Brewster v. City of Hornellsville

54 N.Y.S. 904
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided December 9, 1898·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

HARDIN, P. J.

Plaintiff’s complaint alleges: That a contract bearing date the 28th day of June, 1894, was entered into between William E. Warren and the defendant, whereby the said Warren agreed to pave portions of Seneca street, Ganisteo street, Broad [905]*905street, and Loder street, in said city, for which the defendant agreed to pay: For all excavations, per cubic yard, 27 cents; for paving with concrete foundation, per square yard, $1.63; for stone curbing, furnished and set, per lineal foot, 39 cents; for circular curb corners, furnished and set, per lineal foot, 59 cents; for stone curbing taken up and reset, per lineal foot, 7 cents; for 4-inch drain tile, furnished and laid, per lineal foot, 5 cents. “That the price aforesaid stated for 4-inch drain tile was the price .bid for the under-drain.” The complaint also alleges:

“That, at the request oí the defendant and its agents, the said Warren, while building said paving, performed other work, labor, and services, and furnished material not included in the specifications in said contract for said paving: an itemized statement of the amounts of work, the value and character thereof, being set forth in Schedules A and B, hereto annexed, which are referred to, and made a part of this complaint.”

It is also averred that the claims mentioned in Schedules A and B were verified and presented to the common council of the city more than three months before the commencement of this action, and that the common council refused and neglected to audit or pay the same. It is also alleged in the complaint “that, before _the commencement of this action, [Warren] sold, assigned, transferred, and set over to this plaintiff his cause of action aforesaid.”

The answer alleges that the plaintiff’s Schedule A “is for work, labor, and services rendered and materials furnished under and by the terms of the contract mentioned in plaintiff’s complaint; * * * that the work, labor, and services and materials last above mentioned is not extra work and materials, but a part of the contract, and has been paid for by defendant at the contract price.” It is alleged that by the terms of the contract, and. the plans and specifications accompanying the same, “it was optional with the defendant to require the laying of drain tile in the underdrains mentioned in the complaint, or not,” and that the work and materials alleged in the complaint to be in the “building of an under-drain, and filling the same with broken stone, was in fact a part ■of said contract, and not extra work, and that the plaintiff is not entitled to recover therefor, as all the same has been paid for by defendant at the contract price.” The answer also alleges that it was provided by the contract:

“The said party of the second part [W. E. Warren] further agrees that he will give his personal attention to the faithful prosecution of said work, and that he will not assign or sublet the same [meaning said contract] without the consent of the party of the first part [meaning this defendant].”

It is averred that the said Warren did assign said contract to this plaintiff, and thereby made a substantial breach of the contract, and a violation of its terms and conditions.

The referee finds the execution of the contract by Warren with the defendant, and he also finds:

“That the defendant reserved the right under said contract to make minor changes in the plan of the proposed work, deemed by the engineer for the best interests of the city, and to have said underdrains constructed of broken ■stone, instead of gravel and drain tile, at its election, and the defendant did [906]*906so elect, and such underdrains were constructed of said stone, by such change of plan; that the price of five cents per lineal foot was intended by both parties to be and was the price finally agreed on for such modified under-drains, and that said Warren, as agent of the plaintiff, constructed said underdrains as said plan was modified, and filled the same with broken stone; that the length of said underdrain, in the aggregate, was 10,824 feet, and the amount for which the defendant became indebted was $541.20, of which $393 have been paid before the commencement of this action; and that $148.20» remain due therefor, with interest, from completion of said contract.”

It is found by the referee that the earth taken from the excavations was hauled at a much longer distance than specified in the contract, and—

“That said Warren and this plaintiff did haul it a much longer distance,. under an agreement between said Warren and the defendant, made during the progress of the work, and immediately after it was commenced, to pay therefore two cents per cubic yard, said price covering the entire overhaul and work set forth in plaintiff’s complaint. Schedule B, and that the same amounted to the sum of $927.38, and which price defendant agreed to pay, and said Warren agreed to accept.”

The evidence does not support the finding made.

(a) There is no evidence of a joint agreement made by Warren and the plaintiff with the defendant to do the work mentioned.

(b) There was no agreement “immediately after the work was commenced to pay therefor two cents per cubic yard, said price covering the entire overhaul and work set forth in plaintiff’s complaint.”

(c) There was no price “mutually agreed upon” in writing. Dalrymple, the defendant’s engineer, testified:

“No price for overhaul was agreed upon at any time prior to the completion of this work entire, by me; and I never did agree, in writing or verbally, in any way, to allow any sum.”

(d) The only assignment put in evidence is the one executed by Warren to the plaintiff on the 5th of July, 1894. In that assignment, Warren purports to transfer to the plaintiff “all my [his] right, title, interest in the contract in writing, dated June 28, 1894, and executed by and between the city of Hornellsville, New York, party of the first part, and I, the said'William E. Warren, as party of the second part, thereto. This assignment of said contract is hereby intended to give to the said Brewster all the interest I may have or hold in the same, and absolutely, and without any qualification, limitation, and condition, whatever.” That assignment is the only one produced by the plaintiff to support his right to recover upon any of the claims mentioned in the complaint, or stated in the referee’s report. Plaintiff failed to make a case against the defendant as to the overhaul, and the findings of the referee in respect thereto are not satisfactory.

2. The referee found as a matter of fact, viz.:

“That at the request of the defendant the said Warren and said plaintiff, while constructing said pavement and performing said contract, performed other work, labor, and services for the defendant, not included in said contract, nor specifications thereunder, and furnished material not included therein, and that an itemized statement of amounts, value, and character thereof is contained in Schedules A and B of plaintiff’s complaint, and that claims for such work, labor, and services, and materials, properly verifiedi [907]

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Brewster v. City of Hornellsville, 54 N.Y.S. 904 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1898).

54 N.Y.S. 904 (Brewster v. City of Hornellsville) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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