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<br />Oakes v. Miller, 55 P. 193 (1898), Court of Appeals of Colorado.
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<br />[Vendor of property which he represented to be free of flooding
<br />was held liable to vendee who bought in ignorance of flood hazard
<br />and who suffered damage therefrom.]
<br />
<br />THO)[~O~. P. .T. "\..t100 foT' dpC('!; hy 8f1-
<br />pell('t' a.~'I:nst arr:dL1lLt. The ('oU1l,laint alp
<br />!t.g,'il rb'lt ill July, 15::).1, the Vhil11iff "'iiS
<br />iltllu.:eJ tv pl:rc!Ja,;;,_' frvm the d'-'fenllnnt. fur
<br />the Vllll.!(lSe of a rf's.iilt'llc€', alld to he u:::...'tl
<br />for r:l;~tu;; lJO.zs an,1 p,)l!J7!'y, R stll:lli t1',I"[
<br />of I;nlt~ IK'I',lel"illg' ou Ct~('I'l'Y Cl'€'i'k. ill AI';lp-
<br />alF,€, euunry. by tll':; fal,,;.(' rt'Il["'''L'I~r:l!hllJ of
<br />tbe dcff'lidant that tIlt' Winer III Cht'lTY (.It;'I'k,
<br />wl1k'lt. fit the timt'. ,r:1:3 Yli'Q" low, DPn'r
<br />wuu!d rii'e, ~u;J. Jh'\"('1' had r1:-:!.'ll. llI,wn' th:ln
<br />:-,E'nu inr'hl'3 hI~lL.'r than if \\as th~tl I"lm.
<br />nill;;; tklt rhl:' dd\.'lllbnt. whrIl h.:- nl:ule th~
<br />n'p:t'sl.:tf:lli,_,n. kUt'W tlJ'~ C'h~l;'i]";,-'r <llld 11ShiH
<br />of Ch(.ny c-rt'ek rind kli.~w th,lt ,!IP w:1ff'l' Wl1;;'
<br />at an.r tjm~ liablE' t'J r:,:,e in tbe cl'~~k frrJUl
<br />ti.'n tu tWdJty fPd, aDd OYl'r'flow its hank~.
<br />:.md tb:1t th" In:;tI wa3 liC': a 'su:taLl(" p1:1I.T to
<br />raise hl'C-:-". or s:1fl' fdr a rt.'sidE-nee; that. sh,)l't-
<br />ir after thE' Purdl:l;::''''. the wal.pr In Clwuy
<br />cl'L--ek r,,:,,(' tbrel' feet. aud o'"t?l"ilow€'f! tUf' !rUltl.
<br />3!ld can-it:.! oft' ll:id ,j(;,Stl'uYM a uUl::ll,,'[' of
<br />;,i'Cc!t'ii of perslAi;tl ['[""["IN,}" h".IQIlging' to the
<br />l'Ll;w;ff. 'Thl' C(,n:p1ai.f!t furtho::, an~lTed tlJat
<br />tLe TJl3'ntjff p,llrl, of tllp rJllJ'dta~l.' Inlet:' of [hI;'
<br />l:HII!. ~,)I) in ca;.b, an,! gnve hi:;; 010:('8 fu!' rut'
<br />L'd;;irl~.l'..', St'('url,d by Dl'lrtg~l:,;-'~ tll'"11 other
<br />r'ruI)ert.~' bp.lotlg:wz to him; thu.t h.~ built n
<br />h(,u..~" U;J,)lL the hll'1. ,..!lieu hI' afu'rwllrds
<br />,"::IlOH'd, [Hill That UH' time he ("XJ'I'iV]I"I.J on
<br />ibp l'lli!r!in~ Rll.1 rHI.,n-al or tbp h(JI1:-Op Wil;;
<br />W'l:'th ~II~~J; (11;11 tb-, ~1l(lrt;:,t;::(>f1 [J!"o!-,"I'ly WllS
<br />;:11.;"11 toy tlHo d...fH: tu>!, al1l1 a;q:lil'd ,.n TIll'
<br />,'I:', d:i~" l'I'i;';' of t h,' l:lil']: rll;11 tllt' p!:l'I:::rL
<br />,Ill. II II<' tJl;I.\" tit" j,urdu...(', ].;III_'W Ij,),I;in,:"::
<br />
<br />of 111~ U:ll,ilit r ,',f r-ll"IT.' .:i",','k to 0' ,')"110\\',
<br />an.l i',,!ii'II tIll tllc tl'~('-"llJallt'''' n pr;~"ellt:ltj"lli':
<br />1h:lt, Uj,ull ,j';;:/:()\"':-r)u;; th;lt UJC rC:Vl'e":('Hl:-U:"Il::>
<br />~,'l:I'c. :',d:~r, Lc lllfl..tr:.> ;Ulll a<:1::u<Jwlool;:;\'d a
<br />(ju.,J l'ccon\'('~'illg ;:iJc ]~,n{l to lJ,~ I)efl:ll.laut.
