Title: Bonnevier v. Dairy Coop. Ass'n
Citation: 227 Or. 123, 361 P.2d 262
Docket Number: N/A
State: Oregon
Issuer: Oregon Supreme Court
Date: April 26, 1961

Reversed and remanded April 26, 1961.
John C. Anicker, Oregon City, argued the cause for appellants. On the brief were Jack, Goodwin &amp; Santos, Oregon City.
Lofton L. Tatum, Portland, argued the cause for *124 respondent. On the brief were Wood, Matthiessen, Wood &amp; Tatum and Malcolm H. Clark and L. Guy Marshall, Portland.
Before McALLISTER, Chief Justice, and ROSSMAN, WARNER, SLOAN and LUSK, Justices.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
ROSSMAN, J.
This is an appeal by the plaintiffs, husband and wife, from an order of the circuit court which vacated a judgment in the plaintiffs' favor and ordered a new trial of the action. The vacated judgment, in the sum of $10,000, was based upon a jury's verdict. The challenged order was entered upon the defendant's motion. After the plaintiffs had appealed, the defendant cross appealed from another order of the trial judge which denied its motion for the entry of judgment in its favor non obstante veredicto.
1. When a plaintiff appeals from an order which was entered upon the defendant's motion for a new trial the defendant may cross appeal from an order which denied an additional motion made by the defendant for the entry of judgment in its favor notwithstanding the verdict. Hillman v. Northern Wasco County PUD, 213 Or 264, 323 P2d 664. The holding of that case has been placed in legislative form by ORS 19.130 (2).
The action which yielded this appeal and cross appeal was instituted by the plaintiffs upon charges that the defendant breached a parol contract which the plaintiffs say they and the defendant entered into in May of 1956. Whether or not the parties effected the alleged contract was the principal issue of the trial. The plaintiffs maintain that the parties entered into the contract. The defendant denies that contention. If the parties entered into the contract the *125 plaintiff, Oscar V. Bonnevier, became entitled to employment in the defendant's plant as soon thereafter as he was able to work.
The plaintiff, Oscar V. Bonnevier, entered defendant's employ in 1946 as a truck driver. He operated a truck into areas adjacent to Portland and there picked up cans of milk which he brought to the defendant's plant in Portland. After he had pursued his employment for some years he sustained an injury, but upon his recovery returned to the defendant's employ. In the latter part of November 1954 he suffered another injury and was compelled to remain idle until the early part of February 1955. He then returned to work, but April 10, 1956, the injury of November 1954 rendered it necessary for him to again refrain from work.
We abandon temporarily mention of the convalescence of the plaintiff, Oscar V. Bonnevier, to take note of another matter which is related to the issue as to whether or not the parties formed the alleged unwritten contract.
In 1952 the plaintiffs purchased a home which was located one block south from the defendant's plant. The price they paid for the property became a matter of importance during the trial. The plaintiff, Dorothy C. Bonnevier, testified that the purchase price of the property was $10,000 but conceded that the price "included the furniture." Her words were: "They sold the house for $10,000. They said it included the furniture." Her husband, Oscar Bonnevier, gave the following testimony:
The plaintiffs testified that after they acquired the home they improved it at a cost of about $2,000.
About four years after the plaintiffs had purchased their home the defendant decided to expand its plant. Its expansion program contemplated the acquisition of the plaintiffs' home which, as we have said, was one block south of the plant. A representative of the defendant called upon the plaintiffs to negotiate for the purchase. At that time the plaintiff, Oscar Bonnevier, as we have said, was confined to his home by the injury which he had sustained in November 1954. The negotiations with the defendant's representative were fruitless and thereupon Mrs. Bonnevier wrote a letter to Mr. William Henry, who was the defendant's general manager. The letter stated:
After his receipt of Mrs. Bonnevier's letter Mr. Henry made two calls upon the plaintiffs in May 1956. It is agreed that nothing of consequence was said or done upon the first call. But during the second, according to the brief of the plaintiffs, "a contract was entered wherein in consideration of plaintiffs selling the home for $12,000, defendant agreed to grant Oscar job security or re-employment when he recovered from his injury." The defendant concedes that it agreed in the course of the second visit to purchase plaintiffs' property at a price of $12,000, but denies that it agreed to provide employment for Mr. Bonnevier.
Both of the plaintiffs gave testimony in support of the contention made by their brief which we just quoted. That of Mr. Bonnevier, as quoted in the plaintiffs' (appellants) brief, follows:
Mrs. Bonnevier gave the following testimony which is also quoted in the plaintiffs' brief:
The above concluded the negotiations. There were no more conferences. After the second conference the defendant purchased the plaintiffs' property at the price of $12,000. Since only the plaintiffs and Mr. Henry were present when the conferences occurred, the plaintiffs call attention to no other testimony concerning their contention that a contract was effected *130 whereby Mr. Bonnevier was assured of employment. Mr. Henry, as a witness, was asked:
When Mr. Bonnevier was asked to express an opinion as to the value of his property "for industrial purposes" he answered:
In response to a similar question Mrs. Bonnevier testified:
Neither of the Bonneviers said anything further as to the property's value. Although Mrs. Bonnevier's letter to Mr. Henry stated, "We have turned down two offers of $13,500," as a witness she said nothing upon that subject. An appraiser who was called as a witness by the defendant testified that at the time of the defendant's purchase of the property the latter's market value was $8,700.
