Case Name: GRAMATAN HOME INVESTORS CORP.; Gramatan Company and Home Investors Company v. Howard WHITTEMORE and Dorothy Whittemore
Court: Vermont Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Vermont
Decision Date: 1986-10-20
Citations: 147 Vt. 648
Docket Number: No. 85-116
Parties: GRAMATAN HOME INVESTORS CORP.; Gramatan Company and Home Investors Company v. Howard WHITTEMORE and Dorothy Whittemore
Judges: 
Reporter: Vermont Reports
Volume: 147
Pages: 648–648

Head Matter:
GRAMATAN HOME INVESTORS CORP.; Gramatan Company and Home Investors Company v. Howard WHITTEMORE and Dorothy Whittemore
[518 A.2d 32]
No. 85-116
October 20, 1986.

Opinion:
Plaintiffs appeal the trial court's holding that, by failing to submit documentary evidence of assignment, plaintiffs failed to establish their right to foreclose on a note and mortgage originally executed by the defendants. It is well established that the Statute of Frauds is waived if parol evidence is offered without objection to prove the existence of a contract. Couture v. Lowery, 122 Vt. 239, 243, 168 A.2d 295, 298 (1961); Taplin v. Hinckley Fibre Co., 97 Vt. 184, 187, 122 A.2d 426, 427 (1923). Defendants here waived their Statute of Frauds defense by failing to object to oral testimony as to the existence of an assignment of the note and mortgage. Although the written documents were not placed in evidence, testimony introduced by plaintiffs without objection supported their contention that the note and mortgage were assigned from Home Investors Trust d/b/a Gramatan Co. to Home Investors Co. to Gramatan Home Investors Corporation. Therefore, it was error to dismiss the action for failure to establish a prima facie case.
Reversed and remanded.