Court Opinion

ID: 9564577
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:03:32.661093+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:32.023884
License: Public Domain

Hill, J.
(concurring in part and dissenting in part) — I concur in so much of the majority opinion as directs the dismissal of the purchasers’ action for its earnest-money payment of five thousand dollars; I dissent from so much thereof as results in a dismissal of the sellers’ action for damages.
The description in the earnest-money receipt was: “Approx 885 acres of farm land off the Wallace Halsey ranch subject to a survey to be furnished by the seller.”
The earnest-money receipt did not contain a detailed description of the property because both parties knew that *715the segregation of the farm land, which the respondents desired to purchase, from the grazing and nontillable lands required a survey for an accurate description. The agreement specifically stated that such a survey was to be furnished by the sellers. The survey was made, and the description of the farm land was furnished to both parties and accepted by them; in fact, the purchasers used the description, furnished by the survey, in making their arrangements for financing.
After negotiations with third parties (relative to financing) were completed, the purchasers asked that the closing be delayed until after January 1st for tax purposes. After January 1st the purchasers repudiated the contract, and now rely on the technical defense that the agreement signed by the parties contained no description of the property to be sold and constituted a violation of the statute of frauds.
Ordinarily, under that statute, a description or designation is sufficient if, by the resort to any fact extrinsic to the writing but referred to therein, the land can be identified with certainty. As suggested in Wilkins v. Hardaway (1911), 173 Ala. 57, 55 So. 817, that which was uncertain was rendered certain pursuant to the terms of the agreement.
We, too, have recognized, in Edwards v. Meader (1949), 34 Wn. (2d) 921, 210 P. (2d) 1019, that the description need not be in the agreement at the time it is executed but can be furnished at a later time if the agreement so provides.
We have here a definite agreement that the description was dependent on a survey. The survey was made, and the sellers and purchasers both had copies of the description, which resulted from the survey, and its sufficiency and accuracy is unquestioned. The purchasers, as we have noted, used the description in negotiating their financing.
The majority would limit Edwards v. Meader, supra, to a fact situation where someone is specifically authorized to attach the description to the earnest-money receipt at a later time. I would extend it to situations where the agreement recognizes that a legal description is not presently *716available and provides how it is to be furnished and it is so furnished and accepted by both parties.
The right to maintain an action for damages would avail the sellers nothing more than they already have, if they are limited to liquidated damages in the amount of the five thousand dollars earnest money as the respondents contend. This issue was not, however, presented to the trial court. It is my view that the amount of the damages, caused by the sellers’ breach of their agreement, should be resubmitted to the trial court.
Hunter, J., concurs with Hill, J.