Kingston v. Preston: Difference between revisions

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|issues=Does 1 party's breach of contract excuse the other party from satisfying the contract's obligations?
|issues=Does 1 party's breach of contract excuse the other party from satisfying the contract's obligations?
|arguments=Preston argued that Kingston didn't provide the required security for the sale of the business.
|arguments=Preston argued that Kingston didn't provide the required security for the sale of the business.
|holding=Yes. A party's breach excuses the other party's performance if the non-breaching party's obligations were dependent on the breaching party's obligations.
|holding=Yes. A party's breach excuses the other party's performance if the non-breaching party's obligations were [https://www.quimbee.com/keyterms/condition-precedent dependent on the breaching party's obligations].
|rule=* https://www.quimbee.com/keyterms/mutuality-of-obligation
|rule=*[https://www.quimbee.com/keyterms/mutuality-of-obligation Mutuality of Obligation]
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|link=https://www.quimbee.com/cases/kingston-v-preston
|link=https://www.quimbee.com/cases/kingston-v-preston

Latest revision as of 14:47, November 17, 2023

Kingston v. Preston
Court Court of King’s Bench
Citation Lofft 194, 198
98 Eng. Rep. 606, 608 (1773)
Date decided 1773

Facts

Plaintiff (Kingston) contracted with the defendant (Preston) to serve him for 1 and ¼ years in his trade as a silk-mercer for £200 / year.


Then at the end of the year, the defendant would give up his business to the plaintiff, along with a helper, for a fair value.


*Preston = silk merchant = mercer = defendant

*Kingston = apprentice of Preston = plaintiff

*The first part of the contract was completed = Kingston completed his apprenticeship, but

*the second part was not = Preston didn't sell his mercership to Preston!

Procedural History

Kingston sued Preston (senior mercer) for breach of contract.

Issues

Does 1 party's breach of contract excuse the other party from satisfying the contract's obligations?

Arguments

Preston argued that Kingston didn't provide the required security for the sale of the business.

Holding

Yes. A party's breach excuses the other party's performance if the non-breaching party's obligations were dependent on the breaching party's obligations.

Rule

Resources

Issues

Whether a party is liable for a breach of contract when a condition precedent exists in the terms which has not yet been performed, but an independent part of the contract has already been completed by both parties.


Holding/Decision

Judgment for the defendant.


Reasoning

The part to be performed by the defendant was a condition precedent to good security for the payment by the plaintiff, which was not fulfilled.