Court Opinion

ID: 9589224
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:42:37.810609+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:01.347093
License: Public Domain

Felton, C. J.,
dissenting. I dissent from the judgment because, under the facts of this case, the defendants were entitled to the use of the plaintiffs’ worksheets, which contained information the defendants needed to contest the tax assessments if the plaintiffs insisted on full damages for the breach of the entire contract. The evidence is undisputed that the plaintiffs refused to permit the defendants to have the use of these work sheets, and it was necessary for the defendants’ lawyers to do the work over. It does not comport with equity and good conscience, in my opinion, for the plaintiffs to withhold the benefit of the worksheets from the defendants and still be entitled to recover from them the entire damage for breach of the contract, which was the amount agreed to be paid, which covered the very benefits that were withheld. I think this is true even if the defendants were guilty of such lack of co-operation as would justify the plaintiffs in not going through with the contract. The plaintiffs are demanding that justice be done and that they be paid in full, and this they cannot do when they have withheld part of the consideration for which they are suing.