Defendant Garrick, Inc. (Garrick) appeals from the judgment entered upon the verdict of the jury awarding plaintiff Tahan $17,535 on his claim for rescission of a contract for a sale of three condominiums. We affirm.
Tahan, an attorney and part owner of a retail jewelry store, signed a contract with Garrick, a land developer, to purchase three condominium units in a development in the Lake of the Ozarks area. The contract provided a purchase price of $150,000, with an earnest deposit of $22,500. A handwritten paragraph in the contract stated: “(17a) The undersigned has received a [sic] earnest money deposit of $17,535 on 9/16/80 and will receive before closing the balance of $4,965.” This deposit was made not in cash, but in jewelry, the value of which was agreed and acknowledged in the contract to be $17,535. This sale did not take place, apparently because Tahan decided not to complete the purchase. It then was agreed Tahan would close on one unit, at a price of $37,500; he would release the other two units, so that Garrick could sell them, and the $17,535 already paid would be applied on the new sale. Garrick sent Tahan a letter confirming this new arrangement, and enclosed several documents for Tahan to execute. In this letter, it is stated “Garrick is to accept the merchandise given as earnest money down payment with a value of $17,535.” Tahan refused to execute the documents enclosed in the letter and demanded the return of his earnest deposit. Upon Garrick’s refusal of the demand, this action followed.
Garrick, in its first two points relied upon, appears to contend the court erred in submitting the cause to the jury and in failing to grant a new trial on the grounds the finding the contract was rescinded was not supported by substantial evidence and was against the weight of the evidence. In considering this contention, this court views the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, drawing all reasonable inferences favorable to the plaintiff, and disregarding the evidence to the contrary.
Wells v. Orthwein,
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A written contract may be rescinded or abandoned by an agreement, either written or parol, of the parties to the contract. Such rescission may be shown by acts and declarations of the parties which are inconsistent with the continued existence of the previous contract.
Tudor v. Tudor,
Garrick’s actions also tend to show a rescission. Nothing in the record indicates there was ever any attempt to persuade Tahan to alter his course of action and buy the three units. It is inferable from the record Garrick sold or attempted to sell the units covered by the contract to other buyers. Finally, Garrick prepared a new contract, wholly inconsistent with the continued vitality of the first contract. Execution of the second contract is not on its face a contingency of rescission of the first contract. Given the evidence presented, the jury could reasonably find a rescission by mutual agreement, based upon actions of the parties inconsistent with the continued existence of the previous contract. See Tudor, supra.
Garrick claims any such rescission is invalid due to a lack of consideration. An oral rescission of a contract required to be in writing by the statute of frauds must be supported by consideration.
Gee v. Nieberg,
Garrick’s next two Points Relied On allege instructional error. However, he has failed to set forth the questioned instructions in full in the argument portion of his brief, as required by Rule 84.04(e). Therefore, he has preserved nothing for review.
Stegan v. H.W. Freeman Const. Co.,
In his final Point Relied On, Garrick complains of the trial court’s refusal to admit evidence of the cost to Tahan of the jewelry used to provide the earnest deposit. Garrick’s offer of proof shows this cost to have been $8,450. It is noted first that any error in the refusal of this instruction was rendered harmless by the admission of other evidence which indirectly established the cost of the jewelry to Tahan.
Tennis v. General Motors Corp.,
Judgment affirmed.
