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40 Mich. 699

Nowlin v. Snow

Michigan Supreme Court

Decided April 24, 1879

Michigan Supreme Court · decided 1879-04-24

Trespass on the case by Nowlin, who declares that Snow represented to him that he wished to sell or exchange certain real estate in Kansas worth certain specified sums, and that Nowlin, relying on his representations exchanged for it some land in Dearborn, Wayne county, Michigan, Snow agreeing to assume a certain mortgage, pay back-taxes on the Kansas lands, and also to pay Nowlin $1,200; he farther alleges that Show’s representations as to the value and local advantages of…

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1879-04-24

How this case has been cited

Cited by 12 later decisions — most recently March 2008

11 state decisions

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Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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Marston, J.

¶1We are clearly of opinion that the court erred in withdrawing this case from the consideration of the jury. It is not very important whether we call the transaction between the parties a sale or an exchange, although we think the latter the more correct term. At the time the exchange was made, the parties did not stand upon an equal footing. The plaintiff had no knowledge whatever of the Kansas property except what he derived from the defendant, who claimed to have personal knowledge during the negotiations. The representations made could in no way be considered as mere matter of opinion as to the value of the land, or as to its location. The representations were distinct and important, and if found to have been made and that they were untrue in fact, and that plaintiff in making the exchange relied upon the representations made, then clearly he was entitled to recover. The case should have been submitted to the jury under proper instructions.

¶2The judgment must be reversed with costs and a new trial ordered.

The other Justices concurred.
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