Case v. Simmons

4 Silv. Sup. 180
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 19, 1889
StatusPublished

This text of 4 Silv. Sup. 180 (Case v. Simmons) 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
Case v. Simmons, 4 Silv. Sup. 180 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1889).

Opinion

Dwight, J.

The action was by vendor against vendee in an executory contract for the sale of twenty-five bales of hops at seventeen cents a pound. The vendee accepted nine and refused sixteen bales, on the ground that the latter were slack dried and unmerchantablé. The vendor afterwards resold the sixteen bales at eight cents a pound to one Smith, and claimed to recover the difference between the latter and. the contract price from the defendants.

The two questions submitted to the jury were, 1st, whether the hops refused were merchantable or not; 2d, whether the plaintiff gave the defendants the requisite notice of his intention to resell.

. There was a good deal of evidence which opposed the plaintiff’s contention in respect to the condition of the hops [181]*181at the time of the tender of delivery; but it was evidence which was properly submitted to the jury, and the verdict, in that respect, must stand, even though the court might have come to a different conclusion.

Upon the other question the way is not clear for sustaining the verdict. ' In the first place, we think the evidence ■did not warrant the jury in finding that the plaintiff gave •any notice to the defendants or their agent of his.intention to resell for their account before the resale was actually made. It is not necessary to recapitulate the evidence. It is enough to say that the plaintiff had testified at length in his own behalf; had been cross-examined, re-examined, recross-examined, and again re-examined; had had Iris attention nailed repeatedly to the subject of communications with, and notice to the defendants and to their agent, and not only did not testify that he had given any such notice, but had substantially negatived the proposition that any such notice had been given. After the plaintiff’s case had been rested, and a motion for a nonsuit had been made on the ground of the want of evidence of such notice, and a recess of the court had been taken, pending the decision of that motion, he attempted to supply the defect in proof, but, we think, not with complete success. He then testified that he did give Hamlin, the defendant’s agent, notice of his intention to resell the hops, but his evidence leaves it quite uncertain when such notice was given, with a clear balance of probabilities in favor of the theory that it was not before he had made the conditional resale to Smith. That sale was conditional only to the extent that if it should turn out that the defendants would take the hops at fifteen cents, Smith should give up his bargain, and his money should be refunded to him. The price was fixed, and the money was paid, and it only remained to deliver the hops, unless the defendants should consent to take them at fifteen cents. It was a complete sale so far as to defeat all the purposes of a notice to the first vendee.

[182]*182The effect of such notice is to create the relation of principal and agent between the first vendee and the vendor, and to bind the former by the act of the latter in making a resale of the property; and one purpose of the notice is to enable the first vendee to give directions to his newly-constituted agent in respect to the time and place and price at which the property shall be resold. The purpose was, of course,, defeated when the terms of the resale were fixed before the notice was given.

But there are other objections to the plaintiff’s case in the respect now under consideration. The relation of principal and agent thus constituted between the first vendee and his. vendor, though thrust upon the former without his choice, calls for the exercise of the same good faith and reasonable-diligence on the part of the agent towards the principal as-if the relation were constituted by the appointment of the-latter. The agent must give the requisite notice promptly, especially if the market is a falling one ; he must not delay an election of the remedy he will adopt, in order to secure to himself the benefit of a rising, while imposing upon the first vendee the risk of a falling market.

In this case, the hops were rejected by the vendee on the-7th of November. The resale was negotiated D ecember 26th, and if notice was given at all before such resale, it was-only very shortly before, and after not less than seven weeks: from the time of the refusal of the hops by the defendants. Moreover, there is no evidence of any diligence on the part, of the plaintiff to sell the hops for the best price. He testifies that he did not try to sell them to anybody, except Smith; they were sold at private and not at public sale, and there is no evidence that the price obtained was a fair price as the market then stood.

The resale, as exhibited by the record, was not, we think, made under such circumstances as to fix a legal measure of the damages to be recovered by the plaintiff.

For the reasons indicated, the judgment and order appealed from should .be reversed and a new trial granted.

[?]*?Judgment and order reversed and new trial granted, with costs to the appellants to abide the event.

Barker, P. J., and Macomber, J., concur.

Note on “ Liability of Vendee in Case of an Executoby Contbact of Sale.”

The intention manifested by the language and attending circumstances determines whether the transaction is an executed or executory agreement. Byan v. Hampton, 57 Hun, 585.

The transfer, under the circumstances, was held to he absolute and not conditional. Id.

The vendee, on an executory sale, must examine and return the property at once, or give the vendor notice to take hack the goods, if found not to correspond with the sample. Mason v. Smith, 55 Hun, 607.

His retaining a part extinguishes the right of further return. Id.

After substituting other goods, the vendee has no remedy on the original contract. Id.

In case of an executory contract for sale of personal property, the vendee has a reasonable time to examine the same, and, if not according to representations, to rescind the contract. Hart v. Haight, 57 Hun, 591.

The acceptance of property, manufactured under an executory contract of sale after inspection, estops a claim for damages for any visible defect. Studer v. Bleistein, 115 N. Y. 316.

What constitutes sufficient acceptance in such case, stated. Id.

A deliberate, intelligent and intentional acceptance of personal property, manufactured under an executory contract of sale, after inspection, precludes the vendee from claiming damages for any visible or discoverable defect in the property sold. Smith v. Servis, 58 Hun, 601.

A sale of goods to he in merchantable order and approved by the buyer in three days after delivery, is binding, if the goods are not rejected within, such time. Gentilli v. Starace, 39 N. Y. St. Rep. 343.

The degree of diligence required of vendor on resale, on vendee’s refusal to accept goods under executory sale, defined. Case v. Simmons, 54 Hun, 635.

The time and mode of shipment, under an executory contract for an indefinite sale of merchandise, are of the substance of agreement. Bidwell v. Overton, 35 N. Y. St. Rep. 574.

Under an executory sale without warranty, the vendee’s remedy does not survive an acceptance after an opportunity to inspect, unless he gives notice, or offers to return the property, to vendor. Shaw v. Lighthouse, 54 Hun, 634.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re Niagara Falls & Whirlpool Railway Co.
15 N.E. 429 (New York Court of Appeals, 1888)
Nelson v. . Mayor, Etc., of New York
29 N.E. 814 (New York Court of Appeals, 1892)
Ostrander v. . Hart
29 N.E. 744 (New York Court of Appeals, 1892)
Reed v. . Randall
29 N.Y. 358 (New York Court of Appeals, 1864)
Studer v. . Bleistein
22 N.E. 243 (New York Court of Appeals, 1889)
Coplay Iron Co. (Ltd.) v. Pope
15 N.E. 335 (New York Court of Appeals, 1888)
Kent v. . Friedman
3 N.E. 905 (New York Court of Appeals, 1885)
Pierson v. . Crooks
22 N.E. 349 (New York Court of Appeals, 1889)
Brown v. Norton
2 N.Y.S. 869 (New York Supreme Court, 1888)
Case v. Simonds
7 N.Y.S. 253 (New York Supreme Court, 1889)
Mason v. Smith
8 N.Y.S. 301 (New York Supreme Court, 1889)
Duford v. Patrick
15 N.Y.S. 285 (New York Supreme Court, 1891)
Sprague v. Blake
20 Wend. 61 (New York Supreme Court, 1838)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 Silv. Sup. 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/case-v-simmons-nysupct-1889.