Variance, Inc. v. Losinske
Variance, Inc. v. Losinske
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). Under the laws of this state any town board, village board or common council may issue liquor licenses for the operation of a tavern to an “entitled person,”
In the case before us, the defendant, Harold K. Losinske, held such liquor license and operated such tavern in the city of Berlin until the leased building in which the tavern was located was torn down to make room for new construction. Having no place to move to, the defendant did not apply for a transfer of license to another location. At that time Variance, Inc., had purchased land, intending, in the words of its president, “. . . to make that into a nightclub, restaurant establishment.” So the company president drafted and Variance, Inc., entered into an agreement with defendant whereby defendant agreed “to sell, convey and transfer my Class A and B Liquor License that I presently hold” to Variance, Inc.
In setting the “terms” for payment of the $1,500 due (all except the $50 down payment), the agreement of the parties provided that such balance due was to be paid “. . . upon acceptance by the City Council of buyer’s application for said license.” The agreement entered into on November 18, 1972, also provided: “This transaction is to be concluded on or before December 30, 1972.” This second provision was complied with on December 12, 1972, when Variance, Inc., paid to defendant the $1,450 balance due under the agreement.
Variance, Inc., contends that “acceptance by the city” was a condition precedent to its being required to pay the $1,450 balance due under the agreement. But it did pay such balance on December 12, 1972, before it attempted any application for a liquor license. No claim is
While an intention to relinquish the right in question is an essential element of waiver,
The writer would reverse the judgment of the trial court, and remand with directions to enter judgment for the defendant, dismissing the complaint of plaintiff corporation, with costs.
Sec. 176.05 (1), Stats.
See. 176.05 (5), Stats.
Sec. 176.05 (la), Stats.
Sec. 176.05 (14), Stats.
In what is identified as “Terms,” the agreement provided: (1) For payment of $50 at the signing, and $1,450 upon acceptance by the city council of the buyer’s application for said license; (2) for seller to submit a letter of withdrawal of his license upon the city’s acceptance of the buyer’s application; and (3) the transaction to be concluded before December 30, 1972, unless extended by both parties.
Marquette Savings & Loan Asso. v. Twin Lakes (1968), 38 Wis. 2d 310, 315, 156 N. W. 2d 425.
Sprecher v. Weston’s Bar, Inc. (1971), 52 Wis. 2d 677, 679, 191 N. W. 2d 212.
Marquette Savings & Loam Asso. v. Twin Lakes, supra, footnote 6, at page 315.
Spreeher v. Weston’s Bar, Inc., supra, footnote 7, at page 680.
Id. at page 680.
Id. at page 680.
Fun-N-Fish, Inc. v. Parker (1960), 10 Wis. 2d 385, 389, 103 N. W. 2d 1.
Id. at page 390.
Godfrey Co. v. Crawford (1964), 23 Wis. 2d 44, 49, 126 N. W. 2d 495, citing Fun-N-Fish, Inc. v. Parker, supra, footnote 12, at page 389. In Godfrey, where under a contract of sale it was provided that failure to consummate a zoning change by March 1, 1963, would nullify the contract of sale, our court held that the buyer had the right to waive the provision inserted in the contract for his benefit.
Hanz Trucking, Inc. v. Harris Brothers Co. (1965), 29 Wis. 2d 254, 265, 138 N. W. 2d 238.
Id. at page 265, quoting Nelson v. Caddo-Texas Oil Lands Co. (1922), 176 Wis. 327, 329, 186 N. W. 155.
Id. at page 265, quoting Nelson v. Caddo-Texas Oil Lands Co., supra, footnote 16, at page 329.
Opinion of the Court
This appeal involves an agreement between the defendant-appellant, Harold Losinske, and the plaintiff-respondent, Variance, Inc., “to sell, convey, and transfer” a liquor license in the city of Berlin, Wisconsin.
In the fall of 1972, Losinske, holder of a Berlin liquor license, entered into this agreement whereunder the plaintiff agreed to pay $1,500 “upon acceptance by the City Council of the buyer’s (Variance) application for said license.” Losinske also agreed “to submit a letter of withdrawal of his license upon the city’s acceptance of the buyer’s application.” It was further agreed that the transaction “is to be concluded on or before December 30, 1972, unless extended by both parties.”
Robert Gonyo, secretary-treasurer of the plaintiff corporation, paid the $50 down on November 18, 1972, and the balance of $1,450 on December 12, 1972. This was well before the Variance application for a liquor license was submitted and before Losinske took any action to withdraw his existing license. Variance later applied for a license, and after that application was denied, Variance demanded the return of $1,500, but Losinske
The sole issue on this appeal is whether the trial court was correct in ruling as follows:
“The Court: It would appear to the court that certainly a crucial condition of the agreement between the parties was the granting of the license by the City Council and the same was not done and the plaintiff is entitled to judgment in the amount of $1,450.00, both parties to pay their own costs.
“[Plaintiff’s Attorney]: I believe it is $1,500.00, $1,450.00 and the $50.00.
“The Court: It is $1,500.00, yes.”
We agree that the issuance of a license to Variance was a condition precedent to its obligation to pay Losinske $1,500 for the license.
One fundamental proposition must be made clear. The outright sale, transfer, or assignment of a liquor license is illegal and unenforceable except as specifically authorized by statute.
