Budd v. Howard Thomas Co.

40 Misc. 52, 81 N.Y.S. 152
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 40 Misc. 52 (Budd v. Howard Thomas Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Budd v. Howard Thomas Co., 40 Misc. 52, 81 N.Y.S. 152 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1903).

Opinion

Forbes, J.

This is an. action to recover for services rendered and performed and for money advanced by the plaintiff for the defendant in the purchase and shipment of six carloads of plums. The defendant is a domestic corporation, duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Hew York, located and doing business as “packers of canned fruits and vegetables,” at Fairport, N. Y.

In the month of August, 1901, the defendant, by its agent, one Foley, entered into an agreement with the plaintiff for the purchase of several carloads of plums, to be bought and shipped by the plaintiff, in the vicinity of Hector, Schuyler county, N. Y. Foley was to assist in the loading of said fruit in the cars at Burdette and Hector stations on the Lehigh Valley railroad. In consideration of such services, to be performed by the plaintiff, he was to receive, and the defendant was to pay said plaintiff for his services a commission of one-fourth of one cent a pound for all plums so purchased and loaded upon the cars at said stations. By the terms of said agreement and under the same the plaintiff did purchase and load, with the assistance of said agent, six carloads of plums, and the same were delivered at said stations in the town of Hector, between the 31st day of August and the 7th day of September, 1901, inclusive. Said cars contained in all 153,396 pounds of plums. The defendant .thereafter received^ from and accepted the same of the plaintiff. The defendant ad- ' vanced to the plaintiff, at various .times, sums of money to the amount of $2,70'0, with which to pay for said plums, so purchased and towards his commissions thereon under said agreement. On , or about the 31st day of August, 1901, the railroad company refused to bill and forward said plums to the defendant, unless the freight and other minor expenses thereon were prepaid. The defendant’s agent, Foley, then and there authorized and di- • rected the plaintiff to advance the money with which to pay said freight bills and other expenses, for the purpose of preserving and forwarding said plums to the defendant. The plaintiff thereupon did prepay said freight and the other expenses, upon said shipment, in the sum of $300.85 over and above the amount of money then in the plaintiff’s hands. The purchase price of said plums, the freight bills and other expenses, paid by the plaintiff, together with the plaintiff’s commissions on said purchase, amounts to the sum of $3,000.85, as the same was computed and [54]*54adjusted by the plaintiff and said Foley as the agent of said '"defendant. This computation was made and the balance was fixed and agreed upon by the plaintiff and the defendant’s agent xon the Yth day of September, lb 01. This computation, so made, left a balance due and owing to the plaintiff from the defendant of $300.85. This amount was adopted by the defendant, through its agent, and he then and there agreed that the defendant should pay the plaintiff the sum of $300.85, as the same was found due from the defendant to the plaintiff. These facts are shown by the complaint and are admitted to be true. The plaintiff then demands judgment against the defendant for the balance so computed and found to be due, with interest thereon from the Yth day of September, 1901, beside the costs of this action.

This action was commenced on or about the 11th day of August, 1902, by the service of the summons and complaint on the defendant corporation. On or about the 18th day of September, 1902, the defendant, by its attorney herein, demurred to said complaint, and avers, as the only ground, that it appears upon the face of said complaint that it does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.

Section 488 of the Code of Civil Procedure, subdivision 8, provides : “ The defendant may demur to the complaint, where the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.” Section 490 permits this subdivision to be stated in the demurrer, in the language of the subdivision, without particularly pointing out the specific grounds of demurrer.

Many decisions can be cited showing that the complaint is sufficient where the facts alleged therein are stated in a plain and concise manner and a demand for judgment thereon is contained in the complaint. The demurrer to the complaint is an admission that all the facts therein stated are true. Code Civ. Pro., § 481; Williams v. Conners, 53 App. Div. 601.

If any cause of action is set forth in the complaint the demurrer must be overruled. Every conclusion, inference and intendment in the complaint must be used to maintain the integrity of the complaint and the cause of action therein contained.

In a demurrer, on the ground of the insufficiency of the complaint, the question is not whether the pleading contains redundant or irrelevant matter, but whether the. complaint contains averments which go to make up a complete cause of action. The [55]*55pleadings are not to be interpreted strictly against the pleader, but allegations which indicate the nature of plaintiff’s claim are sufficient if under them the plaintiff would be entitled to give the evidence necessary to establish his cause of action. Waite v. Aborn, 60 App. Div. 524.

Every intendment and every inference which can be drawn or implied from the complaint must be used to sustain the pleading. Marie v. Garrison, 83 N. Y. 23; Milliken v. Western Union Tel. Co., 110 id. 403; Sanders v. Soutter, 126 id. 193; Johnson v. Golder, 132 id. 116; Kain v. Larkin, 141 id. 144; Sage v. Culver, 147 id. 241; Coatsworth v. Lehigh Valley R. Co., 156 id. 451; Abbey v. Wheeler, 170 id. 127; Roberson v. Rochester F. B. Co., 171 id. 553. The last two cases cited hold: The facts contained within these allegations must be regarded as admitted, under the defendant’s demurrer, as must all other facts which can be implied by reasonable and fair intendment. If thp - facts alleged in the complaint justify a recovery, either at law or in equity, it cannot be held that the demurrer is well taken, although the pleading may be open to correction by motion or otherwise. It may be that in this case the facts are not stated in the complaint with that precision and in the logical order which is said to be requisite, or desirable in good pleading. But where there are facts enough alleged to entitle the plaintiff to a hearing in a court of justice, the pleading will be held to state all the facts that can be implied from its allegations, by reasonable and fair intendment, and the facts so pleaded are traversable in the same manner as though directly and explicity stated.” The same doctrine is held in Williams v. Conners, 53 App. Div. 601; Fogarty v. Wanamaker, 60 id. 434.

I think the learned counsel for the defendant does not give full credit to all of the allegations of the complaint. First, the incorporation of the company is admitted. From its business and location, it is clearly shown that it is a domestic corporation, doing business within the State of Hew York. The contract was made with the defendant’s agent in the month of August, 1901. The kind of work to be done and the manner in which it was to be performed is fully set forth in the complaint. The price to be paid, by the defendant to the plaintiff, for the work done, is made definite. The contract to advance money to pay freights and expenses is pleaded. The advance and payments made by [56]*56the plaintiff hy and upon the authority of the defendant’s agent are shown. The purchase of the plums; the delivery upon the cars and the payment by the plaintiff therefor out of the money furnished by the defendant for that purpose are alleged.

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40 Misc. 52, 81 N.Y.S. 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/budd-v-howard-thomas-co-nysupct-1903.