Holston v. Pennington

In this appeal from a decree of specific performance, we must consider whether the seller of land at an “absolute auction” may “block” various parcels together, whether a successful bid recorded by the auctioneer satisfies the statute of frauds, and whether the auctioneer may bid at the sale. We affirm the decree.

Joseph K. Holston and his wife were the owners of two tracts of land in Smyth County containing about eighty acres in the aggre gate. The tracts were not contiguous, but were close together. The owners divided the first tract into four lots, each of which was traversed by a…