Property Law Developments—Joseph William Singer

In a straight-forward application of the usual rule, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court recognized an exception to the statute of frauds by enforcing an oral promise to convey land when the promisee relied on the promise and built a house on the land. In this case, the promise was made by parents to their son and daughter. The daughter built a home on the land with the parents’ assistance and then asked for a deed to the land. When the parents refused, she sued them seeking a court order to them to transfer title to the land to her and the court granted her request. Harvey v. Dow, 11 A.3d 303 (Me. 2011).