Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Co v. Anderson Tool Co.

103 N.E. 102, 180 Ind. 453, 1913 Ind. LEXIS 134
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 20, 1913
DocketNo. 22,121
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 103 N.E. 102 (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Co v. Anderson Tool Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Co v. Anderson Tool Co., 103 N.E. 102, 180 Ind. 453, 1913 Ind. LEXIS 134 (Ind. 1913).

Opinion

Myers, J.

Action by appellee against appellant to replevy nine gas engines, some engine parts, and pump jacks. ’ The complaint was in one paragraph, against appellant and the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company. The latter filed a plea in abatement, under which it went out of court. Appellant unsuccessfully demurred to the complaint, and answered in general denial, and by a special answer; to the latter a demurrer was sustained, and the cause went to trial on the complaint and general denial. The only error assigned and not waived is in overruling the motion for a new trial. The verified complaint alleges ownership of the prop[455]*455erty by appellee, describing- it, of the value of $500, its unlawful detention by appellant, followed by an offer to pay $47.94, the amount of freight earned for its carriage, and to abide the order of the court. Demand for judgment for possession and $100 damages. The judgment was that appellee is entitled to possession of the property on payment of $47.94 into court for the use of appellant. Appellant recovered its costs. The Acme Harvester Company was not a party, and there is no evidence that it was notified, or had notice of the action.

On March 3, 1904, the Acme Harvester Company, at Kansas City, Missouri, delivered to the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company the property which was the subject of this action, consigned to appellee, at Anderson, Indiana. The shipment was received in the usual course of business of the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company as a common carrier of goods for hire. At the time the shipment was received at Kansas City the consignor placed a C. O. D. charge in a lump sum against the goods, to be collected before the goods were delivered to the consignee. The Chicago and Alton Railroad Company paid the charge of $71.79 to the Acme Harvester Company, carried the goods to East St. Louis, and there turned them over to appellant. Appellant paid the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company' the charge of $71.79, together with the latter’s freight charges to that point, in all $100.83, and $2.42 for drayage from the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company’s depot to the appellant’s depot. Appellant carried the goods to Anderson, Indiana, and, on April 5, 1904, there offered to deliver the goods to the appellee upon payment of the freight charge for the through carriage, and the charge of $71.79 put by the consignor of the goods against them. The whole transaction was in the usual course of the carrier’s business, and the goods, when received, were believed to be the property of the Acme Harvester Company. It was the custom of carriers to accept for shipment goods to which were attached C. O. D. [456]*456charges. The consignee refused to accept the goods upon the terms on which appellant offered to deliver them, and tendered the amount of the freight charges only, refusing to pay the C. O. D. charge of $71.79. Appellant refused to make delivery upon any other condition than the payment by the consignee of the freight charges, $47.92, and the O. O. D..charges of $71.79. Thereupon appellee brought this action in replevin against appellant. The tender money was not paid into court, and the tender was in no way kept good, but was paid into court three days after the judgment was rendered.

It appears that on January 23, 1903, appellee made a contract in writing with the Acme Harvester Company, of Peoria, Illinois, having a branch at Kansas City, Missouri, for sale on commission by the latter of gas engines and parts, of appellee's manufacture. Thereafter appellee shipped to the Acme Harvester Company, at Kansas City, the property which is the subject of this action, which remained the property of appellee. A controversy arose subsequently between •appellee and the Acme Harvester Company, and appellee ordered the Acme Harvester Company to return the property to appellee at Anderson. Of these facts, however, the carrier knew nothing, but assumed and believed that the goods were the property of the Acme Harvester Company, receiving and handling the shipment in the usual course of business. The Acme Harvester Company now claims that the charge of $71.79 consisted of freight, carting and dray-age paid by it on shipments from appellee to it, and for commissions earned. Appellee claims that the Acme Harvester Company is, instead, indebted to it, but of these facts appellant and the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company knew nothing. The engines had plates on them, bearing the name of appellee and its address, together with the trade name, “The Anderson.” Whether this was discernible as the goods were shipped, or offered for shipment, or whether it was noted by the carriers, does not appear. There is [457]*457testimony by appellee’s general manager that before this consignment he told the agent of appellant at Anderson not to advance any charges on any items manufactured by appellee, and being returned to it, without first receiving appellee’s permission to advance such charges, and that appellant’s agent said that he would notify their connecting lines not to accept shipments with advance charges for appellee without first receiving its consent and guaranty to pay such charges. There is evidence by appellant’s agent as to his having received such instructions, but he thinks it was a year or two later than this transaction. There is, however, no other evidence to show that either carrier knew that the goods carried were a return shipment, or that they were of the appellee’s manufacture. Appellee itself gave no notice to the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company respecting such charges. No express authority was ever given appellant to advance any charges on shipments on appellee’s account.

It is the contention of appellant that a common carrier is so far bound by its contract of carriage in receiving property against which collection charges are lodged, in the usual course of business, that delivery can only be made upon the conditions imposed, which become the contract of carriage, and that it is immaterial whether the shipper is entitled to the charges lodged against the property or not, and that he cannot safely deliver without the charges being paid, and that it is not" a question of a lien of the carrier, but of right of possession in the consignee, where the charges are apparently just, and there is no notice to the carrier that the charges are wrongful, if they are in fact so, and that where the owner clothes another with apparent authority to deal with property as his own, and the carrier receives it in good faith,- in the usual course of business, the consignee has no right to delivery, without payment of the charges, because of the duty owing to the consignor by the carrier. On the other hand, appellee claims that appellant is only entitled to a lien for the charges for the carriage, and such as [458]*458may be incident to the transportation in order to continue the transit, and that the last carrier advances any charges to the preceding carrier at its own risk, and that if the property is held for any other charge, replevin will lie, and that it is only liens created by agreement with the owner (equitable or otherwise) which can be transferred, and that liens conferred by common law, or statute, depending on continued possession, as for services rendered to the property, cannot be transferred, so as to confer the right to a lien upon the consignee for the claim.

1.

It will not be necessary to determine these various contentions, except as they may be involved in the following propositions, which may be regarded as settled in this jurisdiction.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 N.E. 102, 180 Ind. 453, 1913 Ind. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cleveland-cincinnati-chicago-st-louis-railway-co-v-anderson-tool-co-ind-1913.