Boone v. Coe
Court of Appeals of Kentucky
153 S.W. 1019 (Ky. 1913)
Coe (defendant) orally agreed to lease his Texas farm to Boone (plaintiffs) for one year, promising a ready house and materials to build a barn, in exchange for Boone farming part of the land; the lease was to start whenever Boone arrived, with no fixed start date. When Boone arrived from Kentucky, the house wasn't ready and no barn materials were provided. Boone sued for damages including the cost of traveling from Kentucky and giving up their prior home and business there; the trial court ruled for Coe because the oral lease fell within the statute of frauds and was unenforceable.
Whether damages can be recovered for breach of a contract that falls within the statute of frauds when the breaching party received no benefit from the breach.