Case ID: ohio-st_40/html/0341-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "By the Court.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Stevens v. McKnight and Sawhill.
    Error, to the District Court of Richland County.
    
      Dirlam Legman, for plaintiff in error.
    
      Thomas McBride, for .defendant in error.
   By the Court.

If in a contract in writing to sell land the tract is described as containing “ about one hundred and forty acres,” the import of the qualifying word “about,” is simply, that the actual quantity is a near approximation to that mentioned. When there is found to be a material and valuable variation, a court of equity upon a petition for specific performance will give the word its proper effect. In this case, the county surveyor, upon actual measurement, found one hundred and thirty-four and seventy-four hundredths acres in the tract. It was of the value of about fifty-five dollars per acre.

Judgment reversed.