C. B. Snyder Realty Co. v. Sherrill-Noonan, Inc., and York-Hoover Corporation and H. W. Stone, 261 F.2d 269, 3rd Cir. (1958)
C. B. Snyder Realty Co. v. Sherrill-Noonan, Inc., and York-Hoover Corporation and H. W. Stone, 261 F.2d 269, 3rd Cir. (1958)
2d 269
Sherrill-Noonan appeals from the trial court's refusal to enter a dismissal at the
close of the plaintiff's case under Rule 41(b), F.R.Civ.P., 28 U.S.C.A., and
from the refusal to set aside the verdict and enter judgment for it under Rule
50(b), F.R.Civ.P., thereby presenting the question of whether the Pennsylvania
Real Estate Broker's License Act prevents recovery.
It can be seen from the relevant portion of the Act appearing in the margin1 that
it is expressed in terms which require it to be applied by the Pennsylvania
courts whenever they are the forum for an action for broker's commissions. The
statute affects the availability of remedy and can consequently be said to be
procedural. Goodrich on Conflict of Laws, 77. Indeed, if the statute were
construed to affect the establishment of contractual relationships or to affect the
right to assert a claim upon the breach of a right or duty already conferred by
contract, the statute would not be applicable here at all. In each of those
situations, where the contract involved has been entered in one state and is to be
performed in another, it is not entirely clear whether the Pennsylvania conflict
of laws rule would apply the law of the place of contracting or of the place of
performance. See Linn v. Employers Reinsurance Corp., 1958, 392 Pa. 58, 139
A.2d 638; Musser v. Stauffer, 1899, 192 Pa. 398, 43 A. 1018. But see Burnett
v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 1896, 176 Pa. 45, 34 A. 972. It is clear, however, that
where the place of contracting and of performance are the same, the law of that
place will be applied. See, in re McCurdy's Estate, 1931, 303 Pa. 453, 154 A.
707; Rumsey v. New York & Pennsylvania R. Co., 1902, 203 Pa. 579, 53 A.
495. Here the places of contracting and of performance were both New York.
Consequently it is the law of New York which determines the rights of the
parties as distinguished from the remedies once such rights exist. See Goodrich,
supra.
nor is recovery barred even if the corporation is not licensed so long as the
actions or service for which recovery is sought are not actions prohibited by the
Act. There is plain evidence in the record that the corporate plaintiff was
licensed in Pennsylvania after the usual form in which brokers' licenses were
issued to corporations. Furthermore, the only pertinent prohibition we find in
the Act is in 12, 63 P.A. 442, as amended. That reads:
7
Although the statute explicitly prohibits nothing, it is clear that the proscription
of the acts mentioned amounts to a prohibition. But if Snyder did not perform
any of its broker's activity in Pennsylvania in connection with the transaction on
which recovery is now sought, it did nothing prohibited by the Act. The
evidence is quite clear that the activity occurred in New York and possibly New
Jersey. And even if some of the activity had occurred in Pennsylvania, it is
irrelevant whether or not the agent who actually represented Snyder Company
was licensed in Pennsylvania because, though employment of an unlicensed
salesman may be prohibited by 442, the employment is not the act upon which
recovery is sought. The language of 446 requires that the very act for which
compensation is sought be the one prohibited. For these reasons the
Pennsylvania Real Estate Broker's License Act is not a bar to Anyder's recovery
in this case.
We need not stop to explore whether the license laws of New York might not
have given Snyder any right against Sherrill-Noonan after the latter failed to
pay a commission for the production of a buyer; this was an affirmative defense
which the defendant was required to plead under Rule 8(c), F.R.Civ.P. The
failure to plead and offer proof on this phase of the case constituted a waiver of
whatever defense might possibly have been available under the New York
statutes.
10
Sherrill-Noonan's last point in this case is that the court erred in failing to
instruct the jury that they had a choice of returning a verdict of either $5,000,
plus interest or of $8,250, plus interest. This objection is not open to SherrillNoonan since it failed to comply with Rule 51, F.R.Civ.P., by raising the point
before the jury retired. But even if objection had been timely made, the record
demonstrates that the trial judge was correct in intentionally omitting a charge
as to the possibility of a $5,000 verdict, since the evidence in the record would
not support such a verdict.
II.
12
13
At the close of Sherrill-Noonan's case, the trial judge directed a verdict in favor
of Snyder, York-Hoover and Stone on the alternative grounds that either
Sherrill-Noonan could not recover any broker's commission since it was
unlicensed in Pennsylvania, or, if this were not in fact an action for recovery of
a commission, then it was not within the contemplation of any agreement that
might have existed between the parties. The judgment in Stone's favor was
entered also on the ground that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a
verdict against him.
14
16
The act or service rendered in return for such agreement was the 'finding' of a
listing for Snyder. Is this an act or service which 12, 63 P.S. 442, prohibits to
all but licensed brokers? That section prohibits engaging in or carrying on the
business of a real estate broker in Pennsylvania without a license. 63 P.S.
432(a) defines a real estate broker in the terms quoted in the margin.2 Nowhere
in this lengthy definition (some of which is omitted as immaterial here) is a
broker defined as one who receives a commission for taking a broker to a seller
who consequently lists with the broker the property to be sold.
17
18
The application of the Broker's Act to this issue could perhaps be supported by
regarding as a step in the negotiation of a sale any act done which eventually
leads to a sale of property. It is doubtful however that the Alford case can
properly be taken as manifesting a trend in the Pennsylvania law toward so
extremely broad a definition of the term 'negotiate' as it appears in the Broker's
Act. Lacking a clear mandate to such a trend, it is the better course for the
federal courts to hold that the Broker's Act does not bar maintenance of SherrillNoonan's counterclaim. Cf. Schultz v. Palmer-Welloct Tool Corp., 3 Cir., 1953,
207 F.2d 652.
19
'The term 'real estate broker' shall include all person * * * who, for another and
for a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, shall sell, exchange,
purchase, or rent, or shall negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase or rental, or
shall offer or attempt to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase or rental, or shall
hold himself * * * out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging,
purchasing, or renting of any real estate. * * * One act in consideration of
compensation, by fee, commission or otherwise, of buying, selling, renting or
exchanging any such real estate of or for another, or attempting or offering so to
do, * * * shall constitute prima facie evidence that the person * * * is a real
estate broker within the meaning of this act.'