Court Opinion

ID: 9778863
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:23:49.475688+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:21:05.638482
License: Public Domain

YOUNG, Justice
(dissenting).
. It may, be that where, as here, a specified time is set in which to effect a sale, the stipulation as to time must be complied with to entitle the land broker to his commission. 7 Texjur.,, Sec. 35, p. 419; 27 A.L.R.2d 14565. But I feel certain that this oral extension made prior to expiration of the written listing, is not such an agreement as is required to be in writing under terms of section 22, art. 6573a, V.A.C.S.; nor is it unenforceable perforce of art. 3995, V.A. C.S., — Statute of Frauds.
Section 22, supra, reads in part: “No action shall be brought in any court in this State for the recovery of any commission for the sale or purchase of real estate unless the promise or agreement upon which action shall be brought, or some memorandum thereof, shall be in writing and signed by the party to be charged * * The oral agreement prohibited by the statute must amount to a new contract; Robertson v. Melton, 131 Tex. 325, 115 S.W.2d 624, 118 A.L.R. 1505; and thus the parties to a contract may change the method of payment or waive strict performance of the medium of payment without violating the law. Gulf Production Co. v. Continental Oil Co., 139 Tex. 183, 164 S.W.2d 488. It was the testimony of both Mrs. Parks and Underwood that the oral agreement was in effect an extension of the written listing; only the exclusive 45-day feature being eliminated; the latter testifying relative thereto that: “On the occasion that we discussed the exclusive, we agreed that it ran out in a week or two and she said even after the exclusive was to expire, that at that time it would be on a nonexclusive basis, that she would pay me for my prospects, or any sale or any client that I had produced thereby, through my efforts, and I would be paid my five percent commission. * * * After the discussion she said, ‘Well, I will discuss this with Mr. Parks, and if there is — if you have anything to do with procuring this client, I will — you will receive your five percent commission.’ ” Mrs. Parks stated on the subject: “Q. At that time, during those conversations, didn’t you tell Mr. Underwood that if he would continue his efforts to sell the property, that anyone who bought the property as a result of his efforts, you would pay him a commission on the sale of the property? A. No, not to continue *327the sale of the-property after the exclusive was up, and other agents, I told Mr. Underwood that it- was open, that I, myself, was going to try to sell it and that he had had his time and he didn’t sell it; that was past, that was up, and after this exclusive was gone and up, ánother agent could sell it, then if he should sell it, I would certainly give him a commission.” (Emphasis mine.)
Here we have the same property listed, same parties, same 5% commission and sales price, with the single change, orally made, that the listing continue on a nonexclusive basis. The statute of frauds does not require that the writing specify anything relative to the agency, whether exclusive or not, an oral modification in such respect not constituting a violation. Gulf Production Co. v. Continental Oil Co., supra. Furthermore, in reliance on the oral extension, appellee continued his efforts to sell the property, advertising same in daily paper on March 30, keeping the house “open” on that day to show prospective purchasers; the sale to Sellmeyer, begun during life of the exclusive listing, having been consummated on said March 30. “Where party has so far performed oral contract that it would be perpetrating fraud to allow the other party to set up statute of frauds, equity will enforce contract. (Rev.St.1925, art. 3995).” Matthewson v. Fluhman, Tex.Com.App., 41 S.W.2d 204, syl. 1. “Where oral contract is executed on one side and nothing remains but payment of consideration, consideration may be recovered notwithstanding statute of frauds. Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 3995.” Machann v. Machann, Tex.Civ.App., 269 S.W.2d 826, syl. 3. “Oral modification of contract within the statute of frauds will be enforced where the party relying on the oral agreement has performed his undertaking thereunder so that a refusal to enforce the modified agreement would result in a wrong to the party who acted in reliance thereon. Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. art. 3995, subd. 4.” Minchen v. Vernor’s Ginger Ale Co., Tex.Civ.App., 198 S.W.2d 613, syl. 5. See also First National Bank in Dallas v. Trinity Patrick Lodge No. 7, Tex.Civ.App., 238 S.W.2d 576.
And even under Associate Justice CRA-MER’S statement of the material facts, a jury question resulted, answered affirmatively by them, of whether appellee was the procuring cause of this sale.
The judgment under review should be affirmed.