Page:North Dakota Reports (vol. 1).pdf/444

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420
NORTH DAKOTA REPORTS.

damages he may recover in this case. The inequity of allowing him to-recover the full purchase money, and at the same time retain the land, is apparent on statement.

It has been held, when a grantee tenders a reconveyance when there has been a technical breach of the covenant of seisin, that the proper rule of damages is the entire purchase price, with interest. See Frazer v. Supervisors, 74 IIL 282; Kincaid v. Brittain, 5 Sneed, 119; Recohs v. Younglove, 8 Baxt. 385. But in the absence of such tender the authorities are clear that for a mere technical breach the grantee is not entitled to recover the full amount of the purchase price. In Ore Co. v. Miller, 41 Conn, 112, the court say: “The general rule is, in actions upon contracts, that the plaintiff shall recover the actual damages sustained. An action for the breach of the covenant of siesin is not an exception to the rule. It is generally true that in such cases the actual damage sustained is in fact the consideration paid, and interest, because the party takes nothing by his deed. It is in its inception, and continues to be, a nullity. But if the party takes anything by his deed, directly or indirectly, by its own force, or by its cooperation with other instruments or other circumstances, whether it be the entire thing purchased or a part of it, the value must be considered in considering damages.” To same effect, see Kimball v. Bryant, 25 Minn. 496; Cochrell v. Procter, 65 Mo. 41; 2 Suth. Dam. 265; Mayne, Dam. 143; Smith v. Hughes, 50 Wis. 620, 7 N. W. Rep. 653; Hencke v. Johnson, 62 Iowa, 555, 17 N. W. Rep, 766.

From these views it is apparent that the learned trial court adopted an improper rule of damages, as that court evidently deemed the consideration price and interest, irrespective of actual damage, to govern in cases of the breach of these covenants. It is claimed, however, that this rule receives some support from our statute. Section 4584, Comp. Laws, is as follows: “The detriment caused by a breach of the covenant of seisin, of right to convey, of warranty, or of quiet enjoyment, in a grant of an estate in real property, is to be deemed (1) the price paid to the grantor, or, if the breach is partial only, such proportion of the price as the value of the property affected by the breach bore, at the time of the grant, to the value of the whole prop-