Sutter v. Isabella Furnace Co.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Sutter v. Isabella Furnace Co., 210 Pa. 79 (Pa. 1904)
59 A. 476; 1904 Pa. LEXIS 844
Brown, Dean, Fell, Mestrezat, Mitchell, Potter, Thompson

Sutter v. Isabella Furnace Co.

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam,

The learned judge below after stating the facts proceeded, “ The sole question before us is, do the papers above quoted together constitute an instrument in writing sufficient to satisfy the statute of frauds. We think they do. The option of February, 1901, is signed by plaintiff and was delivered by him to Mr. Ayres, who in receiving it was acting as the agent of defendant under a special employment. While the option appoints Ayres plaintiff’s agent to sell the lots, it was understood by plaintiff that Ayres was acting for defendant, and *82that defendant would be the purchaser. The paper should therefore be treated as an option to Ayres as the representative of defendant, and would become binding upon both parties upon an acceptance by defendant. This we have in the letter of Ayres of June 14th, 1901, written at the request of defendant’s proper officers, and if anything further is required we have plaintiff’s ratification of the sale in writing and the execution and tender of a deed for the lots. It seems to us the writings above referred to are sufficient to bind plaintiff, and we see no reason why they should not bind defendant. This case is similar in many respects to Smith & Fleek’s Appeal, 69 Pa. 474 and McClintock v. South Penn Oil Co., 146 Pa. 144, and in our opinion is ruled by those cases.”

The judgment is affirmed on this opinion.

Reference

Full Case Name
Sutter v. Isabella Furnace Company
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Vendor and vendee—Statute of frauds—Memorandum in writing. An owner of land executed a paper in the nature of an option in which he appointed an agent to sell the land. He knew at the time that the person whom he appointed was also the agent under a special employment of the person who subsequently became the purchaser. Within the time limit of the option the agent by letter accepted the property on behalf of the purchaser. Held, that the papers constituted a sufficient memorandum in writing within the meaning of the statute of frauds.