Commercial Law Keyed to Lopucki
Billman v. Hensel
Facts
Plaintiffs entered into a contract to sell their home to the Defendants for $54,000.00. A condition of the contract was the ability of the Defendants to obtain a mortgage on the property for not less than $35,000.00 within thirty days. The Defendants did not complete the purchase and thus the Plaintiffs brought this action to recover liquidated damages deposit required by the contract. Defendants claimed that they were relieved from performing. According to evidence at trial, Defendants met with a bank and was told he could not obtain a mortgage loan unless he could show that he had the difference between the purchase price and the amount of the mortgage. Defendants were short on the amount needed to obtain the mortgage. Plaintiffs deposited the earnest money into the Defendants’ account. Defendants then informed the Plaintiffs that he was close on the financing and wanted to show the home to his parents. When Defendants’ parents visited the house, the Plaintiffs overheard the Defendants’ parents tell the Defendants to be careful with buying the house. The next day Defendants’ called the Plaintiffs and told them that they could not obtain $5,000.00 from his parents necessary to secure the financing. The Plaintiffs informed the Defendants that they would reduce the price by $5,000.00 however Defendants said that they still need another $1,500.00. Defendants did not return the earnest money to the Plaintiffs and stopped payment on a check for $4,000.00. The trial court entered judgment for the Plaintiffs and Defendants appealed.
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