In the case of Stevens's Administrator v. Nichols in 1894, the U.S Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a contract for land purchase could be enforced despite one party being deceased. The plaintiff, acting as administrator for the estate of Mr. Stevens, sought to enforce a contract that had been made between Mr. Stevens and Mr. Nichols prior to Steven’s death where Nichols agreed to sell certain lands to him at an agreed price per acre within a specified time period after his death if he died before making full payment. The court held that such contracts are valid and can indeed be enforced posthumously by an executor or administrator of an estate on behalf of the deceased party involved in said agreement provided they were not fraudulent or unconscionable when entered into originally. This decision reinforced legal principles regarding contractual obligations extending beyond life itself and emphasized their binding nature even upon successors or representatives unless otherwise stated explicitly within terms of agreements themselves.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Stevens's Administrator v. Nichols argued that the majority ruling failed to properly interpret and apply Kentucky state law regarding property rights and inheritance. The dissent contended that under Kentucky law, a widow was entitled to one-third of her husband's real estate as dower right, regardless of any debts or claims against his estate. In this case, however, the Court ruled that Mrs. Stevens had no claim on her late husband’s land because it had been mortgaged prior to their marriage without her knowledge or consent - an action which they believed violated state laws protecting widows' rights. The dissent further criticized the majority for disregarding established legal principles in favor of unjustly enriching Mr. Nichols at Mrs.Stevens’ expense by allowing him to retain ownership over all lands purchased from Mr.Stevens despite not having fully paid off his debt before Mr.Stevens’ death.