Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1917

Burns v. Thorndike

Burns v. Thorndike
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · Decided November 27, 1917 · Braley
228 Mass. 552; 117 N.E. 799; 1917 Mass. LEXIS 1248

Counsel

W. H. Thorpe, for the plaintiffs, submitted a brief., W. B. Grant, for the defendant.

Burns v. Thorndike

Opinion of the Court

Braley, J.

By the terms of the contract: “If any extra work is required, a price for the same must be agreed upon and approved in writing by the architect before such work is begun.” It was not within the authority of the architect to waive this provision, and although he orally approved all extra work and the disbursements for which recovery is sought, the defendant never has waived the contract nor ratified his acts.

It follows that the plaintiffs cannot recover. Stuart v. Cambridge, 125 Mass. 102.

Order dismissing the report affirmed.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.