Young v. City of Chicopee

Young (plaintiff) contracted with Chicopee (defendant) to repair a bridge, paid based on the amount of new material installed, and was required to keep at least half the needed repair material on-site to minimize disruption to public travel. A fire, through no fault of either party, destroyed both the bridge and the unused lumber Young had staged on-site. The City conceded it owed Young for labor and materials already used in repairs before the fire, but disputed liability for the unused lumber lost in the blaze.

Whether, where one party can perform only part of a contract through no fault of its own, the other party has an obligation to pay for the value of the work performed under the doctrine of implied contract.