Opinion ID: 165179
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Breach of Contract and Promissory Estoppel

Text: 61 Sandoval's final claim on appeal challenges the district court's entry of summary judgment on her charge that the City breached an oral contract created by Police Chief Koby's assurances to Sandoval that she would get the job of BRCC Executive Director, and on her promissory estoppel claim that she relied on Koby's promises to her detriment. Sandoval has not shown that Police Chief Koby had the power or authority to bind the City or the BRCC Executive Committee with his promises to Sandoval that she would be given the position of BRCC Executive Director after McCaa's departure. Without that power, Koby's promises could not create a binding oral contract. Holland v. Bd. of County Comm'rs, 883 P.2d 500, 506 (Colo.Ct.App.1994). 62 Sandoval's promissory estoppel claim also fails to satisfy the requirement of Colorado law that the plaintiff show: 63 (1) the promisor made a promise to the promisee; (2) the promisor should reasonably have expected that promise would induce action or forbearance by the promisee; (3) the promisee in fact reasonably relied on the promise to the promisee's detriment; and (4) the promise must be enforced to prevent injustice. 64 Berg v. State Bd. of Agric., 919 P.2d 254, 259 (Colo.1996). 65 Even assuming reliance on Koby's promises could be considered reasonable, Sandoval has not presented any evidence that she in fact actually relied on Koby's promises to her detriment. She argues that she allowed her title to be changed and she tolerated being placed under McCaa's mentorship in the expectation that she would eventually rise to the top job. But Sandoval points to nothing in the record to show that these were decisions over which she in fact had any control and which could therefore support her argument that she acquiesced to these changes in reliance on Koby's promises. Nor does she allege that she passed up other available employment alternatives in reliance on Koby's assurances. The district court properly entered summary judgment for the City on these claims. 9