Cullen-Friestedt Co. v. Turley

97 N.E. 946, 50 Ind. App. 468, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 57
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 12, 1912
DocketNo. 7,441
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 97 N.E. 946 (Cullen-Friestedt Co. v. Turley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cullen-Friestedt Co. v. Turley, 97 N.E. 946, 50 Ind. App. 468, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 57 (Ind. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Ibach, P. J.

— Appellee brought this action against appellant on a complaint in two paragraphs, the first on a written contract for the sale and delivery of certain stone, the second on a common count for stone delivered to and accepted by appellant, a bill of particulars of which was [470]*470filed with the complaint. Appellant filed a set-off, claiming damages amounting to $11,857.68 for appellee’s failure to perform the contract for the sale of stone.

The principal and controlling question is whether the evidence is sufficient to support the conclusion of law that appellee was entitled to recover the amount stated in a special finding of facts by the court.

The finding of facts shows that the parties entered into a written contract in the following words:

“I agree to furnish Cullen-Friestedt Company all the crushed stone necessary for the work of concreting the tunnel located between stations 1,028 and 1,051, and known as the Burton tunnel, on the Southern Railway Company’s line between French Lick and Jasper, Indiana, said crushed stone to be to the satisfaction and acceptance of the engineers of said Southern Railway Company, and to be furnished in quantities as required by Cullen-Friestedt Company up to one hundred fifty cubic yards per day, at the following prices: Eighty-five cents per cubic yard of crushed stone, measured f. o. b. cars at quarry located east of Glass Rock, Indiana.
Payments to be made monthly by the Cullen-Friestedt Company, on the 20th of each month, for the stone furnished and accepted by the Southern Railway Company and used during the preceding month.
Oliver P. Turley,
Accepted Cullen-Friestedt Co.,
By F. J. Cullen.
Dated at French Lick, Indiana, this 27th day of May, 1907.”

The following facts are also found by the court: At the time the written contract was executed, plaintiff was the owner of an option for the purchase of a stone-quarry, not yet opened up, in which machinery for crushing had not been installed, nor a switch laid leading to a line of railway, which the defendant knew. The contract was made by the parties with these facts in view, defendant knowing that plaintiff intended to equip the quarry for the express purpose of carrying out the above contract. Plaintiff fitted up [471]*471his quarry, and 021 June 11, 1907, began shipping stone to defendant under said contract, and continued to ship stone to the arnount of about sixty cubic yards a day until August 17, 1907, and on August 18, 1907, defendant ordered plaintiff, by telegram, not to ship any more stone until further orders. No further orders were given, and thereafter plaintiff shipped no more stone to defendant. He shipped between June 11 and August 18 in all 3,443.88 cubic yards to de. endant, all of which was received and accepted by defendant under said contract, and was used by defendant in constructing the tunnel. The contract price for such stone was $2,927.86, and such was its value. Soon after plaintiff began shipping stone, it became apparent to the parties that he would not be able to ship the stone as fast as defendant demanded, since proximity to the railroad track caused difficulty in working the quarry, and the parties agreed that plaintiff should do the best he could, and defendant might, in the meantime, go into the open market and purchase other stone until the situation of the quarry was such that plaintiff could 2neet defendant’s requirements. Between the date of the first shipment and the sending of the telegram on August 18, defendant bought in the open market stone for which it paid in excess of the contract price $541.68. At the time the telegram was sent, to ship no more stone until further orders, defendant had its bins at the tunnel full of crushed stone, and had eighteen carloads on its side-track, which plaintiff had shipped and defendant had received, and plaintiff was then furnishing and was able to furnish 150 yards per day. On June 25, 1907, plaintiff rendered defendant an itemized statement for stone shipped under said contract to date, and defendant paid this bill on August 2, 1907, as corrected for a slight mistake in amount, wdthout making any claim against plaintiff for breach of contract. On July 25, 1907, plaintiff rendered an itemized statement of stone shipped from June 25, and on August 26 a state2ne2it for stone shipped after July 25, but defendant [472]*472failed to pay these bills, and on September 9, 1907, plaintiff notified defendant that he could not make any further shipments of stone until such payment was made. There is due plaintiff $16.10 for hauling concrete machinery, at request of defendant, which labor was worth that sum. After allowing defendant credit for said sum paid by it on account of stone purchased in the open market in excess of the contract price, and for payment of the first bill, there is due plaintiff for stone furnished under such contract and not paid for, the sum of $1,788.20, with interest from August 25, 1907, and $16.10 for hauling machinery, plaintiff being entitled to recover in all the sum of $1,857.94.

Every statement in the finding of fact is supported by some evidence.

It is practically conceded by appellee that the proof did not substantiate the allegations of the first paragraph of complaint, and that if the judgment is upheld, it must be on the second paragraph, or common count.

1. 2. [473]*4733. [472]*472Where one enters into a special contract to furnish materials to another, and furnishes the same, though not in the time or manner stipulated in the contract, and the other party accepts and uses it, the latter is liable to the amount of his benefit thereby, upon an implied promise to pay for value received. Ricks v. Yates (1854), 5 Ind. 115; Wheatly v. Miscal (1854), 5 Ind. 142; Persons v. McKibben (1854), 5 Ind. 261, 61 Am. Dec. 85; Wolcott v. Yeager (1858), 11 Ind. 84; Adams v. Cosby (1874), 48 Ind. 153; Everroad v. Schwartzkopf (1890), 123 Ind. 35, 23 N. E. 969; Cleveland, etc., R. Co. v. Scott (1907), 39 Ind. App. 420, 79 N. E. 226. That is, the one furnishing the materials can recover for the value of his materials less the damages occasioned by his failure to complete his contract. But if he is prevented from completing the contract by the other party, he may recover for the materials furnished on the quantum meruit, not to exceed the contract price. French v. Cunningham (1898), 149 Ind. 632, 49 N. [473]*473E. 797. Appellant’s counterclaim was in the nature of a complaint against appellee for damages for breaking the contract, and in order to be able to recover on this counterclaim, it must show that there had been no breach of the contract on its part. Branham v. Johnson (1878), 62 Ind. 259; Skehan v. Rummel (1890), 124 Ind. 347, 24 N. E. 1089; Ohio Valley Buggy Co. v. Anderson Forging Co. (1907), 168 Ind. 593, 81 N. E. 574, 11 Ann. Cas. 1045.

4. [474]*4745. 6. [475]*4757. [473]

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

Related

Champion Home Builders Co. v. Potts
538 N.E.2d 280 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1989)
Colberg v. Sebastian
46 N.E.2d 716 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1943)
Burroughs v. Southern Colonization Co.
173 N.E. 716 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1928)
Bunn v. Crawford
133 N.E. 520 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1922)
Kokomo Steel & Wire Co. v. Macomber & Whyte Rope Co.
128 N.E. 362 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1920)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 N.E. 946, 50 Ind. App. 468, 1912 Ind. App. LEXIS 57, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cullen-friestedt-co-v-turley-indctapp-1912.