Emil Grossman Manufacturing Co. v. New York Central Railroad

181 A.D. 764, 169 N.Y.S. 213, 1918 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4410
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedFebruary 21, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 181 A.D. 764 (Emil Grossman Manufacturing Co. v. New York Central Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Emil Grossman Manufacturing Co. v. New York Central Railroad, 181 A.D. 764, 169 N.Y.S. 213, 1918 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4410 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1918).

Opinion

Dowling, J.:

This action was originally brought against the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company (predecessor of the defendant the New York Central Railroad Company) and the Michigan Central Railroad Company, hereinafter respectively called the New York Central and the Michigan Central. The complaint set forth three causes of action against both defendants. It was alleged therein that on or about August 25, 1913, the plaintiff entered into an agreement with the defendant New York Central whereby the latter agreed to ship certain machinery belonging to the [766]*766plaintiff from its factory in Detroit, Mich., to its factory in the Bush Terminal Building, borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, which shipment was to be made over the lines operated and controlled by the defendants herein; that the New York Central through its duly authorized agent undertook, promised and agreed with plaintiff to deliver said machinery safely to plaintiff at its place of business aforesaid in the city of New York upon the fourth morning following the receipt thereof by the defendants at the city of Detroit; that the defendants were informed that the machinery so to be shipped was especially adapted for certain work relating to the manufacture of autombile accessories and was to be used by plaintiff in its business in New York and that its factory therein could not be operated without the use of the said machinery; that said machinery was delivered on or about September 6, 1913, in perfect condition, by plaintiff to defendant Michigan Central which issued receipts therefor, whereby it agreed to deliver the same to plaintiff at the Bush Terminal Building aforesaid, said shipment to be made over the New York Central lines. The first cause of action then avers that either or both of said defendants transported said machinery in a careless and negligent manner, allowing same to become damaged and broken, and as a result part of the shipment arrived at the Bush Terminal Building in a damaged condition, to plaintiff’s damage in the sum of. $63.71. The second cause of action avers (in addition to the main allegations) that the New York Central had stipulated and agreed with plaintiff to deliver said shipment not later than the fourth morning after the receipt thereof by defendants at the city of Buffalo [so in original complaint], and plaintiff, relying upon said representations, had made all arrangements to resume the work of its factory at that time, and as a result plaintiff was unable to operate its factory during eleven days time when the machinery was en route, and thereby suffered loss and damage for seven days over and above the agreed time of delivery, to its damage in the sum of $1,155. The third cause of action (after realleging the main facts set forth in the other two causes of action) contains the further averment that on or about September 17, 1913, the machinery in question was received by plaintiff at its factory in the [767]*767borough of Brooklyn, but damaged and totally unfit for use, by reason whereof plaintiff was required to employ mechanics to repair it, which repairs were not fully completed until September 27, 1913, during which time plaintiff was unable to use the machinery to its loss in the sum of $840.

The appellant acknowledged its liability in the sum of $63.71, being the claim set forth in the first cause of action, for the reason that the proof showed that the machinery arrived at Suspension Bridge in good condition, where it passed into its custody and the appellant was unable to show how or where it was damaged, if not upon its own lines between Buffalo and New York. Upon the second cause of action the jury found in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $156. On the third cause of action the jury found in favor of the defendant. Upon the trial the plaintiff consented to a dismissal as against the Michigan Central, conceding it had established no cause of action against it. The plaintiff now appeals from the finding of the jury on the third cause of action in favor of the defendant and also from the refusal to allow it larger damages upon the second cause of action than the sum of $156. The defendant appeals from the verdict of the jury against it on the second cause of action in the sum of $156.

The plaintiff endeavors to establish its claim of a special agreement by the New York Central to forward the goods in question from Detroit to New York and to have them arrive there not later than the fourth morning after they were delivered to it at Detroit, by the testimony of Emil Grossman, president of the plaintiff, who claims that at a meeting between him and Thomas Newman, soliciting freight agent, of the New York Central, held at the plaintiff’s office on either August twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth, Grossman told Newman that the plaintiff was about to remove its entire factory and abandon manufacturing in Detroit, and as the material to be moved would occupy at least four cars and as delay would involve great hardship and expense, the plaintiff desired to send its material by the railroad that would deliver it in the shortest time possible. Grossman said he tried to have Newman agree to get the freight to New York in two days, but while the latter admitted it could be done, he said he would not undertake to do it, and finally said it would be done in three days or [768]*768“ at least on the fourth morning." Grossman said that he then asked Newman to put the agreement in writing. This conversation is denied by Newman, who testified that no agreement whatever was made, but that Grossman was looking for information concerning the transportation of the freight in question and inquired about rates, when Newman said that the time for transportation would be approximately the fourth morning, but a great deal depended upon Gross-man’s getting in touch with the Michigan Central in Detroit and arranging for the prompt forwarding of the cars. Newman said that Grossman never agreed with him as to shipping the freight in question, but the only conclusion reached was that Newman should wire a representative of the Michigan Central in Detroit to meet Grossman and give him any suggestions that he might be able to furnish, and in fact such a representative did call upon Grossman, as Grossman admits, and as the result of that call the goods were shipped over the Michigan Central and a bill of lading issued therefor by the Michigan Central which the plaintiff accepted and as to which no question has ever been raised. Furthermore, the letter •sent after the interview between Grossman and Newman, which Grossman relies upon as corroborating his theory that an agreement was made between them, is in direct contradiction to such a theory. The letter is signed in the name of the general eastern freight agent of the New York Central, initialed by Newman, refers to the conversation between Grossman and Newman, and shows that instead of any agreement having been arrived at between plaintiff and the New York Central, through their respective representatives, no agreement was possible at that time as the rates could not be quoted until the classification of the goods to be shipped was known. Furthermore, that letter stated that the time in transit from Detroit to the Bush docks was approximately the fourth morning, but gave no indication that any agreement as to any absolute time for delivery had been fixed. The testimony shows that Grossman consulted with a representative of the Michigan Central in Detroit with reference to the shipment of these goods, made the agreement for plaintiff with the Michigan Central for their shipment from Detroit to the Bush Terminal Building in Brooklyn, delivered [769]

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Bluebook (online)
181 A.D. 764, 169 N.Y.S. 213, 1918 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 4410, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/emil-grossman-manufacturing-co-v-new-york-central-railroad-nyappdiv-1918.