Esty v. Walker

3 S.W.2d 744, 222 Mo. App. 619, 1927 Mo. App. LEXIS 140
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 5, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 3 S.W.2d 744 (Esty v. Walker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Esty v. Walker, 3 S.W.2d 744, 222 Mo. App. 619, 1927 Mo. App. LEXIS 140 (Mo. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinions

BLAND, J.

— This is au action to recover the purchase price of a Poland China pedigreed sow known as Black Lil II. There was a verdict and judgment in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $1000, and defendant has appealed.

The facts show that defendant purchased the sow on October 11, 1920, at an auction sale held at the stock yards in Kansas City, Missouri, but he claims that plaintiff was not the owner of it and'-that if he were, he is estopped by his conduct in claiming to be such. The answer upon which defendant went to trial consisted of a general de^ nial 'and set up the following facts by way of estoppel: That' defendant was and had been for a long time the publisher of the Poland China Journal, a newspaper devoted to the advertising of live stock and the publication of matters of interest to live stock-breeders'and growers; that for a long time prior to October 11, 1920, defendant published a large number of: advertisements in his newspaper ‘for Meyer Brothers and that by reason thereof they became indebted to defendant in the sum of $1132; that although defendant made numerous and vigorous efforts to secure from Meyer Brothers’ffhe amount due and owing as aforesaid, they had failed and refused to pay the same; that the financial condition of Meyer Brothers on October 1.1, 1920, was such as to render the collection of the amount' due defendant very uncertain; that plaintiff is the father-in-law of AVI V. Aleyer a member of the firm of Meyer Brothers and that the financial condition of the firm was known to plaintiff on October 11, 1920, and for a long time prior thereto; that on said date defendant-Attended a hog sale conducted by one Moore at the Live Stock Exchange Building in Kansas City, Missouri: that the stock to be Isold at said sale was listed in a catalog issued prior thereto but th'é' Sow that defendant purchased thereat called Black Lil II was hot listed in the catalog; that, nevertheless, the sow was offered for sale.:but before bids were taken on it an announcement was made that Black Lil II was from the farm of Meyer Brothers and owned by thehi; that at the time of this announcement plaintiff was present a>M heard or should have heard it but he did hot, nor did anyone ini-his behalf object to said announcement or ask-that it be changed. i;/

*622 , The answer further alleged dial, said announcement of the ownership of the sow and the said conduct of plaintiff induced defendant to bid on the sow, believing that it belonged to Moyer Brothers; “that said announcement, made with the consent of plaintiff, misled the defendant herein in that it induced him to place the exorbitant and unreasonable bid of $1000” on the sow; that the sow was not worth more than $350 and by reason of such misleading statements as to its ownership defendant was induced to and did bid $1000 for it: that “except for said misleading and fraudulent statement made as aforesaid and relied upon by the defendant,” lie would not have bid on the sow in any apiount whatever; that by reason-of “the aforesaid misleading and fraudulent announcement” concerning the ownership of the sow and the said conducl of plaintiff, defendant was caused to change his position to his detriment:

“. . . that the defendant has paid the full purchase price of $1000 to Meyer Brothers, the announced owner of Black Lil II, by crediting the account of paid Meyer Brothers for the amount of $1000'; that the plaintiff herein is. estopped to deny the ownership of Meyer Brothers of Black Lil II.” •.

The-reply consisted-of a general denial.

Plaintiff’s testimony'tends to show' that he was a-farmer living-on a farm owned by him in Leshara county, Nebraska, and known as the “Pleasant Hill- Farm.;” that during and prior to the summer of 1920, he was engaged in a partnership with his son-in-law, W. Y. Meyer; in the hog raising business; that said Meyer was a member of the firm of Meyer Brothers located at Hooper, Nebraska; that while in-partnership with his son-in-law they owned the'„sow in question but on September 1,1920’ plaintiff became its sole owner; that the sow was caused to be put up at auction on October 11, 1920, at the solicitatión. of a Mr. Moore who asked plaintiff to permit him to sell it with other hogs that were to be sold at an auction sale.to be held by Moore in Kansas City at said time.

Defendant’s evidence tends to show that Meyer Brothers owed the amount mentioned in the answer to the Poland China Journal, which, on October 11, 1920, was a partnership composed of defendant and his brother, Hays Walker; that before bids were taken upon the sow' it was announced by Sir. Moore and the auctioneer, Mr. Gardhouse, that Black Lil II was from Meyer Brother's’ Farm and was owned and offered for sale by Meyer Brothers; that defendant knew that Meyer -Brothers were in a bad financial condition and that the money owed defendant would be difficult, if not impossible, of collection unless-some special circumstance arose to aid him in collecting it; that it was-with this circumstance in mind, together with the said announcement made at the sale, that he was induced to bid upon the *623 sow; that plaintiff was present .at the time of announcement and made no objection to it and, in fact, said nothing; that the sow did appear in the catalog of the regular offerings in consequence of which there was'no information available to those present as to the ownership of the sow and the party by whom said sow was being offered for sale except the announcement aforesaid; that relying upon said announcement made prior to the sale, defendant bid in the sow at the price of $1000; that at the time he made the purchase of the sow he knew that its real value was not to exceed $300 or $400 but on account of'the announcement aforesaid and on account of the-fact that Meyer Brothers were indebted to the Poland China Journal in the sum of $1132 he was willing to pay Meyer Brothers the excessive price of $1000 for the hog' so as to-obtain from Meyer Brothers something on the indebtedness due the newspaper; that shortly after the auction was finished plaintiff demanded from defendant the payment of one-half of the purchase price of the sow, stating that- he owned a fifty per cent interest in it; that defendant refused to pay plaintiff any part of the purchase price and told him that he had bought the sow from Meyer Brothers and that he-.would settle with them; that prior to the sale, he had never heard of plaintiff or'the farm claimed to be owned by him, to-wit, “Pleasant Hill Farm.”

The testimony of plaintiff further tends to show that he exhibited the hog in question at various fairs prior to the auction sale and that he entered the hog at these fairs in the name of the “Pleasant Hill Farm” which was owned by him; that he entered the sow at the Cedalia State Fair, held -in the summer of 1920, in the- same manner but that he was not present there but was represented by M. E. Meyer, a brother of W. V. Meyer, who was also a member of the partnership of Meyer Brothers; that after said M. E. Meyer arrived-at Sedalia he changed the entry of the hog to Meyer Brothers without the knowledge or consent of plaintiff; that plaintiff was present -at the auction sale in question and heard what was said by the -auetioneer and other-parties concerning the sale of his-sow; that Moore pointed the sow out in the ring and said, “'We now offer Black Lil II,.

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Bluebook (online)
3 S.W.2d 744, 222 Mo. App. 619, 1927 Mo. App. LEXIS 140, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/esty-v-walker-moctapp-1927.