contract case brief.docx
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contract case brief.docx
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contractcasebrief
Lonerganv.Scolnick–CaseBriefSummary
Summaryof Lonerganv.Scolnick,129Cal.App.2d179,276P.2d8(Cal.Ct.App.1954).
Facts
Scolnick(D)soughttosellcertainrealpropertyandplacedthefollowingadinaLosAngelespaper:
‘JoshuaTreevic.40acres,...needcash,willsacrifice.’Lonergan(P)answeredtheadandScolnickwrotetohimdescribingthepropertyandprovidingdirections,andstatedthathisrock-bottompricewas$2,500cash.
LonerganwrotetoScolnicktoaskfordetailsregardingthepreciselocationoftherealestateandtorecommendanescrowagent“shouldIdesiretopurchasetheland.”Scolnickrepliedthenextdayandtoldhimtodecidequicklybecauseheexpectedtohaveabuyerwithinaweek.Scolnicksoldthepropertyfourdayslater.TwodayslatertheplaintiffreceivedScolnick’sletterandrepliedthenextdaythatheacceptedtheoffer.
Lonerganbroughtthislawsuitallegingthatthedefendanthadbreacheda contract toselltheland.Theplaintiffclaimedthatthelandwasworth$6,081andsoughtthedifferencebetweenthatandtheaskingpriceof$2,500.Defendantdeniedthatacontracthadformed.ThetrialcourtfavorofScolnickandLonerganappealed.
Issue
∙Musttherebeamanifestationofcontractualintentinordertocreateanenforceablecontract?
HoldingandRule
∙Yes.Theremustbeamanifestationofcontractualintentanditmustbeunequivocalandshowthatthepartiesintendedtocreateabindingagreement.
Therecanbenocontractunlesstherehasbeenameetingofthemindsandthepartieshavemutuallyagreeduponsomespecificthing.Thisisusuallyevidencedbyonepartymakinganofferwhichisacceptedbytheotherparty.Section25oftheRestatementoftheLawonContractsreads:
‘Iffromapromise,ormanifestationofintention,orfromthecircumstancesexistingatthetime,thepersontowhomthepromiseormanifestationisaddressedknowsorhasreasontoknowthatthepersonmakingitdoesnotintenditasanexpressionofhisfixedpurposeuntilhehasgivenafurtherexpressionofassent,hehasnotmadeanoffer.’
Thecourtheldthatthelanguageusedbythedefendantinhislettersindicatedthattheywerenotintendedasanexpressionoffixedpurposetomakeadefiniteoffer.Theadvertisementinthepaperwasamererequestforanoffer.TheletterofMarch26containednodefiniteofferbecauseitmerelygavefurtherparticularsandtoldtheplaintiffhowtolocatethepropertyifinterested.TheletterofApril8answeredsomequestionsaskedbytheplaintiff,andstatedthatifhewerereallyinterestedhewouldhavetoactsoon.Thatthedefendantexpectedabuyerinashorttimeindicatedthatheintendedtoselltothefirst-comer.Lonerganwasnotbeinggivenarighttoactwithinareasonabletimeafterreceivingtheletter.
Disposition
JudgmentforScolnickaffirmed.
Notes
Manifestationofcontractualintentisdeterminedbytheobjectivepersonstandardofareasonablepersonstandingintheshoesoftheofferee.
Lonerganv.Scolnick
Facts:
∙Dpostedanadinanewspaperaboutsomelandheneededtosellurgently.Psawtheadandinquiredaboutit.
∙DsentPinformationabouttheproperty,alongwithdirectionstogettoit.Dstatedthattherock-bottompricewas$2500;Dalsomadesurethattheletterpurporteditselftobea"formletter".
∙PwrotetoDaskingformoreinfoonthelandandsuggestinganescrowservice"should[he]desiretopurchasetheland".
∙DwrotebackgivingthelegaldescriptionofthelandandsayingthatifPwasreallyinterested,heshoulddecidequicklysinceDexpectedtohaveabuyerinaweekorso.
∙Dsoldthepropertytoathirdparty.
∙Threedayslater,PopenedanescrowaccountandsentDalettertellinghimthathewaspurchasingtheland.
∙Uponfindingoutthatthelandhadalreadybeensold,PsuedDforbreachofcontract.
ProceduralHistory:
∙LowercourtfoundforD,saidthattheDmadeanofferwhichwasqualifiedandconditioneduponpromptacceptancebyP.SincePdelayed,contractwasnotenteredupon.
∙CACOAaffirmed,foundforD,nocontract,butfortotallydifferentreasonsthanthelowercourt.
Issues:
∙Whereisthelinebetweencontractnegotiationandcontractformation?
∙Doesanadvertisementqualifyasanoffer?
Holding/Rule:
∙Acontractisofficiallyformedwhenonepartymakesanofferandtheotherpartyassentstotheoffer.
∙"If…thepersontowhomthepromiseisaddressedknowsorhasreasontoknowthatthepersonmakingitdoesnotintenditasanexpressionofhisfixedpurposeuntilhehasgivenafurtherexpressionofassent,hehasnotmadeanoffer."
∙Anadvertisementisamererequestforanoffer.
Reasoning:
∙Thecanbenocontractunlessthemindsofthepartieshavemetandmutuallyagreeduponsomespecificthing.
