Court Opinion

ID: 9628696
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 09:29:29.262797+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:36.235950
License: Public Domain

*206Ott, J.
(dissenting) — The judge who tried the case did not believe that the elderly foreign-born farmer, who had been in business for twenty years, had limited ability to understand the contract he signed. In this regard, the trial court said:
“ . . . And that brings into play, as far as the Court is concerned, that the plaintiff is a very canny, shrewd individual. The Court does not believe that the plaintiff, in spite of his broken English, is not a competent individual, competent to take care of his own affairs. His experience as a cattle raiser and buyer in the open market at auction sales and that sort of thing would so indicate. He had been at it some twenty years. He even made a good deal on the commission, got it cut down considerably. Certainly he is a competent business man.” (Italics mine.)
The majority of this court find that the negligence of the broker caused appellant’s contract to be cancelled. The legally constituted trier of the facts did not so find. In this regard, the court said:
“Now, then, for some reason unknown to the Court he started this action in Snohomish County, No. 59709; and for some reason the purchaser — whether he found out the time was not right for selling this real estate in smaller parcels to third parties, whether on account of the recession or what happened the Court does not know. But he does know that after this contract, Exhibit 3, was signed $150.00 monthly payments were made for some ten months; and apparently it was not until after those stopped that the plaintiff instituted his action to rescind. But this never went to court. Neither the Snohomish County Court nor any other court has ever determined that there was any fraud or misrepresentation as far as the plaintiff and the purchasers are concerned in this matter. They decided just to call it quits, and they did.” (Italics mine.)
The majority hold that there is evidence in this record of stupidity, ignorance, negligence, and incompetence on the part of the respondent. The trier of the facts said: “I do not believe there is one iota of competent testimony in this case that this real estate man did anything untoward.” (Italics mine.)
Finally, there is no proof in the record before us that *207appellant seller suffered any loss as a result of the alleged misconduct of the realtor. By stipulation, the appellant’s property was restored to him upon terms that were satisfactory to him. The record establishes that the commission was withheld from the purchaser’s down payment. The purchaser is not a party to this proceeding. During oral argument, the court asked the following question of counsel for appellant seller: “Did your client return the twelve hundred dollars to the purchaser that had gone to the real-estate man, when the contract was rescinded?” Counsel replied: “No, your Honor.” The appellant seller did not prove to the satisfaction of the trial court that he had suffered any loss or damage, and his response to the preceding question asked by this court compels but one conclusion, namely, that appellant seller incurred no loss or damage which was capable of proof and upon which he could predicate a cause of action.
In my opinion, the trial court’s determination that the facts failed to establish a prima facie case against the broker should be affirmed.
Mallery and Hunter, JJ., concur with Ott, J.