Bond v. Greenwald

66 Tenn. 466
Tennessee Supreme Court·Decided April 15, 1874·Published

Opinion

Deaderick, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

In this case a preliminary question is presented by the motion of defendants to vacate the decree entered by this court at its April term, 1871. At that term the cause was here upon writ of error to the Chancery Court at Brownsville, issued upon the application of complainant. A decree was then pronounced by this court in favor of complainant, and the motion is made by defendants to vacate that decree, under sec. [468]*4684501 of the Code, upon the ground that the judgment or decree pronounced against defendants was rendered through inadvertence and oversight, when, upon the face of the record, no cause of action existed against them.

The section of the Code referred to authorizes this court, upon its own motion, to vacate any such judgment or decree.

It has been most earnestly argued that the record' does not show any cause of action against defendants.

The bill, which was filed by intestate in his lifetime, charges that about the month of -, 1862,. his agent, in his absence,, sold and delivered to defendant Greenwald about eighty-three bales of cotton (belonging to complainant), for which Greenwald was. to pay about forty cents per pound, and that he has never paid anything for it, although often requested, so to do, and is still indebted for the same.

In another part of the bill complainant charges-that the value of the said cotton was, at the time of the sale, about $20,000.

An attachment was prayed for, and issued, and' levied upon several lots in Brownsville, and one at Bell’s Depot, in Haywood county. An attachment was also issued to Shelby c.ounty and levied upon Greenwald’s interest in a stock of goods in Memphis, in which one Labe was equal partner with him. A replevy bond in the penalty of $40,000 was given,, and the levy on the goods released.

Greenwald answered the bill, and denied that he bought any cotton of complainant, or owed him any[469] thing; but stated that he bought 280 bales of cotton at 26 cents of James Bond, of which he delivered but 52 bales, and that he was ready and willing to pay the amount due upon said 52 bales, after deducting damages sustained by him by reason of the failure to deliver the balance of the 280 bales bought.

Proof of the sale of complainant’s cotton was made by James Bond, the agent of Lewis T. He proved the contract to be that Green wald was to take all of Lewis T.’s crop, estimated at 100 bales more or less, at the price of 26 cents per pound in gold or its equivalent; and it was also proved that Greenwald was to take • the cotton from the gin as it was ginned and weighed, and that he took* away 52 bales, and that 30 more bales were ginned and weighed, which he failed to take away for more than a month after it was ginned and weighed, and then the Federal soldiers took it away. It was also proved that 39 cents in greenbacks, or United States treasury notes, was equivalent to 26 cents in gold.

The Chancellor charged the defendant in his decree with 53 bales 'only, and at the April term, 1871, this court reversed the Chancellor’s decree, bolding Green-wald liable for 82 bales sold and delivered, at_ the price of 39 cents in greenbacks or United States currency, being the equivalent of 26 cents in gold, and rendered a decree, including interest, for $28,150.29.

This statement of the material parts of the record we think is a sufficient refutation of the proposition of the defendant, that c‘no cause of action existed.”

The bill distinctly alleges an indebtedness for 83 [470] bales of cotton sold and delivered, at the price of' about 40 cents per pound.

The answer denies that defendant Greenwald bought any cotton of Lewis T., and the proof shows that he did make a _ contract with James Bond, as agent of Lewis T., by which he bound himself to take tbe crop of Lewis T., which turned out to be 82 bales, at the price of 26 cents in gold or its equivalent, which is shown to be 39 cents; and at this price for the 82 bales, the weight of which was also proven, a decree was rendered by this court at its April term, 1871.

The opinion of the court, delivered by Sneed, J.,. and reported in 4 Heis., 453, and the subsequent opinions by Nicholson, C. J., pp. 464 and 470, upon applications to rehear and modify the decree of the court, show that there „was no oversight or inadver-tance in the action of the court. On the contrary, upon the pleadings, it is adjudged that Greenwald bought and received the cotton at the price of 39 cents per pound, being the equivalent of 26 cents per pound in gold.

It is argued that “the contract as alleged must be substantially proven,” and sec. 66, 1 Gr. Ev., is. cited to show that in actions upon contracts, if any part of the contract proved should vary materially from that which is stated in the pleadings, it will be-fatal, for a contract is an entire thing and indivisible.” Ini illustration of the rule, the author states that if the consideration alleged be one horse bought by the plaintiff of the defendant, and the proof be of [471] two horses, the variance will be fatal. And it is insisted the bill charging that the cotton was sold at about 40 cents per pound, and the proof showing that it was sold at 26 cents in gold or its equivalent, shown to be 39 cents, brings the case within the rule above cited; and there being no evidence to support the allegation, from the face of the record no cause of action existed against defendant Greenwald.

The cause of action stated in the bill, is the sale and delivery of cotton to defendant, not gold or greenbacks; they are but the mediums or means by which the demand of the plaintiff is to be satisfied. Complainant brought his action because the defendant, Greenwald, had bought and received his cotton and failed and refused to pay for it; and if the consideration alleged is substantially proved, it is sufficient. The price is alleged to be about 40 cents, and the decree of this court was rendered at 39 cents, which is in substantial accordance with the contract as proved and so held to be in the opinion.

The motion to vacate the decree rendered at the April term, 1871, will be overruled.

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Bond v. Greenwald, 66 Tenn. 466 (Tenn. 1874).

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