Court Opinion

ID: 9727949
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:53:26.884851+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:44.522131
License: Public Domain

SACKETT, Judge
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
I concur in part and dissent in part.
Plaintiffs recovered damages for defendants’ alleged breach of an alleged contract for plaintiffs to supply child care services for defendants’ employees. Defendants have appealed and plaintiffs have cross-appealed. I would reverse on defendants’ appeal and affirm on plaintiffs’ cross-appeal. I would dismiss the ease.
Plaintiffs’ claim is based on an oral contract. The primary issue in this appeal is whether there was substantial evidence to support a finding plaintiffs and defendants had entered into a binding five-year oral contract. I cannot agree with the majority *170that there was substantial evidence to support such a finding.
Defendants have raised the issue of statute of frauds, contending the statute precludes the enforcement of a five-year oral contract. The parties clearly intended to ultimately be bound by a written document. The plaintiffs’ contention the statute of fraud precludes enforcement has merit. See Marti v. Ludeking, 193 Iowa 500, 504, 185 N.W. 476, 478 (1921).
A number of drafts of a contract passed between the parties. These contracts addressed rates, termination, the parties to the contract, approval of the director, maintenance of the premises, and the effect of regulatory standards.
While there was an agreement contingent on reaching an agreement, there clearly was never a meeting of the minds. An agreement to contract in the future is not a contract. See Air Host Cedar Rapids, Inc. v. Cedar Rapids Airport Comm’n, 464 N.W.2d 450, 453 (Iowa 1990).
Most significantly, I find no evidence of a meeting of the minds of the price that would be charged for child care, obviously one of the most significant aspects of the contract. I find no evidence of an agreed price. I also find no agreement as to a defined formula for increases in charges.