The town of Sanford, Maine, decided to auction off a plot of land owned by the town. The town advertised that it would accept bids through the mail, up to a specified date. Arthur and Arlene mailed in a bid that turned out to be the highest of all the bids the town received. When the town refused to sell them the lot, they sued. Who will win?

Question

Cory Hood

Business

16 April, 18:13

The town of Sanford, Maine, decided to auction off a plot of land owned by the town. The town advertised that it would accept bids through the mail, up to a specified date. Arthur and Arlene mailed in a bid that turned out to be the highest of all the bids the town received. When the town refused to sell them the lot, they sued. Who will win?

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Answers (1)

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Isaias Greene · Answer 1

The answer is: Both parties could win, depending if there were other conditions established for the auction.

Explanation:

Usually when an auction is carried out there are conditions established beforehand by the auctioneer that must be fulfilled in order for the sale to be completed.

In this case, since we don't know what other conditions the town of Sanford included in the auction, if any other condition at all, we can't conclude which party could win the lawsuit. For instance if a reserve was required but Arthur and Arlene didn't do the reserve deposit, then they will obviously lose. The same happens with other established conditions like a minimum price set, etc. But if no other condition established, then Arthur and Arlene could win.