In the instant case we have a situation that does not involve a direct transfer or sale of a liquor license but rather a promise to surrender the Losinske license upon a successful application by Variance. The contract can thus be interpreted as an agreement by Losinske to surrender his license to the municipality in consideration of the payment by Variance of $50 down and $1,450 if its application for a license was successful. Losinske certainly had the right to surrender his license to the municipality.
Both parties agree that the obligation by Variance to pay $1,450 upon acceptance by the City Council of its application for a license is a condition precedent to Variance’s obligation to pay $1,450, and this provision does not merely fix a time for payment. Losinske argues that Variance waived this condition precedent by paying the $1,450 when it was under no obligation to do so and prior to any application by it, any withdrawal by Losinske, and any decision by the Common Council. In the alternative, Losinske argues that Variance is equitably estopped from asserting the failure of the condition precedent because of this advance payment.
In regard to waiver, both of the parties discuss Charley v. Potthoff,
More specific guidelines for determining whether or not there has been a waiver of a contractual provision were set forth in Hanz Trucking, Inc. v. Harris Brothers Co.
A similar defect of proof affects defendant’s claim of equitable estoppel. In Gabriel v. Gabriel
The agreement provided that “this transaction is to be concluded on or before December 30, 1972, unless
However, if the contract was extended pursuant to its terms by both parties, then Variance’s time for applying would also have been extended, and the defendant could make no complaint about a failure to apply before December 30. The subsequent conduct of the parties is consistent only with the conclusion that they did extend the contract. The extension provision in the contract merely provided that its duration could be “extended by both parties.” No formal or written action was required for an extension, and this fits in with the brevity of the original contract and the lack of formality that characterized this whole transaction. According to the testimony, on or about April 16, 1973, Losinske visited Gonyo with the letter from the city clerk regarding license applications. Together they drafted a letter, later signed by Losinske and brought to the city clerk, which stated that Losinske was withdrawing his right to a liquor license in the city of Berlin. On that same date, Gonyo applied for this liquor license. These are precisely the acts which the contract between the parties envisioned. They are also acts which require the conclusion that, on April 16, 1973, the parties regarded the contract as still in full force and effect. Under these circumstances it must be concluded that the parties extended the contract beyond the original deadline of December 30, 1972.
During the trial, counsel for Losinske began to question Gonyo regarding attempted sales by Gonyo of the license which he had contracted to procure from Losinske. This apparently was to show that Gonyo was speculating with the license. The trial court was correct in excluding this evidence on the ground of irrelevancy. Even if the testimony could be regarded as relevant, it was well within the discretion of the trial court to exclude on the ground that its minimal probative value was outweighed by considerations of undue delay and waste of time.
The plaintiff is entitled to judgment here for only $1,450. The contract between the parties provided for an unconditional payment of $50 at the signing of the agreement, and Gonyo made this payment in fact on November 18, 1972. The further payment of $1,450 was conditioned on the acceptance of the Variance application to the Berlin City Council. When this condition failed, Variance was entitled to the return of $1,450 and not to the additional $50 since that was paid as an unconditional down payment, and this $50 was consideration to Losinske for not revoking his offer and making a similar
By the Court. — Judgment modified by reducing it in the amount of $50, plus interest, and as modified affirmed.
Marquette Savings & Loan Asso. v. Twin Lakes (1968), 38 Wis. 2d 310, 156 N. W. 2d 425; Smith v. Whitewater (1947), 251 Wis. 306, 29 N. W. 2d 33; Smith v. Whitewater (1947), 251 Wis. 313, 29 N. W. 2d 37; State v. Bayne (1898), 100 Wis. 35, 75 N. W. 403; See also: 45 Am. Jur. 2d, Intoxicating Liquors, sec. 177; 48 C. J. S., Intoxicating Liquors, sec. 138.
(1971), 52 Wis. 2d 677, 191 N. W. 2d 212.
(1973), 57 Wis. 2d 447, 204 N. W. 2d 649.
See: 48 C. J. S., Intoxicating Liquors, p. 233, sec. 115, where it is said that “A licensee or permittee may surrender his license or permit. . . .”
See. 176.05 (6), Stats., provides that “Licenses may be granted which shall expire on the 30th day of June of each year upon payment of such proportion of the annual license fee as the number of months or fraction of a month remaining until June 30 of each year bears to 12. . . .”
Huntoon v. Capozza, supra, footnote 3, at page 458; Sprecher v. Weston’s Bar, Inc., supra, footnote 2, at page 680.
(1903), 118 Wis. 258, 95 N. W. 124.
(1960), 10 Wis. 2d 385, 103 N. W. 2d 1.
(1964), 23 Wis. 2d 44, 126 N. W. 2d 495.
(1965), 29 Wis. 2d 254, 138 N. W. 2d 238.
Hanz Trucking, Inc., supra, footnote 10 at page 266. See also : 17A C. J. S., Contracts, p. 690, see. 491.
(1973), 57 Wis. 2d 424, 204 N. W. 2d 494.
3A Corbin, Contracts, sec. 767.
Whitty v. State (1967), 34 Wis. 2d 278, 149 N. W. 2d 557, certiorari denied (1968), 390 U. S. 959, 88 Sup. Ct. 1056, 19 L. Ed. 2d 1155.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Variance, Inc., Respondent, v. Losinske, Appellant
- Cited By
- 14 cases
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- Published