∙ThecorrespondenceindicatedanintentiononthepartoftheDtofindoutwhetherthePwasinterested,notanintentiontomakeadefiniteoffertotheP.
∙ThestatementthatDexpectedtohaveabuyerinthenextweekorsoindicatedthatDintendedtoselltothefirst-comerandwasreservingtherighttodoso.
oPshouldhaveknownthathewasnotbeinggiventimetoacceptanoffer,butthatsomefurtherassentonthepartoftheDwouldberequired.
Dissent:
None.
Notes:
"Manifestationofcontractualintent"isrequiredtoformabindingcontractandisjudgedusingthe"reasonableperson"standard.
Davisv.Jacoby–CaseBriefSummary
Summaryof Davisv.Jacoby,34P.2d1026(1934).
Facts
BlancheWhiteheadandherhusbandRupertenjoyedacloserelationshipwiththeirnieceCaroDavis(P).TheWhitehead’ssufferedhealthandfinancialdifficultiesandRupertaskedDavistocometoCaliforniatohelptakecareofBlancheandassistRupertwithhisbusinessaffairs.Shewaspromisedaninheritanceinreturnforherassistance.
OneweekafterDavisagreedRupertcommittedsuicide.DavismovedtoCaliforniatocareforBlanche.UponBlanche’sdeathDavislearnedthatRuperthadlefthisentireestatetotwonephews.
DavissuedRupert’sestate(Jacoby,D),assertingthatheragreementwithRuperthadcreatedacontractualobligationforhimtomakeawillandbequesthisestatetoherandthatshewasentitledtoquasi-specificperformance.Davisappealedthetrialcourt’srulinginfavoroftheestatethatnocontracthadbeenformedbecauseRuperthadmadeaunilateralofferthatcouldonlyhavebeenacceptedviaperformance.
Issue
Whattypeofofferispresumedtohavebeenmadewheretheofferisambiguousastowhetheritisunilateralorbilateral?
Rule
Anofferispresumedtobebilateralifitisambiguouswithregardtowhetheritisunilateralorbilateral.
ThecourtpointedtoRupert’sstatement“Willyouletmehearfromyouassoonaspossible…”asarequestforanimmediatereplysothathecouldmakearrangementsandrelyonDavis’spromisetocometoCalifornia.Furthermore,sinceRupertaskedhertotakecareofthemuntilbothofthemhaddied,itwasapparentthathehadtorelyonDavis’spromisetocontinuetocareforBlancheifshesurvivedhim.
Disposition
Judgmentfortheestatereversed.
Akersv.J.B.Sedberry,Inc.–CaseBrief
Facts:
Sedberry(D),throughmajorityshareholderMrs.Sedberry,enteredintoacontractwithAkers(P)wherebyAkerswouldserveasChiefEngineerforfiveyears.SedberryenteredintoasimilarfiveyearemploymentcontractwithWhitsitt(P).AkersandWhitsittweretoperformtheirdutiesattheJayBeeManufacturingCompanyinTyler,Texas.
Mrs.SedberrylaterpurchasedstockinJayBeeownedbyJayBee’sgeneralmanager,whowasthenreplacedbySorenson.PshaddifficultyworkingwithSorensonandJayBeeowedlargeamountsofmoneytoabankwhoseofficialswereconcernedthecompanywouldfailunderSorenson.ThebankaddresseditsconcernstoPs,whothenmetwithSedberrywithoutSorenson’sknowledgetodiscusspossibilitiesfortherefinancingofJayBee.Asashowofgoodfaith,Psofferedtheirresignationsonninetydaysnotice;Sedberryrefused.PsreturnedtoJayBeewithinstructions;however,thenextdayMrs.SedberryinformedPsthattheirresignationswereacceptedeffectiveimmediately.
PssuedDforbreachoftheiremploymentcontractsandcontendedthatMrs.Sedberryhadrefusedtheirresignationsandthatnoofferremainedopen.ThetrialcourtawardeddamagestoPsandDappealed.
Issue
Iftwopartiesareineachother’spresenceandonepartyextendsanofferwithoutindicatinganytimeperiodforacceptance,forhowlongwilltheofferremainopen?
HoldingandRule
Iftwopartiesareineachother’spresenceandonemakesanofferwithoutindicatinganytimeforacceptance,aninferencewillbedrawnthatthatofferwillnotextendbeyondthetimeoftheconversationunlessspecialwordsorcircumstancesindicateacontraryintentiononthepartoftheofferor.
Anemployee’stenderofresignationisnotbindinguntilithasbeenacceptedbytheemployer.Suchanoffermustbeacceptedaccordingtoitstermsandwithinthetimefixed.Anoffermaybeterminatedby:
1)rejection,or2)failuretoacceptwithinthetimefixed,or3)failuretoacceptwithinareasonabletimeifnotimeisfixed.
Adeterminationofwhatconstitutesa“reasonabletime”isaquestionoffactdependingonthenatureofthecontractproposed,usagesofbusiness,andotherfactualcircumstances.Anoffermadebyonetoanotherfacetofaceisdeemedtocontinueonlytothecloseoftheirconversationandcannotbeacceptedthereafter(Restatement(2d)ofContracts40).
ThecourtheldthatinthiscasePs’facetofaceofferwasterminatedwhenMrs.Sedberryrejectedit.TheattemptbyDtoterminatethecontractthefollowingdaywasabreachandPswereentitle
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