Quimbee logo with url
From our private database of 14,500+ case briefs...

Bentley v. Slavik

United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
663 F.Supp. 736 (1987)

Facts

In January 1984, Karen Bentley (plaintiff) saw a notice posted by Charles Slavik (defendant) offering to sell an 1835 Bernadel violin. Bentley visited Slavik’s home where she played and inspected the violin for two hours. Slavik was neither an expert nor seller of violins but he produced for Bentley a certificate issued by a violin appraiser “estimat[ing]” the violin to be a genuine Bernadel valued at $15,000 to $20,000. Bentley purchased the violin for $17,500, paying $15,000 on the spot and promising to pay the balance in February. The bill of sale referred to the violin as a Bernadel. Upon remitting the balance of the purchase price in February, Bentley included a note stating how happy she was with the purchase. In or around April 1985, Bentley became aware that the violin might not be authentic. She demanded that Slavik return her money but he refused. She sued him for breach of contract and also alleged mutual mistake. The case was tried to the district court. Bentley presented expert testimony opining the violin to be inauthentic and valuing it at $2,000. The court issued findings of fact and conclusion of law.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Stiehl, J.)

What to do next…

  1. Unlock this case brief with a free (no-commitment) trial membership of Quimbee.

    You’ll be in good company: Quimbee is one of the most widely used and trusted sites for law students, serving more than 97,000 law students since 2011. Some law schools—such as Yale, Vanderbilt, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois—even subscribe directly to Quimbee for all their law students. Read our student testimonials.

  2. Learn more about Quimbee’s unique (and proven) approach to achieving great grades at law school.

    Quimbee is a company hell-bent on one thing: helping you get an “A” in every course you take in law school, so you can graduate at the top of your class and get a high-paying law job. We’re not just a study aid for law students; we’re the study aid for law students. Read more about Quimbee.

Here's why 264,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 14,500 briefs, keyed to 196 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
  • The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
  • Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.

Here's why 264,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:

  • Reliable - written by law professors and practitioners not other law students.
  • The right length and amount of information - includes the facts, issue, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
  • Access in your class - works on your mobile and tablet.
  • 14,500 briefs - keyed to 196 casebooks.
  • Uniform format for every case brief.
  • Written in plain English - not in legalese and not just repeating the court's language.
  • Massive library of related video lessons - and practice questions.
  • Top-notch customer support.