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112 Mass. 15

Scanlan v. Geddes

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1873-03-15

Contract to recover damages for the non-fulfilment of a contract to convey the estate referred to in a writing, of which the following is a copy: “ Boston, Nov. 10, 1870. Received of Patrick Scanlan twenty dollars as forfeit money and part payment the price of house on Fifth Street, between D and E streets ; the price agreed on to be paid for the house is thirty-four hundred dollars.

Relies on Hurley v. Brown · Esty v. Currier

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1873-03-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 26 later decisions — most recently February 2004 · most notably Pybus v. Grasso (1945), Roehl v. Haumesser (1888)

1 federal appellate · 25 state decisions — followed in 15 states

6018731880189019001910192019301940195019601970198019902000decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Ames, J.

¶1This case is substantially disposed of by the decision in Hurley v. Brown, 98 Mass. 545. It was there held that a written promise to convey an estate in a certain street would be presumed to relate to an estate owned by the party making the promise. If he owned but one estate answering that description, that is to be regarded as the one to which the description refers. The written memorandum therefore has the same meaning as if the expression had been “ my house between D and E streets,” which would have been a sufficient description. Bird v. Richardson, 8 Pick. 252. Phelps v. Sheldon, 13 Pick. 50. Atwood v. Cobb, 16 Pick. 227.

¶2It is equally clear also that the house was to be conveyed, not as mere personal property with an easement in land, but by a warranty deed, and as real estate. Esty v. Currier, 98 Mass. 500, and cases there cited. The proper construction of the agreement is that the house was to be conveyed, with the land upon which it stood, and so much more as was necessary to its beneficial enjoyment, and within the power of the defendant to convey. Forbush v. Lombard, 13 Met. 109. Johnson v. Rayner, 6 Gray, 107. Wooley v. Groton, 2 Cush. 305. Greenwood v. Murdock, 9 Gray, 20.

¶3As the defendant distinctly refused to fulfil the contract, nothing was necessary on the plaintiff’s part except a readiness and willingness, accompanied with an ability, to do all that the agreement required of him, provided the defendant would concurrently do what was required of him; and provided, also, this readiness, willingness and ability were duly made known to the defendant. No more formal tender was necessary than was made by the plaintiff. Cook v. Doggett, 2 Allen, 439., and cases there cited.

¶4Judgment for the plaintiff; damages to be assessed in the Superior Court.

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