Court Opinion

ID: 9834441
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 23:36:00.234443+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:44:15.477191
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing.
In our original opinion we held that the appellant’s assignment of error No. 3 and proposition 4 (complaining that the court erred in his definition of “procuring cause”) should be rejected since they were not based upon proper objections made to the court’s charge in due time before the main charge was read to the jury and such facts properly certified by the court. In this we were in error, for these matters were recited in the early part of the motion or objections, and not immediately preceding the judge’s signature, and therefore escaped our attention. The objections were properly made and duly authenticated as contended by the appellant. The proposition will be considered.
The complaint is, that the definition of “procuring cause” failed to recognize and allow the defendant (appellant) the benefit of the rule that a property owner may list his property with more than one broker and be liable to the one only who closes the. deal or finds a purchaser, etc., -provided he acts fairly as between such agents. In discussing the proposition the appellant frankly states that, “We do not contend that this charge would have been erroneous under the ordinary commission suit, in fact the same has been approved by the courts.” Notwithstanding this admission, we have given the point our careful consideration and have reached the conclusion that the definition afforded the appellant a reasonable opportunity to have the jury determine whether or not the alleged efforts of the agent McWhorter (to whom the commission was paid) actually intervened as an efficient cause producing the sale to the purchaser of the property. Before finding that the plaintiffs were the “procuring cause” in bringing about the sale of the defendant’s ranch, the court’s definition of “procuring cause” compelled the jury to find that the plaintiffs’ effort produced the sale, and that without it it would not have occurred. In *142this respect we think the definition is clear enough and reasonably accurate, as conceded by the appellant, and we are unable to see that the court committed any error in the manner set forth in this proposition-, and the same is overruled.
The motion for rehearing is overruled.