Edwards v. Offutt

• Decision Date: 03 December 1934
• Parties: C. H. EDWARDS, APPELLANT, v. LORA OFFUTT, EXECUTRIX, RESPONDENT
• Court: Kansas Court of Appeals

78 S.W.2d 140

229 Mo.App. 496

C. H. EDWARDS, APPELLANT, v. LORA OFFUTT, EXECUTRIX, RESPONDENT

Court of Appeals of Missouri, Kansas City

December 3, 1934

Appeal from the Circuit Court of Platte County.--Hon. R. B Bridgeman, Judge.

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

Lawson & Hale for appellant.

Jacobs & Henderson and Thos. E. Deacy for respondent.

CAMPBELL C. Reynolds, C., concurs.

OPINION

CAMPBELL, C.

This is an action to recover damages for the alleged breach of a written contract entered into between plaintiff and Bert Offutt. After the institution of the action and service of summons Bert Offutt died and the cause was revived in the name of his legal representative. After the cause was revived plaintiff filed his second amended petition, to which the defendant interposed a general demurrer. The demurrer was sustained, plaintiff declined to plead further, and the court entered judgment dismissing the action. Plaintiff has appealed.

The second amended petition alleges that on January 11, 1928 plaintiff was engaged in farming in Clay county, Missouri that he farmed land adapted to the growing of potatoes; that Bert Offutt was engaged in the business of buying and selling potatoes and owned and operated farms, one of which was in the immediate vicinity of plaintiff's land; that on the aforesaid date plaintiff and Bert Offutt entered into an agreement in writing by the terms of which the plaintiff sold and agreed to deliver to said Offutt and the said Offutt purchased and agreed to accept delivery from plaintiff all the potatoes grown in the summer of 1928 by plaintiff on his said land for the price of $ 1.25 per 100 pounds, to be delivered at Excelsior Springs Junction between July 5, 1928, and July 20, 1928, which potatoes were to be loaded by plaintiff in cars in good condition; that at the time said contract was made Offutt paid to plaintiff thereon the sum of $ 500; that in the season of 1928 plaintiff planted his said land in potatoes, cultivated and cared for same, and that within the time specified in the contract began delivering said potatoes to said Offutt and placed them in cars at Excelsior Springs Junction; that Offutt received and paid for several carloads of said potatoes; that there-after and within the time specified in the agreement "plaintiff delivered to said deceased, loaded in cars at Excelsior Springs Junction twelve more cars of said potatoes;" that deceased claimed the potatoes were defective and for that reason refused to ship or pay for the same, and plaintiff was compelled to market the potatoes as best he could. The petition describes the twelve cars into which the potatoes were loaded and which the deceased refused to ship, and alleged damage in the sum of $ 2956.52.

The legal effect of the demurrer was to admit as true the allegations of plaintiff's petition.

The defendant contends that the contract pleaded was void for lack of certainty and that it was unilateral.

Plainly the pleaded contract was unilateral and unenforcible in its inception for the reason that it did not obligate...