Said v Butt: 1920

The plaintiff wanted to go to a play’s first night. He had fallen out with the management of the theatre, and knew that he would not get a ticket in his own name. He got a friend to go to the theatre and buy a ticket for him without disclosing the fact. When he turned up for the performance he was refused admission. He brought a claim against Sir Alfred Butt the managing director of the theatre.
Held: His claim was dismissed. Said had not established that a contract existed between himself and the company, and that he had consequently failed to prove that Sir Alfred had caused any breach of the alleged contract in refusing Mr Said admission to the theatre.
A first night is a special event with characteristics of its own, and tickets are only given or sold to persons whom the management selects and wishes to favour. The purchaser’s identity was a material element in the formation of the contract and that the failure to disclose the fact that the ticket was bought on his behalf prevented the plaintiff from asserting that he was the undisclosed principal.
Where a company breaches a contract the company employee whose conduct within the scope of employment is ascribed to the company is not usually personally liable for inducing breach of that contract.
McCardie J said: ‘But the servant who causes a breach of his master’s contract with a third person seems to stand in a wholly different position. He is not a stranger. He is the alter ego of his employer. In such a case it is the master himself, by his agent, breaking the contract he has made, and in my view an action against the agent under the Lumley v Gye principle must therefore fail, just as it would fail if brought against the master himself for wrongly procuring a breach of his own contract.

Judges:

McCardie J

Citations:

[1920] 3 KB 497, [1920] All ER 232, 11 BRC 317

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

CitedShogun Finance Limited v Hudson HL 19-Nov-2003
Thief acquired no title and could not sell
A purchaser used a stolen driving licence to obtain credit for and purchase a car. He then purported to sell it to the respondent, and then disappeared. The finance company sought return of the car.
Held: (Lords Nicholls and Millett . .
CitedJohn Louis Carter Fourie v Allan Le Roux and others CA 7-Mar-2005
The defendant’s company in South Africa had become insolvent and the claimant had recovered judgment for arrears of rent. They obtained a freezing order against the defendant. The defendant appealed saying the court did not have jurisdiction, and . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Contract, Agency

Updated: 12 May 2022; Ref: scu.188452