Bryant v. Crosby

40 Me. 9
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedJuly 1, 1885
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 40 Me. 9 (Bryant v. Crosby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bryant v. Crosby, 40 Me. 9 (Me. 1885).

Opinion

Rice, J.

The first exception taken was to the exclusion of certain statements, in reference to the sheep, made by the plaintiff in presence of William E. Morrill. These alleged representations were made a month before the contract of Nov. 30, was consummated. Testimony so remote and uncertain in its character was properly excluded.

Upon the point of warranty no error is perceived in the instructions given by the presiding Judge. It is contended, that the specific instructions which were requested upon this branch of the case, and which were withheld by the Court, should have been given; especially those contained in the following request: —**

“ If Bryant represented to Morrill that those ewe sheep would shear from throe to five pounds of wool per head, and that Morrill could pay for the sheep, by the wool from the sheep in two years, and have wool left, and also, that the sheep were young, healthy and would winter well, and made these representations in good faith, and they were [18]*18untrue, and made as an inducement to the sale, these representations would imply a warranty to the extent of them.”

It is not always easy to determine whether certain language does or does not imply a warranty,- much will depend upon the situation of the parties, and the condition of things when the language is used, and to which it will apply.

It is certain that the word warrant need not be used, nor any other of precisely the same meaning. It is enough if the words actually used impart an understanding on the part of the owner that the chattel is what it is represented to be; or an equivalent to such undertaking. 1 Parsons on Contracts, 463.

A warranty will not be implied from loose conversations between the vendor and vendee, in which the vendor may praise his goods, or express an opinion as to their qualities, or the advantages that may result to the vendee from the purchase. No expression of opinion, however strong, would import a warranty. But if the vendor, at the time of the sale, affirms a fact, as to the essential qualities of his goods in clear and definite language and the purchaser buys on the faith of such affirmation, that, we think, is an express warranty. Henshaw & al. v. Robbins, 9 Met. 83.

The declarations of Bryant as to the amount of wool the sheep would shear per head, the time in which Morrill could pay for the sheep, and whether he would have wool left after paying for them in a given time, are obviously matters of opinion, and must have been so' understood by the parties. They were mere speculations as to the future, of the correctness of which one could judge as well as .the other. They were not affirmations of existing facts in relation of the quality of the sheep. But the statement that the sheep were young and healthy was a representation of a different character, and such as, if made as an inducement to the sale, would strongly tend to prove an express warranty.

These various representations of the plaintiff were all grouped together in one request, and the Court was desired [19]*19to give a particular construction to the whole, as matter of law. To have complied with such a request would have been erroneous. When parties incorporate into a request matter which is impertinent or improper, with other matter which is pertinent and proper, the Court will rightfully reject the whole. A Judge cannot be called upon to dissect a long request, presented perhaps, for the first time, while he is submitting a case to the jury, and select the sound from the unsound; giving the former to the jury and rejecting the latter. For this reason this request was properly withheld.

Pertinent and correct instructions were given upon the matters contained in the second and third requests.

The fourth request was properly declined. If a party uses language which imports a warranty, the presumption is, that he intends it as such. To have given the instruction as requested, would have tended to mislead the jury.

The fifth request was as follows: — The defendant contended and so requested the Court to instruct the jury, that the bill of sale of Aug. 26, 1850, if they believed the testimony of Nason, in relation to what Bryant said to him about having got his pay, and his testimony relating to said bill of sale, was evidence of payment in full of the contract of Nov. 30,1847. This was refused, and upon this point the Judge instructed the jury, that by the contract or bill of sale of August 26, 1850, from Morrill to plaintiff, the plaintiff would be liable only for what ho received, and had the beneficial use of, and not for what remaining in the hands of Morrill went to his use and benefit, and were disposed of without plaintiff’s consent. As to the oats, wheat, and corn not then harvested, the title to them did not pass by that instrument to the plaintiff, and he would be liable only for such portions of the same as actually went into his hands, and that as to the hay, Bryant was liable to account for only so much, if any, as he had the benefit of.

The refusal to give this instruction, when taken in connection with those actually given upon the same point, is worthy of consideration.

[20]*20It will be observed that the paper in the case, dated August 26, 1850, does not purport to be a contract of sale from Morrill to Bryant. It is simply a receipt or contract of bailment given by Morrill to the plaintiff, in which he recites the terms of a contract made that day between the same parties. It is as follows : —

“Atkinson, Aug. 26, 1850.
“ In consideration of six hundred and sixty-three dollars and twenty-one hundredths, paid by Nathaniel Bryant of Dexter, I this day sold, transfern'ed and delivered to said Bryant of Dexter, the following personal property on my farm in Atkinson, viz.: — ” Then-follows a list of the property.
“ The paper concludes as follows: — “ Said property having been left iu my charge, I agree to keep the same safely, in good condition, all at my risk, and in case of loss or any deficiency in the oats, or wheat, or corn, or loss in any shape, I agree to pay the same to said Bryant, he having the right to take any part, or the whole of the same, at any time he may wish to do so.”

When this case was before the Court on a former occasion, 36 Maine, 563, some incidental remarks were made by the Judge, who drew the opinion, upon the character of the contract of Aug. 26, 1850. The case at that time, did not turn .upon any question arising out of that contract. The remarks then made upon that point may not, therefore, have received the consideration which would have been given them if the disposition of the case had depended upon the construction of this contract.

The Court, however, were then of opinion, that the contract of Aug. 26, 1850, was an absolute bill of sale, and could not be construed as a mortgage; that it did not appear by its terms to be in any way connected with the contract of Nov. 30, 1847, but that parol evidence would be admissible to show, that the property sold, or the agreed price of it, was to be applied in payment of the first contract.

[21]*21Some confusion may have arisen in not keeping in view the distinction between the contract by which Morrill sold, transferred and delivered

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Bluebook (online)
40 Me. 9, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bryant-v-crosby-me-1885.