Adams v. Lindsell
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| Adams v. Lindsell | |
| Court | High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division |
|---|---|
| Citation | 106 Eng.Rep. 250 |
| Date decided | 1818 |
Facts
Before 1800, parties signed a contract face-to-face. By the early 1800s, making & accepting offers by mail was becoming commonplace.
On September 2nd 1817, Mr. Lindsell mailed a letter to Mr. Adams who was a wool manufacturer.
Defendant (Lindsell) sent, by mail, an offer to sell wool. Due to Defendant's negligence, the offer was received late on September 5th 1817.
Plaintiff (Adams) immediately accepted, but Defendant (Lindsell) had already sold wool.Issues
Was Plaintiff's (Adams) purported acceptance actually an acceptance?
Holding
Yes, Plaintiff had accepted.
Reasons
There was a "meeting of the minds" as soon as Plaintiff posted his acceptance in the mail.
Rule
The mailbox rule states that acceptance takes effect as soon as a letter stating such is posted.
Resources
