Clarahan v. Cosper
Decision Date | 13 February 1931 |
Docket Number | 22644. |
Citation | 296 P. 140,160 Wash. 642 |
Parties | CLARAHAN v. COSPER. |
Court | Washington Supreme Court |
Department 2.
Appeal from Superior Court, Walla Walla County; E. V. Kuykendall Judge.
Action by E. C. Clarahan against Cecil Cosper. Judgment for defendant, and plaintiff appeals.
Affirmed.
P. L Pendleton and W. G. Palmer, both of Tacoma, for appellant.
Herbert C. Bryson, of Walla Walla, for respondent.
Alleging that Lillian Drenkhahn was engaged to marry him and was maliciously induced by the defendant to breach that contract plaintiff seeks in this action to recover damages for humiliation, mental anguish and loss of time claimed to have been suffered by him as a result of that breach of contract. Defendant's demurrer to the complaint was sustained. The appeal is from the judgment of dismissal.
The complaint, the allegations of fact therein being admitted by the demurrer to be true, discloses that on September 19 1928, Lillian Drenkhahn entered into an oral engagement to marry the appellant. At that time appellant's fiancée was employed by the respondent at a salary of $150 monthly. Respondent learned of the engagement of appellant to marry Miss Drenkhahn whose salary was increased by respondent to $250 monthly to induce her to breach the contract to marry the appellant. The respondent, a married man, became unduly attentive to appellant's fiancée, showering her with flowers, gifts of automobile trips, all for the purpose of inducing her to breach the marriage contract. On August 19, 1929, respondent met appellant's fiancée at Vancouver, Wash., and transported her by automobile to some point near Underwood, Wash., where they were accosted by appellant, to whom respondent admitted that he had induced appellant's fiancée to breach the marriage contract.
If the respondent by slanderous or libelous statements had induced the breach of the contract, a different question would be presented than the one now before us. The general rule is that the prevention of a marriage by the interference of a third person cannot, in general, in itself be a legal wrong. The conduct of the respondent was exceptionally shameful in view of the fact that he was a married man. That he desired to retain an efficient employee is no excuse for his behavior. However, his soliciting and inducing appellant's fiancée to breach her contract to marry the appellant cannot impose upon him any legal liability. A wrong has been done to the plaintiff for which the law provides no remedy.
1 Cooley on Torts (3d Ed.) p. 494, and cases cited.
'See, also, Homan v. Hall, L. R. A. 1918C, 1195, and note, 102 Neb. 70, 165 N.W. 881.
'This is an exception to the general rule. The general rule is stated in Martens v. Reilly, 109 Wis. 464, 84 N.W. 840, to the effect that the violation of a contract is an unlawful act, and that a conspiracy or combination to bring about the doing of the unlawful act is a wrong for which the person injured may maintain an action for damages. The reason for the exception is stated in Homan v. Hall, supra:
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