<br />~in,l t...u,l...J'ctl it to him, :lnd ;1].;;:) ,h:'nl:wdl',l
<br />a 1."t"tlll'll pf ;he ,~jf} wbi,-Jt 1;(' 11~1,1 [I:tt,l. :11\41 ;
<br />t.;.~ I;O:€-S :l:ld In()r:,,,:Ig\~. utlt jhat the t!d':'Tl'l-
<br />ant n'f11;,'cd to rl c('in~ the ,11.'....1, (..r reluru the
<br />:1'>'1'('\' or the n'Jk,,; ;ll\d morl,~:lg-e. The ('om.
<br />I,l;lill~ '.',-'lIta~rj(!d a tpntlcr of the 11eI'd, :111tl
<br />:d:'-.::'-'Il Ihe tut:ll ol~nlw;.;e hy ;-ea:-:c,n or the
<br />f;-,I'i,l to be ;}I';"li_~, for W!l;dl ,>um, ',dth ('osts.
<br />jl1,l";!Ilt'ut 'Y~I.s l.!'a)"{'d, The tri:ll e-,-i~ntllflt('tl:
<br />in a n~rllj<:t anll jn,lgment in the pb.:ntllf"s:
<br />~;'n(Jr f(.r ~.W:i, :.Hl11 the :!l'fe:Hl.wt :1 [lpl:'all'd.
<br />
<br />t.:'pon a Carl.tul eS[lIuination of the record. I
<br />\ye :u-e rlllaloie to find allY 1'1;'3wn for a re4
<br />v€'rsal of ,his jlHIglllC'ut. Tuere \....n~ cy:L1ence i
<br />tbat at t1H~ time of the- tn:lusat.:~iou the plain..
<br />tiff wns a :..;lpW;;i?l' to Cberry <.;rt'l'>k, 3Dd knew'
<br />l.lolbill.l;( of i~5 ,:,'!1al"flc:er or habits; that, in i
<br />('ol'lf'01ny with the 1~C'rc-nd: ,t. wLlle looking I
<br />at the iantl with a ylcw tiJ i~s pnrch3se, be i
<br />~aw the creek fur the first time, ::tucl :lsked
<br />the th'f..>nrlan~ \ylll'ther it e,er l'u:"'e, :Ul<.l the
<br />dcf..:Jl,laut 1'\-p1:c,1 ;h;1t it $ometlm€s did, SC\''l'll
<br />('1' eight iucbes; that it woulil n,)t rise lllore
<br />til~ln sen'n ur ,..gbt im'l1es, MId, if it t::!Vl"'r
<br />did ciS.""', it wou!(l nut come up to the llirnk.
<br />Tbe jlJainrilf tl.;'sti!;0U tll:lt a r'se no gT0ater
<br />eifln that \V'Juln be act.:nded wilh no ,l,lllger,
<br />.'Ind tllat he therenpon ('"I)ll('hlili:tl ,the pur,]
<br />dUl:"e. The ()('('un'eQce of tlJe tined sbol'tly
<br />afterward:;;, and the 11l;;S as s:tate-J in the (,OIn- i
<br />plaint, were pronm, There was (.,j(}(,nce I
<br />lllat Chcny crt::l.'k w;;.s subject to ftootl~, and
<br />that the dt~felldrmt knew its habits conclu.
<br />sly(.Iy npp(>;1l'S (rum hIs 0"''''-11 tesUmuny. from
<br />which we make the f8:Iowing extract: "Q.
<br />Di.]n.t you know they bad a tlood in Chl'"fl'Y
<br />cr<.!l'k I'n'l'Y ~-(';lr. rllld somC't:mcs twil.'~ Ii
<br />J-"~,'1r, lJ,'ff!l'C tli:lt,--.for ~-t'ars bt'fOl'C that? A.
<br />I dill n~t know it until I lin~u tht:>re. Q. 1
<br />me-an :Fars lJ:,'fore the time Sou IlloTed out
<br />thl~re in lSm. or l..\lJilt this }wuse? A. I only
<br />knew what I ::::nv. Q. Have yon ~ten it?
<br />A. I hale s('(>o flO.1Jg in Ct,('rry l'rc('k,-luts
<br />of them; ;yes, sir." The plaimi:lt hrought
<br />the dpcd of the propl'l.ty into {'omt. and l~rt
<br />It therC', subjl'(.t to the order of the dl'fend-
<br />ant.. The defendant, as :J. )vitur"s in his l.l\yn
<br />behalf, denied that he nude the rel're:;;eutll-
<br />Hons attl'iblltl'd to him; but the jury found
<br />that he did, anJ theil' '\"erdict Is conclusive
<br />of the (.!let.
<br />False and fraurlullo'llt n'l1rl~sellt.'ltlous, re-
<br />liauce on whkh i."l':mlt:3 in damage, are alwll)"s
<br />i.lctIOl,:lble. amI the UH'aS\ll.e of n~lvn'ry is
<br />tl.le hl:-=S wbkh the fmud has 02ntrrl1C(1. The
<br />plaintiff made tl'wh.'r of the llr"l't'rty be had
<br />receh",'d In tbe only ',yay in which knd"'r
<br />could 11e made of S11('h pr"pf'rty. nnll kept:
<br />the t('u1.ll!r goo(L The s'lle was thc-ref~)re rc-
<br />selnul'd. tIte '!l'fl'nJant \Y:lS l'1'storcll 10 gle,
<br />positIon In ft.'$pect t.o the t.llld ,,,bleb he bad:
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