Curtis v. Jones

1 How. App. Cas. 137
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 15, 1847
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1 How. App. Cas. 137 (Curtis v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Curtis v. Jones, 1 How. App. Cas. 137 (N.Y. 1847).

Opinion

Jewett, Ch. J.

By the avowry, the defendant justified the detention of the doors in question, on the ground that he had an existing right of lien upon them for the price or value of his wrork and labor bestowed as a carpenter and joiner in their manufacture at the plaintiff’s request.

The rule is well established, that every bailee for hire, who, by his labor and skill, has imparted an additional value to the [145]*145goods, has a lien upon the property for his reasonable charges, whether there be an agreement to pay a stipulated price, or only an implied contract to pay a reasonable price, unless there be a future time or mode of payment fixed; in such case the special agreement would be inconsistent with the right of lien, and would destroy it, (Grinnell v. Cook, 3 Hill, 485; Blake v. Nicholson, 3 Maule and Selwyn, 168 ; Chace v. Westmore, 5 id. 180 ; Cramsbay v. Hornpay, 4 Barn. and Alld. 50; Burdick v. Murray, 3 Vermont R. 302; 2 Kent’s Com. 5 ed. 634.)

To avoid the-bar interposed by the avowry, the plaintiff, by his plea, attempted to show that the defendant, at the time of the detention, had no lien upon the doors, on the ground that they had been manufactured under a special agreement calling for their completion and delivery prior to the time limited for the payment of a certain part of the price for manufacturing them, and that the remaining part of such price had been paid at the time of such detention. The avowry goes upon the ground, that the doors were manufactured upon an implied contract to pay a reasonable price for the work and labor expended. The plea, upon the ground that they were made under a special agreement, specifying the time when the doors were to be made and delivered, the price for making, and the times ' when the same was to be paid, and that some part thereof was not payable until a day subsequent to the completion and delivery of .the doors, and that only, that part of such price remained unpaid at the time of the detention.

This plea is objected to as insufficient, on the ground, among others, that it does not set out the terms of the contract, in words or according to its legal effect under which it is claimed the doors were manufactured.

It is a general principle, that whatever is alleged in pleading, must be alleged with reasonable certainty; and that he who pleads a contract must set it out, if he be a party to it. The particulars of the agreement should have been stated, so that the court could determine whether the right of lien existed at the time of the detention, and in order to apprize the defendant of what was meant to be proved in order to give him an opportunity to answer or traverse it. (1 Chit. Pl. 216.) I [146]*146agree with the court below, that this plea is too general, vague, and uncertain—and is therefore bad.

The judgment of the common pleas was properly reversed, on the ground that the plea to the avowry was bad; and judgment was correctly given for the defendant upon the whole record, notwithstanding the jury had found the- issues upon the first, second, and third pleas of the defendant in favor of the plaintiff. The rule is well settled, that where there is one good count in a declaration, if sustained by evidence, it entitles the plaintiff to recover upon the whole record, though there may be several others which are bad or found against him, if the judgment is confined to such good count. So if one of several pleas of a defendant which goes to the whole cause of action is sustained, it constitutes a bar to the recovery of the plaintiff. (Jack v. Martin, 12 Wend. 311; S. C. in error, 14 Wend. 507; Cook v. Sayre, 2 Burr. Rep. 755; Law v. King, 1 Saund Rep. 76, N. l,p. 80.)

The case of Cook v. Sayre was an action for trespass and assault for criminal conversation with the plaintiff’s wife ; the defendant pleaded 1, not guilty, and 2, not guilty within six years, and there was an issue on the first plea and a demurrer to the other. The issue on the plea of not guilty was tried first, and found for the plaintiff, with fifty pounds damages. Afterward, the demurrer was: argued and overruled, and determined for the defendant; although the issue on the plea of not guilty, was found for the plaintiff. It was held, he could not have damages upon it, because, upon the whole, judgment must be against him.

Now in the case at bar, although the issue upon the demurrer was disposed of by the court in favor of the plaintiff, before the issues of fact were tried, yet, the supreme court having determined the demurrer in favor of the defendant, it appeared that the plaintiff upon the whole had no cause of action, and judgment was given against him, upon the whole record. That entitled the defendant, to a return of the property, or if he elected so to have it, the value instead of a return, and to costs, except the costs arising from the trial of the issues of fact, to which neither party is entitled. (2 R. S. 617, § 27.)

[147]*147But the judgment of the supreme court, as perfected, as appears by the record, is in- part erroneous. The defendant "vvás not entitled to recover the value of the property assessed by the jury on the trial of the issues. That was assessed under the'provisions of 2 R. S. 530, § 48. So much of the judgment, therefore, as adjudges that the defendant recover against the plaintiff $275, the value of the said goods and chattels by the jurors aforesaid found, must be reversed, and the residue of said judgment must be affirmed ; and a further judgment must be rendered that the defendant have a return of the goods and chattels replevied, unless he shall elect to waive such return, and that he recover the damages sustained by him, by reason of the detention of such goods and chattels; and in case said defendant shall elect to take judgment for the value of the said goods and chattels instead of a return thereof, such value be assessed by a writ of inquiry to be issued out of the supreme court. (2 R. S. 531,' §§ 53, 54, 55.)

The judgment of the supreme court being reversed in part and affirmed in part, this court has a discretion in awarding costs. (2 R. S. 618, § 31.) And I think, to deny costs to either party as against the other in this case, would be a proper exercise of such discretion.

Bronson, J.

The plea in bar to the avowry is bad, for the reasons assigned by the supreme court. It is also bad on another ground. The avowry allegesf that at the time when, &c., the plaintiff was largely indebted to the defendant for his work and labor upon the doors. The plaintiff pleads matters which are inconsistent with this material allegation, without traversing it; which is not good pleading. (Prosser v. Woodward, 21 Wend. 205 ; Rogers v. Arnold, 12 id. 35.) In the way plaintiff has pleaded, the parties might never arrive at an issue containing a direct affirmative and negative allegation.

As the plea in bar to the avowry was bad, and the avowry contained a good- answer to the action, it was a matter of no consequence what became of the other issues. When one good bar is found or adjudged in favor of the defendant, he is entitled to judgment on the whole record, although other issues may be found or adjudged against him. (Jack v.

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Bluebook (online)
1 How. App. Cas. 137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/curtis-v-jones-ny-1847.