66 Pa. Super. 203 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1917
Opinion by
The plaintiff brought this action to recover for services alleged to have been rendered the defendant, in and about the option and purchase of certain real estate. The de
The general rule of law is, that where one deals with an agent who acts within the scope of his authority and reveals his principal, the principal alone is liable for a breach of the contract. In the absence of any evidence of fraud, lack of authority to bind the principal, or other exceptional matter, the general rule must be enforced. The testimony produced by the defendant in the present case did not tend to establish any special contract upon his part to be personally liable. The defendant did not contract under his own individual seal, and that line of cases of which Quigley v. DeHass, 82 Pa. 267, is an example, has no application to the present question. When an agent discloses his principal and contracts for that principal, and acts within the scope of his authority, the parties to the contract are presumed to know the law; that the agent is not liable upon the contract. The agent in such a case is not required, in the absence of fraud or misconduct, to tell the other party what the law is. The learned judge of the court below fell into error when he placed that burden upon th’is defendant. The specifications of error are sustained.
The judgment is reversed and a venire facias de novo awarded.