Opinion ID: 2617645
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: There was a valid contract between the parties

Text: The Spences contend that the March, 1980, letter from Howell to the Spences, together with the earnest money agreement, establish that there was a contract between the parties. We do not agree that the documents alone are sufficient to establish a contract to develop a religious retreat. However, there was considerable testimony at the trial which supports the existence of an oral contract for the purpose of developing the retreat ranch. A contract will be enforced if it is complete, definite and certain in all its material terms, or contain[s] provisions which are capable in themselves of being reduced to certainty. Giacobbi Square v. PEK Corp., 105 Idaho 346, 348, 670 P.2d 51, 53 (1983). Additionally, the question as to the existence of an oral contract is one of fact. Stout v. Boise Cascade Corp., 87 Idaho 38, 42, 390 P.2d 63, 65 (1964). Therefore, if there is substantial, competent evidence to support the finding of an oral contract, the finding will not be disturbed on appeal. Id. The Spences testified that Howell, Powell, Lausmann and Charles Spence were to be on the board of directors for the retreat. The testimony of Lausmann substantiates the Spences' testimony that Howell was to be the businessman in charge of the financial aspects of the retreat. There was no discussion of splitting profits, but this may be attributed to Mr. Spence's testimony that this was to be a nonprofit venture. The Spences' son testified that the physical work was to be done by the Spence family, and numerous exhibits were introduced in support of this assertion. After reviewing the transcript from the trial, we find that there was substantial evidence that the documents, together with the testimony at trial, establish that there was indeed an oral contract to develop the property into a religious retreat.