Boone v. Lockhart

22 P.2d 317, 143 Or. 299, 1933 Ore. LEXIS 159
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMay 18, 1933
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 22 P.2d 317 (Boone v. Lockhart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boone v. Lockhart, 22 P.2d 317, 143 Or. 299, 1933 Ore. LEXIS 159 (Or. 1933).

Opinion

*300 KELLY, J.

On February 23,1928, claimant herein, G. B. Boone, a sole trader at Dallas, Texas, under the assumed name of G. B. Boone Lumber Company, ordered from Harriet E. Buswell, under the assumed name of Buswell Lumber Company, Portland, Oregon, 21 M. feet of various sizes of Pondo sa pine lumber, selected from a salesman’s list by description, which stated that said lumber was slightly stained, and claimant’s order included the condition that shipment thereof should be made provided the stock was only slightly stained.

Claimant alleges that when the lumber, shipped pursuant to said order, arrived at Dallas, Texas, it was wet, heavy, soggy and badly stained. It is conceded that there was but 17,211 feet of it.

Harriet E. Buswell died at Portland, Oregon, during the fall of 1929, and on or about October 17, 1929, John G. Lockhart was appointed executor of her estate; and qualified as such.

On or about February 7,1930, claimant presented a claim to said executor in the sum of $1,028, which was rejected, and upon direction of the probate court, claimant filed a complaint alleging the foregoing facts, claiming that the Buswell Lumber Company breached said contract in shipping only 17,211 feet of lumber and in that the lumber so shipped was wet, heavy, soggy and badly stained, and averring that claimant has been damaged in said sum of $1,028.

After denying that the condition of said lumber did not conform to the description in the order, and the salesman’s list, the executor, as an affirmative defense, alleges that after the car, containing said lumber, arrived in Dallas, Texas, on or about May 4, 1928, 2,000 feet of said lumber, more or less, was removed *301 by the petitioner and the same was thereafter used, whereby, and, by reason whereof, said carload of lumber was accepted by the petitioner.

It will be noted that thus acceptance is interposed as a defense to a claim based upon a breach of warranty. There is no reference in the answer to any express or implied agreement of the parties whereby claimant waived his claim for damages, nor to any alleged failure on the part of the buyer to give notice to the seller of the alleged breach within a reasonable time after the buyer knew, or ought to have known, of such breach.

The Uniform Sales Act as adopted in Oregon contains the following provision:

“Acceptance does not bar action for damages.— In the absence of express or implied agreement of the parties, acceptance of the goods by the buyer shall not discharge the seller from liability in damages or other legal remedy for breach of any promise or warranty in the contract to sell or the sale. But, if, after acceptance of the goods, the buyer fail to give notice to the seller of the breach of any promise or warranty within a reasonable time after the buyer knows, or ought to know, of such breach, the seller shall not be liable therefor”. Section 64-509, Oregon Code 1930.

The answer of the executor herein does not suggest that notice of the breach by his decedent was not seasonably given by claimant, although, in his brief, that point is argued. We think that it is not within the issues, because not pleaded; but, even if it were, the record is replete with notice of that character.

On April 9,1928, the following night letter was telegraphed to the Buswell Lumber Company by claimant:

“Car eighteen two ten” (containing the lumber in suit) “refused by customer account being wet, heavy and badly stained * * *”.

*302 On April 12, 1928, the following telegram was likewise sent to the Bnswell Lumber Company by claimant:

“Have received no reply to our wire ninth relative car eighteen two ten. Some action should be taken as stock will continue to damage in its present condition and customer is insisting on some disposition. Answer quick”.

On April 12, 1928, the following letter was sent:

“April 12th, 1928. •
“Buswell Lumber Co.
“Portland, Oregon.
“Gentlemen:
With reference to car G. N. 18210, recently shipped to ourselves, Dallas, would state that as per copy of our wire attached of the 9th, this car has been refused by our customer account of being wet, heavy and badly stained, and in order to save demurrage from accruing on the shipment, and further that customer would have opportunity to examine the stock more closely by unloading rather than making a car door inspection, we prevailed upon them to go ahead and unload, pending a satisfactory adjustment. In our wire we also asked if you had an inspector in this territory who you could have come to Dallas to arrive at a satisfactory adjustment, as we feel like if you had a representative on the ground that you would be able to better satisfy the shippers of the car, as there is going to rather a heavy claim, account of the condition of the stock, and furthermore, it is going to be necessary for the stock to be kiln dried before it can be used. This wire was sent to you on the 9th by night letter, and we thought surely by this timé we would have been in receipt of some acknowledgment from you on the complaint, and some advice as to what action you desire to take, but up to the present writing we have received no reply from you, so this morning we sent you a day letter, as per copy enclosed calling attention to the fact that *303 this stock will continue to damage in the shape it is in at the present time, and also that customer is insisting that we make some disposition.
“We are in hopes that our second wire will reach you promptly, and that you will let us have your instructions without delay.
“Yours very truly,
“G. B. Boone Lumber Company GBB “By

Other telegrams were interchanged, and on April 14, 1928, the following letter was sent by claimant:

“April 14th, 1928.
“Buswell Lumber Co.
“Portland, Oregon.
‘ ‘ Gentlemen:
We received your wire this morning relative to car G. N. 18210, and after showing your wire to our customer, The Rogers Lumber & Mfg. Co. Mr. Rogers said that he felt he would be unable to arrive at a satisfactory adjustment on this stock, as he figures that a large precentage of the lumber will fall below. grade account of having been shipped wet, and consequently becoming badly stained, and that he would prefer to have the stock passed on by an official inspector. He has agreed to abide by the decision of the official inspector, therefore we wired you today that customer was insisting on official inspection, and asking that you arrange to have the matter handled just as quickly as possible, as the stock in its present condition is going to continue to damage, until it is re-handled.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 P.2d 317, 143 Or. 299, 1933 Ore. LEXIS 159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boone-v-lockhart-or-1933.