Brawthen

Appellant H & R Block, Inc., appeals from a judgment awarding respondent the sum of $201,284 as damages for wrongful termination of an employment agreement.

H & R Block, Inc., is a corporation engaged in a nation-wide business of preparing tax returns. The local offices are located in the various states and are operated either by franchise or employee contracts. The written employment agreement under which respondent operated a local office for H & R Block, Inc., contained a provision which provided for termination by either party upon the requisite notice.

At the time of the execution of this agreement, it was decided that respondent Brawthen would open an H & R Block Company office in Bakersfield, California, requiring a move of the Brawthen family from Minneapolis. During the contract discussions, Mrs. Brawthen asked Richard Bloch what guarantee they would have that they would not be terminated after they went out to Bakersfield and developed the business over a period of years. Mr. Bloch said that they had the word of Hemy and Richard Bloch that they never terminated a contract and did not terminate contracts. Mr. Bloch said that if Brawthen did a good job in the…