Builders' Supply Co. v. Independent Ice & Cold Storage Co.

1 La. App. 708, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 134
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 20, 1925
DocketNo. 1785
StatusPublished

This text of 1 La. App. 708 (Builders' Supply Co. v. Independent Ice & Cold Storage Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Builders' Supply Co. v. Independent Ice & Cold Storage Co., 1 La. App. 708, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 134 (La. Ct. App. 1925).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

In this cause, plaintiff sues for $795.06. Defendant, plaintiff in reconvention, Benoit Construction Company, claims judgment in reconvention for $1,700.-36 for breach of contract on the part of plaintiff.

The real question in dispute is the re-conventional demand.

Defendant, plaintiff in reconvention, claims that the plaintiff, Builders Supply Company, contracted to furnish to the defendant, plaintiff in reconvention, 750 cubic yards of clean crushed stone for use in building the Independent Ice & Cold Storage plant, or a sufficient quantity of such stone to complete the building of the Independent Ice & Cold Storage Company that was being built by the defendant, the Benoit Construction Company.

Defendant, plaintiff in reconvention, claims that plaintiff breached its contract and that defendant; plaintiff in reconvention, was forced to buy other material in the open market to complete its contract with the Independent Ice & Cold Storage Company at a loss of $1,700.36.

Plaintiff alleges that it furnished a portion of the crushed stone contracted for by the defendant, plaintiff in reconventioh, Benoit Construction Company, and tendered several additional cars of the Winnfield crushed stone at the point of delivery and that the same were rejected. Plaintiff also claims that it stood ready at all times, to comply with its contract.

In passing upon the differences between the plaintiff and defendant, the first thing to be considered is the real contract between plaintiff and defendant. This contract consists of a letter or confirmation which reads as follows:

“Shreveport, La., October 28, 1919.
Benoit Const. Co.
City.
Gentlemen:
We are pleased to confirm sale to you of 1400 barrels of cement at $3.30 per barrel including sacks that may be returned in good condition for credit to point of shipment at 15c each. 750 cu. yds. of 2400 lbs. of crushed "stone at $3.15 per cu. yd. 250 barrels of bulk lime at $1.80 per barrel.
These prices are f. o. b. cars Independent Ice Co. plant. Also 1,000 cu. yds. river sand at $1.75 per cu. yd. delivered’ by teams and truck to job. We have placed your order for cement, rock and lime and are advising them that you will be ready within two weeks. Kindly give us shiping instructions as far in advance of your needs as possible so as to avoid the delay.
The above quotations are based on freight rates in effect at this time ahd these prices would be changed if the rate would be lowered or raised.
[710]*710We certainly appreciate your placing your order with us and will do our best to render good service.
Very truly yours,
Builders Supply Co. Inc.
J. J. Hamiter.”
JJH/HH

It will be seen from the above letter that the real contract was to furnish crushed stone. But Mr. J. J. Hamiter of the Builders Supply Company and Mr. A. Benoit of the Benoit Construction Company both testify that the stone referred to in the above contract was to be Winnfield crushed signer

J. J. Hamiter, page 33:

“Q.. What did you sell on that occasion, Mr. Hamiter?
“A. Winnfield rock.
“Q. Did you know anything about the terms of his contract?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. Did he know he was contracting for the purchase of Winnfield stone?
“A. Yes, sir, he understood it, I am sure, that it was Winnfield rock.”

Mr. A. Benoit, page 19:

“Q. How long have you been dealing with Winnfield stone?
“A. About ten years.
“Q. You have dealt with it and know Winnfield stone for that length of time?
“A. Yes, sir, I think I used it in 1912, I think nine years it is, nine years.
“Q. When you bought this stone from the Builders Supply Company through Mr. Hamiter you knew you were getting Winnfield stone? did you not?
“A. Yes, sir, I understood that. That is the only quarry in this neighborhood, in this section of the country.
“Q. You contracted for Winnfield stone?
“A. Yes, sir, I understood it was. Of course, I don’t know but what he might have found a new quarry but there is no doubt but what we knew it was coming from there, that is the only quarry in this section of the country to get from.”

Page 19:

“Q. As a matter of fact Mr. Hamiter juát contracted to sell you so much of a certain size Winnfield stone of an amount sufficient to go into that building out there?
“A. He did.
“Q. Prom this evidence and the letter from the Builders Supply Company to Benoit Construction Company the conclusion is irresistible that the stone contracted to be furnished was to be Winnfield crushed stone.
“ ‘Did ye never read in the scriptures.
The stone which the builders rejected.
The same was made the head of the corner?’ ”

Let us, then, inquire as to the stone tendered by the plaintiff, Builders Supply Company, and rejected by defendant, plaintiff in reconvention, Benoit f Construction Company.

As to the quality of this stone, it is to be remembered that is was sold to Benoit Construction Company by the Builders Supply Company at $3.15 per cubic yard f. o. b. Shreveport, and sold in the . open market at $4.60 per cubic yard for account of the Benoit Construction Company.

As to the fitness of this stone, it is testified by Mr. Rube McKellar, page 27.

“Q. Did you purchase some Winnfield stone that had been delivered at the Independent Ice & Cold Storage plant for the Benoit Construction Company during 1919, the latter part of 1919?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. That was the stone that had been rejected there by the engineer in charge of that work?
“A.' I think so, yes, sir, said it had been rejected.
“Q. Was that stone in good condition?
“A. If it was not I would not have used it, I thought it was.
“Q. Was it as good as the ordinary run of that Winnfield stone?
“A. Yes, sir, except a little colored.
“Q. What do you think that color was caused by?
“A. Well, they took it off the cars — taking it off the cars, cars were very scarce and I suppose the Winnfield people were scarce of cars and threw the stuff on the ground and it got stained, it was colored that way.
[711]*711“Q.

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1 La. App. 708, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/builders-supply-co-v-independent-ice-cold-storage-co-lactapp-1925.