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| Woods v Walters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | Appellate Division |
| Full case name | Woods v Walters |
| Citation | 1921 AD 303 |
Woods v Walters, an important case in the South African law of lease, was an action to enforce the execution and performance of a contract for the lease by the defendant to the plaintiff of certain land with a furnished house and other buildings thereon.
Where the parties are shown to have been ad idem as to the material conditions of a contract, the onus of proving an agreement that legal validity shall be postponed until the due execution of a written document lies upon the party who alleges it. Damages claimed as an alternative to a decree of specific performance of a contract must be proved and ascertained in the ordinary way; they should not be assessed by the court as a punishment for contumacity.
On the evidence, the parties had reached a binding agreement. The court held, however, that there was no agreement that they should not be bound until a written lease had been executed. Accordingly, the court held that plaintiff was entitled to an order for specific performance or, in the alternative, damages.
See also
References
- Woods v Walters 1921 AD 303.