226 Pa. Super. 215 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1973
Opinion by
Appellant, Roman Mosaic & Tile Co., Inc., installed a terrazzo tile floor in the Glenside Laundromat located on Limekiln Pike in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The work was done pursuant to a written contract dated November 25, 1966. The promissor named in the contract is Paul S. Vollrath Associates, Inc. (hereinafter “the corporation”). Paul S. Vollrath signed the contract without indicating the capacity in which he acted. The contract price for the work was two thousand dollars. Only one thousand dollars was paid. Appellant instituted an assumpsit action against the corporation and Paul S. Vollrath to recover the balance.
After it was brought to appellant’s attention that the owners of the laundromat were Paul S. Vollrath and Geraldine Vollrath, trading as Vollrath Investments, appellant instituted a suit against them individually and under their fictitious name. This second suit
The two suits were tried together. The court directed a verdict against the corporation. The jury found Paul Vollrath liable in the first suit. In the second, it rendered a verdict in favor of the defendants. Thus, Geraldine Vollrath was relieved of liability, and appellant could not reach her personal property or any property held by herself and her husband as tenants by the entireties. Wanting to reach those assets, appellant filed a motion for judgment n.o.v., which the court en banc denied. We affirm.
There is no evidence that Paul Vollrath acted on behalf of his wife or Vollrath Investments when he signed the contract. Although he had the power to bind his wife, subject to her express or tacit acquiescence, to a contract that would benefit them both, Schweitzer v. Evans, 360 Pa. 552, 63 A. 2d 39 (1949), nothing suggests that he exercised that power. Geraldine Vollrath would only be liable on the contract if her husband, as her agent or as agent for Vollrath Investments, intended to act on her account when he executed the contract. Restatement (Second) of Agency, §199 (1958). For the same reason, ratification of the contract by Mrs. Vollrath cannot be inferred from any retention of its benefits by her. McRoberts v. Phelps, 391 Pa. 591, 138 A. 2d 439 (1958); Restatement (Second) of Agency §85.
Nor has appellant substantiated its claim of unjust enrichment. The doctrine of unjust enrichment is clearly “inapplicable when the relationship between the parties is founded on a written agreement or express contract. Third National Bank & Trust Co. of Scranton v. Lehigh Valley Coal Company, 353 Pa. 185, 193, 44 A.
This case is distinguishable from DeGasperi v. Valicenti, 198 Pa. Superior Ct. 455, 181 A. 2d 862 (1962). There a man orally contracted with the plaintiff for
The order of the court below is affirmed.