Barbara, a wealthy widow, promises the pastor of her church that she will donate $30,000 to the church to help pay off its mortgage if the stewardship committee can obtain enough pledges for the balance of the $60,000 mortgage. Other pledges are obtained to pay off the mortgage, but now Barbara has changed her mind and plans to take an around-the-world cruise instead. In this case:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Barbara's promise can be seen as enforceable under the Restatement of Contracts because it induced action or forbearance on the part of the promisee (the church), which relied on her promise to secure the rest of the pledges needed to pay off the mortgage. This reliance can make the promise binding even in the absence of consideration in the traditional sense.

Barbara, a Wealthy Widow, Promises the Pastor of Her Church