Court Opinion

ID: 9558559
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:12:29.665476+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:23.985275
License: Public Domain

CROCKETT, Justice
(concurring in the result).
I concur in the result affirming the judgment of the trial court. The principal basis for that judgment was that defendant had no commission coming from the plaintiff, and so, in any event, would not have been entitled to a lien upon the property.
The parties were in dispute as to whether defendant had a listing on the property at the time it was sold. The agreement was made out by the defendant and if it was ambiguous it should be construed against him. As will be seen from an examination of it, it is hardly necessary to resort to that rule of construction to agree'with the determination made by the trial court that appellant’s listing had expired.
In the listing agreement, the plaintiff granted the defendant :
“1. The exclusive right to sell * * * for a period of two months from date, * * * and 3. To pay * * * the commission * * * if it is sold within three months after expiration to any person to whom Perry Realty has previously offered it * * *”
The two months exclusive listing period was from February 7th to April 7, 1950. The defendant first mentioned the property to the purchaser Mills on April 29, 1950. The property was thereafter sold to Mills by another real estate agent, Williams, to whom plaintiff paid the commission. The defendant insisted that the phrase “previously offered” included his offer of the property to Mills on April 29th. The plaintiff’s evidence was that the parties discussed the provision of paragraph 3 set out above and that the defendant explained to the plaintiff that it was for the purpose of protecting the defendant if he was working on *452a deal during the two months period of exclusive listing so that he would have three months more to complete the transaction if necessary; and also, so that if he had a customer during that period, that the sale could not thereafter be made to that same customer by plaintiff or any one else, and thus cheat the defendant out of the commission. The trial court properly interpreted the said clause 3 in accordance with the plaintiff’s contention, that is, that the words
“if it is sold within three months after expiration to any person to whom Perry Realty has previously offered it * * *”
referred to an offering during the two months exclusive listing period.
The trial court accordingly found that the defendant was not entitled to a commission. It clearly appearing that the trial court was correct in doing.so, it is perhaps immaterial whether defendant would have had a lien upon the property if he had earned a commission. I see no reason, however, why it would be amiss for the court to indicate the additional reason why the purported lien was invalid. I am in accord with the holding in the main opinion that real estate brokers are not entitled to a lien under the statutes of this state, and I approve the Florida rule referred to.
There are thus two solid reasons why the defendant had no right to file a lien against plaintiff’s property. These are (1) That the defendant was not entitled to a commission in any event, and (2) that even if he had been, he would have had no right to a lien to secure it. The intent necessary to support an action for slander of title and the inferences of such intent that may be, drawn from wrongful conduct, is a subject which need not be discussed nor determined in this case because the evidence amply justifies the finding made by the trial court that the defendant willfully and maliciously slandered the plaintiff’s title.
HENRIOD, J., did not participate.