Lierz v. Morris
Lierz v. Morris
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This action was brought upon an agreement under seal entered into by Lierz and Morris, under the terms of which the latter acquired the right to erect and operate in Pastime Park, Philadelphia, a toboggan slide, the consideration to be paid for said privilege being fifteen per cent of the gross receipts. The statement makes it very clear that under the covenants of the agreement, Lierz having procured an extension of his own lease, the term for which Morris was to enjoy the right conferred by the agreement had been extended until January 1,1904. Goos succeeded by assignment to the rights of Lierz under the agreement, and brought this action to recover royalties alleged to be due under the contract from the operation of the toboggan slide from May 1, to September 23, 1899. The affidavit of defense does not deny th'e items of the claim but alleges a set-off against the same.
Plaintiff’s statement shows that the right of Morris to operate the toboggan slide terminated on January 1, 1899, unless Lierz procured an extension of his lease; this fact must be presumed to have been known to all the parties. Lierz having obtained'an extension of his lease and operated the park thereunder for a considerable period sold out to Goos, who had full notice of the rights of Morris in the premises. The affidavit of defense distinctly asserts that Goos, after he had succeeded to the rights of Lierz, falsely and deceitfully represented to deponent that the lease to Lierz had not been renewed, and that he, the said Goos, had taken a new lease for said park direct from the owner and was in no way bound by the terms of the agreement between said Lierz and deponent, upon which this suit was brought; that Goos notified deponent to remove the toboggan slide from the premises and that deponent, believing and relying upon said representations, did in September, 1899, take down and carry away the said toboggan slide and did quit the said premises. The defendant in his affidavit distinctly states, that he for the first time learned of the false and fraudulent character of said representations and of the unlawfulness of
The judgment is reversed and a procedendo awarded.
Reference
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- Practice, O. P. — Affidavit of defense — Fraudulent representation — Set-off —Unliquidated damages. Unliquidated damages arising from a breach of contract can always be set off' when they are capable of liquidation by the application of any known measure or standard. Where the owner of a toboggan slide in a park has agreed to pay royalties to the lessee of the park during the continuance of the latter’s lease, or an extension thereof, and the lessee secures an extension of his lease, and thereafter assigns it to another, who falsely represents to the owner of the toboggan slide that the lease had not been renewed, and requires him to remove from the premises, the latter may in an action against him to recover royalties which had accrued before his removal, set off against the plaintiff’s claim the value of the remainder of his term, which he had lost by reason of the false representations of the plaintiff.