Bailey v. Leishman

89 P. 78, 32 Utah 123, 1907 Utah LEXIS 24
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 5, 1907
DocketNo. 1700
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 89 P. 78 (Bailey v. Leishman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bailey v. Leishman, 89 P. 78, 32 Utah 123, 1907 Utah LEXIS 24 (Utah 1907).

Opinions

FLICK, J.

This is an action for damages for breach of an alleged contract. The question for determination arises upon the sufficiency of the complaint. The material allegations of the complaint are, in substance: That on the 16th day of October, at Wellsville, Utah, the plaintiffs (appellants) and defendants (respondents) entered into a certain written contract in words and figures as follows: “Oct. 16, ’03. I hereby sell and agree to "deliver to Bjailey & Sons at their place of business in Logan City, Utah, 125 bushels of lucern seed at the rate of 10 3-4 cents per pound after same seed is recleaned; said seed to be in said David & Andrew Leish-man’s sacks. [Signed] Andrew Leishman. David Leish-[125]*125man.” That by the terms of said contract the defendants had agreed to deliver the said seed to the plaintiffs at said Logan City within a reasonable time. That ten days or less after the making of said contract was a reasonable time within which to deliver the said seed, and the said defendants could have delivered the same to plaintiffs within said time had they chosen to do so. That plaintiffs have at all times been able and willing to purchase from defendants said seed at the rate of 10 3-4 cents per pound as expressed in the memorandum of agreement. That plaintiffs at all times have been ready, willing and able to pay said defendants said 10 3-4 cents per pound for said seed upon the delivery and recleaning thereof. That said defendants have wholly failed and neglected to deliver said seed, or any part thereof, to plaintiff, and have refused to deliver said seed or any part thereof notwithstanding that “plaintiffs on the 7th day of November, 1903, and at divers other times prior thereto, demanded of the said defendants that they deliver the said seed in accordance with the terms of the said agreement between the said parties.” That by reason of the failure to deliver said seed plaintiffs alleged that they have been damaged in the sum of $150, for which they demand judgment. Respondents demurred to this complaint upon various grounds, but rely upon one ground only in their brief and argument, which is that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute, a cause of action. The court sustained the demurrer, and appellants electing to stand upon their complaint, a judgment dismissing the action was duly entered against them, from which judgment they appeal.

The only error assigned is that the court erred in sustaining the demurrer. Respondents’ counsel contends that the complaint is insufficient, and that the ruling of the court is correct, and in support of his contention urges, in substance, the following reasons: (1) That the memorandum relied on is signed by respondents only, that no consideration is mentioned, and that the memorandum contains no promise on the part of appellants binding them. (2) That the appellants do not aver any consideration for the promise of re[126]*126spondents, that there is no allegation of the execution or delivery of said memorandum, nor that the appellants agreed to purchase the seed. (3) That the complaint discloses that the original statement was, in effect, an offer merely, and that the words “hereby sell” mean “hereby agree to' sell.” (4) That the alleged agreement is unilateral, binding appellants to nothing, leaving them free to pay for the seed or not, to accept the seed after tender to them or not, and to pay for the same at the rate mentioned or not; that the memorandum is merely an attempt to bind the sellers without imposing any liability on the purchasers. The foregoing, we think, fairly summarizes all the reasons counsel relies on to sustain the court’s ruling.

For the purposes of this decision, we will assume the contention of counsel for respondent that the memorandum sued on is a mere offer to sell made by respondents to appellants. As an offer, therefore, it was subject to acceptance by appellants, and was not intended as a complete contract, and would not be such unless and until acceptance. In this view it may not have been the intention of the. parties that the memorandum should be signed by both, at its inception at least. When the offer was accepted, however, by appellants, it was thereby converted into a complete contract; the respondents being bound to sell and deliver the seed, and the appellants, by a promise the law implied from acceptance, bound to receive and pay therefor. True, appellants might have accepted the offer by writing such acceptance on the memorandum and have signed it, but such was not necessary to bind them. An oral acceptance was sufficient. (Browne on Stat. Frauds (2d Ed.), section 345-a.) The text, as- there given, is sustained by an array of cases that need not be mentioned here. But, in any event, the signature of respondents was sufficient to satisfy the statute. The requirement to subscribe or sign the memorandum is purely statutory, and our statute requires that the party “to be charged” only need subscribe. This, it has often been held, applies to the vendor in case of sale. The weight of authority is clearly to this effect. (Browne on Stat. Frauds (2d Ed.), sections 365, 366“; 29 [127]*127A. & E. Enc. L. (2d Ed.), 858, and cases there 'cited.) This also disposes of tbe contention that tbe contract pleaded is not enforceable because it is unilateral. Upon acceptance by appellants of tbe offer, tbe law implied tbe necessary promise to receive and pay for tbe seed, and thus tbe premises, in law, became mutual and enforceable. This likewise answers tbe assertion that there was no consideration for respondents’ promise to sell. Tbe implied promise to pay was just as effective for this purpose as an expressed promise would have been. Tbe act of acceptance of tbe offer makes it a contract mutually binding, providing it is otherwise sufficiently specific to authorize an enforcement of it. Tbe case of Corbitt v. Salem Gaslight Co., 25 Am. Rep. 541, 6 Or. 405, cited by counsel for respondents, it is true, bolds that both parties must sign, and that tbe memorandum in that case, being in tbe form of an offer to buy, was unilateral and not enforceable. In tbe note to that ease, at page 546 of 25 Am. Rep. (6 Or. 405), tbe reporter, however, shows that tbe case is against tbe great weight of authority, and such will be found to be tbe fact when tbe authorities are examined. Wilkinson v. Heavenrich, 58 Mich. 574, 26 N. W. 139, 55 Am. Rep. 708, was a case in which it was sought to enforce an alleged agreement for personal services to be rendered for a term of years. The employer alone bad signed tbe memorandum. Tbe court held that inasmuch as tbe memorandum was not signed by tbe employee as well it did not bind him, and, as be was not bound, neither was bound. Tbe case does not discuss tbe effect of an implied promise where one party accepts another’s offer and enters upon a performance. The writer of tbe opinion, however, frankly conceded that tbe authorities are in conflict, and that tbe general rule is that where one accepts an offer in its entirety before it is withdrawn by tbe other, that tbe offer and acceptance may constitute an enforceable contract. Tbe court in that case, however, seems to make an exception to offers in respect to personal services. Tbe following cases, among others, however, do not agyee with tbe Michigan case, supra, to tbe extent that both must sign in order to be binding: Carter White-[128]*128Lead Co. v. Kinlin, 66 N. W. 536, 47 Neb. 409; Pennsylvania Ry. Co. v. Dolan, 32 N. E. 802, 6 Ind. App. 109, 51 Am. St. Rep. 289; Walsh v. Meyers, 66 N. W. 250, 92 Wis. 397.

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Bluebook (online)
89 P. 78, 32 Utah 123, 1907 Utah LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bailey-v-leishman-utah-1907.