Judged Newsletter

Sign Up for THE DAILY JUDGED VERDICT. Our daily newsletter covers law firm salaries and everything you want to know about changes affecting law firms from people in the know. Sign Up Now!


Dear Judged > Archive





Dear Judged
Real Estate Professional MalpracticeHello Your Honor: A scenario is presented followed by my list of possible counts that could be included in a Complaint. No matter how arcane or unusual, can you add any counts that might be reasonably considered in a first complaint. The more I come up with, the smarter my fellow classmates will think I am (laugh).  Anyway here goes:

If XYZ Realty had informed Buyer that the Seller DID NOT ACCEPT Buyer’s satisfactory inspection clause on a residential purchase agreement, then Buyer would never have scheduled or proceeded with inspections and would have immediately rescinded the contract offer and required return of the earnest deposit. Moreover, the buyer would never have filed a lis pendens and lawsuit to defend the contractual right to purchase the house (as a primary dwelling). I reasoned, it is the duty of the real estate broker and buyer agent to disclose to the principal all essential and material facts that he or she has knowledge of that may affect the principal’s rights or interests. The agent and broker had the duty of care.

The Buyer would also never have filed an appeal after a Trier of Fact ruled that no contract existed because the Seller never accepted Buyer’s satisfactory inspection clause. Buyer learned in the midst of appeal as a result of documents finally surrendered by the non-cooperative Broker under a third subpoena, that the Broker and real estate agents withheld the critical fact that Seller did inform them he did not accept Buyer’s satisfactory inspection clause. After examining parole evidence that confirms Seller never accepted Buyer satisfactory inspection clause, to mitigate losses, Buyer immediately halts litigation, quiets the lis pendens and reaches a settlement with Seller.

The Broker and Real Estate Agents deliberately and with full knowledge of the harm being caused to Buyer remain silent throughout all litigation with respect to their critical omission. Even assuming the conduct of XYZ Realty began as an act of unintentional negligence, its subsequent conduct thereafter, ensues under the color of fraud and conspiracy with malice and oppression, the results causing egregious harm, emotional stress, and oppression to the Buyer.

QUESTION: List all possible COUNTS. Assume Broker, Seller’s Agent and Buyer’s Agent work for the same firm at the same brokerage office. Buyer’s Agent executes a transactional broker agreement with the Buyer. Seller’s Agent lists property and represents Seller. Buyer and Seller pay brokerage firm the identical commission amount. Place of transaction: Miami, Florida

I identify the following possible counts:

Professional Negligence

Breach of Fiduciary Duty/Relationship
Fraudulent Act

Fraud

Constructive Fraud

Fraud by Silence

Suppression of facts

Civil Conspiracy

Intentional Misrepresentation

Malice

Breach of Duty to Deal in Good Faith

Breach of Expressed Contractual Duty to Do No Harm

Breach of Contract

Severe Emotional Distress

Oppression

P.S. This is a great mind bender...we've got pizza and drinks everywhere!



AllanKirk
posted 2007-07-24 02:31:37


Dear AllanKirk,

Mind-benders do not exist for the Judge, for the Judge’s already got a bent mind.  The court is not bound to answer your questions, but does so at its pleasure and your peril.  To begin with, if you hadn’t placed the question before this court but had instead asked our esteemed friend Broker Bryant (http://www.brokerbryant.com/2007/07/22/i-am-certainly-your-broker#more3091 ) you would have immediately found some of your answers.  In your folly, you have asked this court to assume the case scenery, but the court does not proceed upon assumptions and presumptions.  More so, when the assumed scenery advances to the realms of fantasy, leaving behind  the merely fictitious.  The reason why no court in the country would have accepted the case is because dual agency is prohibited in Florida and a transactional broker does not have a fiduciary relationship with its customers (who are not clients).

However, the reason why this court will not take up the matter is because the lawsuit incoherently considers only the superficial without considering the fundamental problems.  This court entertains a suit only when the issues strike at the roots of the matter.  In this case, that would have involved:

-Suing the parents of the buyer for producing dumb children who are a liability to the society and this court

-Suing the educational institutions where the bungling buyer had received useless education

-Suing the accreditation authorities and boards which gave recognition to the worthless institutions where the buyer had received education

-Suing the incompetent government authorities which recognized the accreditation boards that gave recognition to the institutions where the aforementioned buyer had received education

-Suing the inept government that set up such authorities which recognized the accreditation boards that gave recognition to the institutions where the aforementioned buyer had received education

-Suing the mindless electorate that had voted the inept government into power and aided and abetted in setting up such incompetent government authorities which recognized the worthless accreditation boards that gave recognition to the  institutions where the aforementioned bungling buyer had received his/her hopeless education

No lawsuits against the seller or the broker would be entertained for they have proven themselves to be smart enough to win accolades.  In any case, this court heartily supports the maxim of Caveat Emptor for all and especially for those who have the cheek to pose questions to this esteemed court.

As always the Judge has a solution to all your problems.  Cheers!  Happy Posting…I guarantee you that your classmates will think you're brilliant.  I also guarantee that you will score extra brownie points with your professor for bringing so many extra parties into the litigation.  (Trust me, they like that.)"

If you weren’t looking for a serious answer, just go rent Fight Club and watch it with your pizza and drinks.  I bet you'll get some more ideas of rules that were broken in this case (Just don’t get too many ideas from it, OK?)"
Top Performing Jobs
Associate Attorney

USA-PA-Exton

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immedia...

Apply Now
Attorney

USA-MI-Sturgis

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater ...

Apply Now
Attorney

USA-MI-Coldwater

Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater ...

Apply Now
JDJournal - Send Tips
Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an educatio...

Apply Now
Education Law Attorney

USA-CA-Carlsbad

Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education ...

Apply Now
Education Law and Public Entity Attorney

USA-CA-El Segundo

El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an educatio...

Apply Now
Dear Judged


Dear Your Honor,
Dear Judge,

Do you ever experience any physical danger in the courtroom?  You do deal with all those criminals, right? 

Sincerly,

Concerned Bailiff's Mommy



+ more Judged Dear
+ write to Your Honor
Law Firm NewsMakers


1.
News Corp. Considers Splitting

LawCrossing

The Attorney Profile column is sponsored by LawCrossing, America`s leading legal job site.

Summary: This is a great question. There are many factors that impact a candidateā€™s ability to lateral from an overseas law firm to a top U.S. law firm.
Search Jobs Direct from Employer Career Pages
 Keywords:
 Location:
 
JDJournal

Enter your email address and start getting breaking law firm and legal news right now!



Every Alert

Alert once a day

 

BCG Attorney Search

You may search for specific jobs or browse our job listings.

Locations:

(hold down ctrl to choose multiple)

Minimum Years of Experience:

Primary Area of Practice:

 Partner Level Job(s)

Search Now