Busch v. Wilcox

64 N.W. 485, 106 Mich. 514, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1036
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 1, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 64 N.W. 485 (Busch v. Wilcox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Busch v. Wilcox, 64 N.W. 485, 106 Mich. 514, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1036 (Mich. 1895).

Opinion

Montgomery, J.

Action on the supersedeas bond given on the appeal of the case of Busch v. Wilcox, which is reported in 82 Mich. 315. That action was based upon an alleged fraudulent representation concerning the subject-matter of a logging contract, and in the action plaintiff recovered a verdict of $5,000, which was, on appeal to this court, affirmed. The defendants in this action on the bond undertook to set off, against the claim of the plaintiff, a demand due defendant Wilcox arising out of the same contract, and consisting of a claim for overpayment made by Wilcox to Busch, while he (Busch) was engaged in the performance of the contract. The plaintiff contends that this claim of set-off is barred by the previous judgment in the fraud case, and, further, that, if it should be held that that judgment does not preclude the defendant, his claim was barred by the statute of limitations before this suit was brought.

1. It appears that on the trial of the fraud case the court instructed the jury as follows:

“Some evidence has been introduced that Mr. Wilcox paid Mr. Busch more than the contract price of the logs put in, and it is conceded by counsel for both parties that, since the present action was commenced, Mr. Wilcox has sued Mr. Busch to recover back such’ overpayments, if made. Another jury in the other case will pass upon that, and allow Mr. Wilcox with interest, — that is, if he is entitled thereto; and you, therefore, should not attempt to deduct the amount of such overpayments from the damages you find, if you find Mr. Busch is entitled to any.”

[517]*517Mr. Justice Champlix, speaking for the court, on the appeal of the fraud case, after referring to this instruction, said that “his (Wilcox’s) remedy was therefore left intact for any overpayment or breach of contract on Busch’s part.”

This must be treated as the rule established for this case. The plaintiff having had the benefit of that rule, it would be grossly inequitable for him to be permitted to now assert that his damages, which he recovered under that ruling, were excessive, and should have been reduced by, the amount of defendant’s claim, and- that, as they were not, the claim is barred. See Michels v. Olmstead, 157 U. S. 198; Philadelphia, etc., R. Co. v. Howard, 13 How. 307; Davis v. Wakelee, 156 U. S. 680; Busch v. Jones, 94 Mich. 223.

2. 2 How. Stat. § 8731, reads:

‘iA.ll the provisions of this chapter [relative to limitations of personal actions] shall apply to the case of any debt or contract alleged by way of set-off on the part of a defendant, and the time of the limitation of such debt shall be computed in like manner as if an action had been commenced therefor at the time when the plaintiff’s action was commenced, provided such debt or contract would have been barred according to law before the accruing of the claim or demand upon which such defendant is sued.”

Under the terms of this statute, the claim of defendant is barred if the period of limitation had run against it before the accruing of the cause of action upon which the plaintiff brings suit, and not otherwise. The only two questions material to be considered, therefore, in determining whether the statute bars the claim, are when the plaintiff’s cause of action accrued, and when the defendant’s cause of action matured.

By the terms of the logging contract between Busch and Wilcox, the logs were to be scaled on the skids, but there was testimony tending to show that, after the work was entered upon, that agreement was modified, and it was agreed that the amount of the lumber cut was to be [518]*518determined by the saw bills. At this time it was not determined whether the lumber was to be sawed at Cheboygan or Prentiss Bay. Subsequently an arrangement was made between Packard Bros., of Cheboygan, and Noyes & Sawyer, who had become interested in the timber, that the sawing should be done at Cheboygan. The contract between these parties, Noyes & Sawyer and Packard Bros., provided that the sawing should be paid for at the rate of $2.75 per 1,000; that the estimate should be made on the first of each month, and $2 per 1,000 paid upon this estimate; that the remaining 75 cents should be paid from time to time, as fast as the lumber was shipped; and, in case Noyes & Sawyer decided to leave lumber on the dock during the winter, the 75 cents per 1,000 feet should be paid when the job of sawing was completed, and the lumber should be shipped in the spring. It was also provided that the amount should be measured by some competent person, to be agreed upon between the parties, at their mutual expense, and that the measurement' should be conclusive between the parties, as to the amount, in settling for such sawing. It appears from the testimony that the last of the sawing was done about the 23d of September, 1884; that no measurement of the lumber left upon the dock was made, but that on the 1st of November an inspection of the amount was made and a bill furnished by Packard Bros, to Noyes & Sawyer, containing a charge for 930,000 feet on dock ready for shipment, accompanying which was a letter, in which the following occurs: “The 930 M., as estimated, is rather under than over the amount on hand.” There was testimony tending to show that when the shipments were subsequently made, in the summer of 1885, it was found that the amount left on the dock did exceed 930,000 feet by a few thousand feet, and that Noyes & Sawyer paid Packard Bros, for the excess.

On the former hearing of this case, reported in 94 Mich. 223, under the title of Busch v. Jones, we held that under the agreement between the parties, that Wilcox [519]*519should advance money upon the contract, and that the quantity of logs cut should be determined by the mill scale, the right of action for any excess of these advances would not accrue until the amount of lumber cut had been ascertained according to the method agreed upon. The plaintiff now contends that as the agreement between Noyes & Sawyer and Packard Bros, provided for a scale to be made at the close of the sawing season, and that as an estimate, which the parties acted upon, was made November 1, 1884, this must be deemed as fixing the saw bill contemplated, and that either date is more than six years before the plaintiff’s cause of action accrued. On the other hand, the defendants contend that the agreement with plaintiff contemplated that the actual scale should govern, and that this scale was not actually made until the summer of 1885, when the lumber was shipped out, and that the 1st of November estimate was not intended to be final; but it is further contended that, if it had been, this was within six years of the date when plaintiff’s right of action accrued.

The circuit judge charged the jury as follows:

“If the jury believe that Busch should be allowed the same as a sawmill owner, even then there was no settlement until November,1890 [1884?]; but if you believe he agreed with Hall to take the measure, and that the measure should be when it was shipped, that would be the final measure, then that would be the date of settlement."

In another portion of the charge the circuit judge said:

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Related

J. W. Wells Lumber Co. v. Menominee River Boom Co.
168 N.W. 1011 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1918)
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135 F. 197 (D. Colorado, 1905)
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72 N.W. 597 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1897)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
64 N.W. 485, 106 Mich. 514, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1036, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/busch-v-wilcox-mich-1895.