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    SmartBrief enables case brief popups that define Key Terms, Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises used in this case.

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    Contracts Keyed to Marshall

    View this case in different Casebooks
    Contracts Keyed to CalamariContracts Keyed to KnappContracts Keyed to MurphyContracts Keyed to FullerContracts Keyed to KuneyContracts Keyed to EpsteinContracts Keyed to Templin

    Lonergan v. Scolnick

    Citation:

    276 P.2d 8 (1955)
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    Facts

    During March, 1952, the defendant placed an ad in a Los Angeles paper reading, “Joshua Tree vic. 40 acres, need cash, will sacrifice.” On April 8, the defendant wrote to the plaintiff saying “From your description you have found the property”; that this bank “is O.K. for escrow agent”; that the land was fairly level; giving the legal description; and then saying, “If you are really interested, you will have to decide fast, as I expect to have a buyer in the next week or so.” On April 12, the defendant sold the property to a third party for $2,500. The plaintiff received defendant’s letter of April 8 on April 14. On April 15 he wrote to the defendant, stating that he would immediately proceed to have the escrow opened and would deposit $2,500 therein in conformity with your offer, and asking the defendant to forward a deed with his instructions to the escrow agent. On April 17, 1952, the plaintiff started an escrow and placed in the hands of the escrow agent $100, agreeing to furnish an additional $2,400 at an unspecified time. It was further stipulated that the plaintiff was ready and willing at all times to deposit the $2,400.

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    Case Quiz

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    Question 1 of 3

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    Quiz complete. Results are being recorded.
    Q.1 - In Lonergan v. Scolnick, the court denied contract formation based on which core deficiency under classical offer-and-acceptance doctrine?
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    Correct! The court ruled that a reasonable person would not interpret Scolnick’s communications as expressing a present intent to be legally bound—an essential element of a valid offer.
    Incorrect. consideration was not at issue because no contract was formed.
    Incorrect. timing was a factor, but the absence of an offer was dispositive.
    Incorrect. misapplies estoppel—Lonergan’s reliance was not induced by a definite promise.
    Q.2 - If Scolnick’s letter had been phrased with explicit terms—such as price, escrow, and timeline—but concluded with “subject to seller’s final approval,” which of the following doctrines would most directly control enforceability?
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    Incorrect. promissory estoppel requires a clear promise, not conditional language.
    Correct! A clause conditioning agreement on the offeror’s “final approval” gives unlimited discretion and renders the promise illusory and unenforceable.
    Incorrect. open terms may be valid, but not when one party retains absolute discretion.
    Incorrect. D is irrelevant—the mailbox rule presumes a valid offer exists, which is not the case here.
    Q.3 - Which of the following statements best reflects the Lonergan court’s implicit normative judgment about commercial behavior in pre-contractual contexts?
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    Incorrect. subjective intent is specifically rejected under the objective theory.
    Incorrect. no equitable doctrine applied because no contract or partial performance existed.
    Correct! The court reinforced the need for clear, outward signals of assent, promoting commercial predictability and protecting parties from unintended obligations.
    Incorrect. contract interpretation favors clarity, not weaker parties per se.

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    Topic Resources

    Topic Video

    Lonergan v. Scolnick11m 57s
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    Topic Outline

    Formation of Contracts

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    Lonergan v. Scolnick