that the wife did ratify by joining in this action, thus giving the instrument efficacy as a contract, it is my opinion that the ratification was not timely.
Prior to ratification by the wife, the purported contract was no more than an offer to buy on the part of the respondents, which created in the appellant wife the power to accept or reject it. An offer can be withdrawn at any time before acceptance. The pleadings disclose that respondents’ offer to purchase was withdrawn prior to the commencement of this action. Since the appellant wife’s acceptance of the offer (ratification) was admittedly accomplished after the offer to purchase was withdrawn, the acceptance (ratification) was not timely.
Stabbert v. Atlas Imperial Diesel Engine Co., 39 Wn. (2d) 789, 238 P. (2d) 1212 (1951), relied upon by the majority, is not in point. In the cited case, the wife had given her husband a power of attorney to act for her “in transactions concerning community real estate.” Vested with such authority, the contract signed by the husband only was enforcible from its inception. RCW 26.16.090.
(3) The appellants seek specific performance of the contract. This is a request that the court exercise its equity, rather than its law, jurisdiction. It is the law of this state that a court will invoke its equity jurisdiction only when there is no plain, adequate or speedy remedy at law. Roon v. King County, 24 Wn. (2d) 519, 166 P. (2d) 165 (1946). There are no allegations relative to the inadequacy of the legal remedy in this complaint. It alleges the existence of the contract, the refusal to perform, and
“That the plaintiffs were and have always been and now are ready and willing to perform the said agreement on their part, that the purchase price agreed to be paid for the said real estate by said defendants is a fair and reasonable value *779thereof, and' plaintiff desires that said contract be specifically performed.” (Italics mine.)
These allegations, in my opinion, fall far short of affirmatively establishing that the legal remedy of damages is inadequate.
The majority assume that land is ordinarily not readily salable and its market value is difficult of ascertainment; hence, legal damages are inadequate. Such essential facts must be pleaded. They cannot be supplied by the court.
“Since the remedy at law for breach of contract is generally by way of compensatory damages, ordinarily a complainant coming into equity for specific performance must show that a recovery of damages for breach of the contract would not constitute an adequate remedy.” 49 Am. Jur. 21, § 12.
Since facts showing the inadequacy of damages are not pleaded, the majority take judicial notice that such are the facts. I am unwilling to take judicial notice that land is not readily salable or that its market value is difficult to ascertain with a reasonable degree of certainty.
Our courts of law do not throw up their hands in despair when faced with the problem of determining the market value of land in condemnation and other proceedings. Why should we find it such an insurmountable task to determine the value of land in an action of this type? If the vendor receives the difference between the market value of the land and the contract price, he has received the benefit of his bargain. What more is he entitled to? I suggest that we reserve equity powers for situations where it is clearly shown by the pleadings that there is no plain, speedy, and adequate remedy at law.
(4) Finally, whether a court will order specific performance of a contract or leave one to his remedy at law rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. Cascade Tbr. Co. v. Northern Pac. R. Co., 28 Wn. (2d) 684, 184 P. (2d) 90 (1947), and cases and authorities cited.
The majority do not hold that the trial court abused its discretion. They hold that the appellants can compel the *780trial court to exercise its extraordinary equity jurisdiction and order the contract specifically performed on the part of the respondents, as a matter of right. If it is the desire of the majority to change the law, the cited cases should be specifically overruled. The bench and bar will then know that it is the litigants, and not the courts, who determine whether a case will be tried as one involving the court’s equity jurisdiction or its law jurisdiction. I prefer to leave the exercise of discretion in this regard where it has always been—in the trial court.
The trial court, in my opinion, did not abuse its discretion in denying to the appellants the extraordinary equitable remedy sought.
For the reasons stated, the judgment should be affirmed.
Mallery, J., concurs with Ott, J.
Hill and Donworth, JJ. (dissenting)—We concur in the result of the dissent for the third reason given; i.e., no showing that the remedy at law is not adequate.