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56 Or. 144

Peck v. Voget

Oregon Supreme Court

Decided April 12, 1910

Oregon Supreme Court · decided 1910-04-12

From Marion: George H. Burnett, Judge. Statement by Mr. Justice McBride. This is an action by S. E. Peck against Julius G. Voget, to recover damages for the nonperformance of a contract to build a dwelling house for plaintiff, according to certain plans and specifications.

Relies on Goetz v. Ambs · Prall v. Peters

Affirmed · Decided 1910-04-12

Mr. Justice McBride

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2The objection to the evidence offered by defendant was properly sustained. The contract for breach of which the action was brought is set forth fully as an exhibit to the complaint, and shows an absolute agreement to build a house for plaintiff. If defendant wished to insist upon *146the proposition that plaintiff, though apparently acting in his own name, was really the agent of an undisclosed principal, he should have raised that question by suitable denials in the answer, so that plaintiff would be put upon notice and prepared to defend: Goetz v. Ambs, 27 Mo. 28; Prall v. Peters, 32 Neb. 832 (49 N. W. 767).

¶3The contract showed an absolute written .agreement by defendant to build plaintiff a house. Plaintiff contracted and paid for a house to be worth $700, and got one worth $350. Now, whether he built for himself or another, he was entitled to have built just what he contracted for. One contracting with another for the erection of a building ought not to be required to litigate his title to the land on which it is erected in an action for damages for nonperformance of the contract, and especially where no issue of that nature is tendered by the answer.

¶4The judgment is affirmed.

¶5Affirmed.

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