When the plaintiff believed that he was able to do light work he called at the defendant's plant and spoke to a foreman who gave him no employment but walked away. Shortly, he spoke to another foreman *131 with whom he had an acquaintanceship and who replied: "I will see that you get a light job," but requested that he return the following morning. The following morning, according to the plaintiff:
He was given no employment and later filed this action. Mr. Bonnevier has never been able to resume his work as a truck driver. His wife testified:
The plaintiffs make no claim that the defendant was liable on account of Mr. Bonnevier's injuries.
The plaintiffs present only one assignment of error. It reads: "The Court erred in sustaining defendant's motion for a new trial."
2. As is known by all, a purported meeting of the minds in order to effect a contract must render reasonably certain all of the terms of the would-be undertaking so that a court, in the event of litigation, may know what each of the alleged contracting parties bound himself to do. If a court is to enforce an alleged agreement by decree or judgment it must be able to ascertain from the agreement itself, whether parol or written, the duties of those who, it is claimed, bound themselves to the alleged future course of action.
However reluctant the courts may be to reject the suit of parties who thought that they had effected a contract, yet if the parties, in negotiating, spoke *132 only in terms of generalities and left uncertain what each was expected to do, the court could not enforce the purported agreement unless it itself wrote the contract. The court will not write contracts for parties.
Gaines v. Vandecar, 59 Or 187, 115 P 721, 115 P 1122, expressed the requirement for reasonable certainty in these words:
Restatement of the Law, Contracts, § 32, says:
Comment a, which is appended to that statement, declares:
*133 Williston on Contracts, 3rd ed, § 42, states:
Corbin on Contracts, § 95, declares:
Seiss v. McClintic-Marshall Corporation, 324 Pa 201, 188 A 109, was an action for breach of an alleged contract for employment. The trial court entered judgment for the defendant non obstante veredicto. The decision under review affirmed that disposition of the case. Prior to February 1915 the plaintiff had been in the defendant's employ as a fitter at wages of 44 cents an hour. He then met with an injury and spent several weeks in a hospital. He alleged that in consideration of his refraining from suing the defendant for damages it agreed to employ him for life. He testified, "the meaning of it was that they were supposed to take care of me in regard to suitable employment I was to do, and they were to take care of all medical attention afterwards. It said in the agreement they would take care of me for life in employment that I would be able to do." We now quote from the opinion:
Laseter v. Pet Dairy Products Co., 246 F2d 747, was based upon an averment, made by the plaintiff, that the defendant for a consideration promised to provide for him (the plaintiff) "light work," and breached the promise. The District Court at the close of the plaintiff's testimony dismissed the action on the ground that the plaintiff had shown no right to relief. The plaintiff entered the defendant's employ in 1951 as a route salesman delivering milk. In 1953 he underwent surgery, and after 90 days, during all of which he was paid full compensation, resumed his employment. In October of 1954 he again underwent surgery and again in his period of incapacity was paid full compensation. At the conclusion of that period of convalescence he returned to his work, but in March of 1955 he was compelled to undergo further surgery. In the third period of 90 days, during which he performed for the defendant no service, he was paid full compensation. The contract between the defendant *135 and the labor union of which the plaintiff was a member provided that the defendant should not be required to retain in its employment anyone physically unfit "provided, however, that, if the employee's condition is such that he is acceptable and able to do some work in the plant, such work shall be given to him as far as it is practicable and his wages adjusted accordingly." The plaintiff testified that the defendant's Plant Manager told him that he would be given light work when his doctor certified that he was physically capable of performing it. In July 1955 the plaintiff presented to the defendant a certificate from his physician which stated that he was capable of performing light work. He then asked for work.
3. In the case at bar the purported agreement which the plaintiffs seek to enforce mentions no specific job, nor do the plaintiffs claim that in their discussion with Mr. Henry the subject of wages was even once broached. Although the plaintiffs argue that the agreement contemplated that the defendant should provide light work for Mr. Bonnevier, the term "light work" was not uttered in the negotiations. Both of the plaintiffs concede that Mr. Bonnevier is physically incapable of resuming his old job.
Significant is the fact that the plaintiffs do not claim that any term was mentioned for the employment which they say the defendant promised. If the employment was without term the plaintiff could be discharged the following day, and that would, of course, indicate that no contract had been effected. But, if it was to run permanently, then the parties surely would have approached its formation with more attention to details than was indicated by the accounts which they gave and which are quoted upon previous pages of this opinion. They would have discussed wages, type of work and similar pertinent facets. It may be that no contract was envisioned when the Bonneviers looked to the day when Mr. Bonnevier would again be able to resume work. Possibly at that time they were not interested in negotiating a contract of employment, but were anxious to have the good will of a large employer such as Mr. Henry.
In their agreement concerning the sale of their real property the plaintiffs agreed upon precise details, but discussed nothing of that character concerning the *138 employment. We do not believe that they effected any agreement of the kind which is set forth in the complaint.
Viewing the situation in the manner above expressed, it follows that the defendant's motion for judgment nothwithstanding the verdict should have been granted. We therefore remand the case to the circuit court with instructions to sustain that motion.