Sutton v. United States, 256 U.S. 575 (1921) (No. 307)
1921
Case name: Sutton v. United States Opinion filed: 1921-06-01 Docket No.: 307 Citations: • 256 U.S. 575 • 41 S. Ct. 563 • 65 L. Ed. 1099 • 1921 U.S. LEXIS 1590 Case holding summaries: • "Those dealing with [a government agent] must be held to have had notice of the limitations upon his authority" • government not bound by contract that Secretary of War was not authorized to make • claim for unjust enrichment outside Tucker Act jurisdiction • expressly noting that it was not deciding the question “whether the doctrine [of unjust enrichment] is ever applicable to transactions with the government” • under 1906 version of Act, Secretary of War could not obligate the government to pay more than the $23,000 appropriated for improving a channel • refusing to recognize an implied agreement to pay the fair value of work performed because the term was not "express or implied in fact" in the Government contract for dredging services
