Texpar Energy, Inc. v. Murphy Oil Usa, Inc.
45 F.3D 1111 (7th Cir. 1995)
Legal Analysis
Legal analysis from Dean's Law Dictionary will be displayed here.
Nature Of The Case
This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.
Facts
TexPar contracted to purchase 15,000 tons of asphalt from Murphy at a price of $53 per ton. TexPar then contracted to sell the 15,000 tons to Starry Construction at a price of $56 per ton. TexPar stood to profit $45,000 if both contracts were performed. The price of asphalt can be very volatile, and the price rose rapidly in June 1992, and the sale price of $53 per ton lost its attractiveness very quickly. In May and early June TexPar took delivery of 690 tons, but on June 5 Murphy stopped its deliveries and notified TexPar that its sales manager lacked the authority to enter the contract. By then the price was $80 per ton. Starry insisted that TexPar deliver the full 15,000 tons at $56 per ton. With TexPar’s approval, Starry and Murphy negotiated directly and agreed upon a price of $68.50 per ton. TexPar agreed to pay Starry the difference between the new price of $68.50 and the original $56 per ton. TexPar was thus $191,000 out of pocket on the transaction. TexPar sued Murphy for the market price on the day of repudiation, which was $80 per ton. The trial judge instructed the jury under UCC 2-713, and the jury awarded P the difference between the contract price and the $80 market price for 14,310 tons or $386,370. D appealed.
Issues
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Holding & Decision
The court's holding and decision will be displayed here.
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