F. M. C. Corp. v. Strebeck

196 So. 2d 74, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1474
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 6, 1967
DocketNo. 44293
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 196 So. 2d 74 (F. M. C. Corp. v. Strebeck) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
F. M. C. Corp. v. Strebeck, 196 So. 2d 74, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1474 (Mich. 1967).

Opinion

SMITH, Justice:

This is an appeal by F.M.C. Corporation, d/b/a Oakes Manufacturing Company, and State Poultry Equipment, Inc. from a judgment of the Circuit Court of Newton. County in the sum of $10,000 recovered' against them by appellee, Howard Strebeck.

Strebeck, who had no previous experience, constructed a 500-foot chicken house in which he proposed to raise chickens. He consulted one Puckett, manager of State Poultry, a retailer of poultry raising equipment, as to the installation of an automatic chicken feeder. A four-line feeder was cheaper than two two-line feeders, but Puckett had never known one to be installed in so long a building and was doubtful that it had the necessary capacity to handle the contemplated length of chain and feed trough. He -telephoned a Mr. Piper, manager of F.M.C. Corporation, manufacturer of such equipment, and, after explaining the situation, was told that the manufacturer also entertained doubt on that score. However, F.M.C. agreed to supply the four-line feeder, if it were desired, to be sold to Strebeck by State Poultry, with the understanding that if it failed to do the work, two two-line feeders would be furnished to State Poultry for installation in exchange [76]*76for the four-line feeder, if requested by Strebeck.

Puckett informed Strebeck of this conversation, telling him that the manufacturer concurred in his own doubt as to the capacity of the four-line feeder, but that if, after trying the four-line feeder, it failed to work, State Poultry would, in exchange for the four-line feeder, install two two-line feeders to replace it, upon being requested by Stre-beck to do so. The manufacturer confirmed the telephone conversation in a letter addressed to Puckett, as manager of State Poultry, which Puckett showed to Strebeck prior to going forward with the installation. The letter stated:

Mr. Jess Puckett, Manager
State Poultry Equipment, Inc.
Highway #80
Forest, Mississippi
Subject: Specific Waiver Applying to # 2605
Dear Jess:
We understand that you propose to quote on a proposed sale to a Mr. Striebeck in the vicinity of Meridian. The proposed quotation involves approximately 2,000 feet of chain and trough (not over 2,100 feet) to be powered by a #2605 Drive Unit.
Now the purpose of this letter is to point out that our standard recommendation is for a maximum of not over 1,800 lineal feet of system to be served by the one horse power gearmotor of the #2605 Drive Unit. It is our considered opinion that if this load is to be uniformly distributed among the four lines (not over 10% variation in the length of lines), then the one horse power rated capacity of the gearmotor will be adequate. At least we are willing to warrant the adequacy of the power of the gearmotor for this particular quotation.
It is to be understood that in the event of failure of the gearmotor, the consequences to us shall be limited strictly to our offer to furnish two of the #2600-10 Dual Drive Units in place of the #2605 and to accept the return of the #2605. The exchange to be made without additional cost to you.
For your part, if the exchange is necessary, the labor and any materials incidental to connecting up the systems will be at your expense.
The above warranty is contingent only upon the horse power requirements for the proposed system. We do not waive any of the provisions of our standard zvarranty as it applies to the other components of the system. We do not know exactly what the layout will be like nor are we participating in the recommendations of the components and accessories.
Obviously, this special warranty would apply only to this particular quotation. When they have the benefits of the observation of the performance of the unit when so used, we can then give consideration to similar future opportunities. (Emphasis added)

Strebeck understood that the four-line feeder would be installed upon this basis, and it was so installed by State Poultry in April 1963. At that time Strebeck was supplied with the manufacturer’s manual containing detailed instructions for the operation of the feeder and also a statement of the manufacturer’s standard warranty, referred to in the letter. This warranty was as follows:

“Oakes warrants new equipment of its own manufacture for one (1) year from the date of shipment against defects in materials and workmanship. Liability for defective parts is limited to repair or replacement F.O.B. Tipton, Indiana. Oakes zvill not be liable for conseqziential damages. Material and equipment not manufactured by Oakes will be covered only by the manufacturer’s warranty. There are no other understandings, representations or warranties of any [77]*77kind, express, implied or statutory.” (Emphasis added)

After the equipment was installed by State Poultry four “batches” of chickens were raised by Strebeck in twelve months. It appears that in the chicken raising industry, five “batches” per year is considered a normal operation. Several breakdowns, characterized as minor, were promptly corrected by State Poultry. There appears to have been no trouble with the motor, which was not manufactured by F.M.C., until after the expiration of the •one-year warranty. Even then, when it was carried in by Strebeck to State Poultry, a replacement was furnished immediately, without charge, and the motor was repaired, also without cost to Stre-beck.

Strebeck sought damages in the present suit for alleged breach of warranty, in the sum of $12,400 which he itemized in his ■declaration as follows:

“$2,800.00 paid to defendant, State Poultry Equipment, Inc., for purchase of said four (4) line automatic feeder; the sum of $7,140.00 as lost grower pay to date; the sum of $1,699.00 as money spent for extra labor and repairs because of the faulty operation of said four (4) line automatic feeder.”

The declaration charged that Puckett, as agent for both defendants, had represented and warranted to Strebeck that if the four-line automatic feeder “would not operate and perform efficiently, then said defendants, upon request of plaintiff, would come back later and remove said four-line feeder and install two two-line automatic feeders.”

Strebeck claimed that the four-line feeder failed to operate satisfactorily; that some-time around the “last of January or the first of February” 1964, he made demand albeit in somewhat ambiguous terms, for -the replacement of the four-line feeder with two two-line feeders, and that, as a consequence of appellants’ failure to make the replacement, he had suffered the losses enumerated in the declaration.

On behalf of appellants, it is argued with great earnestness that there was no proof that Strebeck ever made demand upon them to remove-the four-line feeder and replace it with the two two-line feeders. The evidence supporting Strebeck’s contention that this demand was made is meager and not wholly satisfactory, and Strebeck was still using the equipment more than a year later, after, as he himself said, the warranty had expired.

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Bluebook (online)
196 So. 2d 74, 1967 Miss. LEXIS 1474, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/f-m-c-corp-v-strebeck-miss-1967.