Famous Manufacturing Co. v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.

166 Iowa 361
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 20, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 166 Iowa 361 (Famous Manufacturing Co. v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Famous Manufacturing Co. v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co., 166 Iowa 361 (iowa 1914).

Opinion

Evans, J.

— The material facts are undisputed. The shipment in question originated in Indiana with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and was billed for Fulton, Ill., over the railway of the defendant. It consisted of a power bale press ’ ’ of the value of $340, consigned by the plaintiff to itself as consignee, and bill of lading was issued accordingly. It arrived at its destination under a waybill containing the following [363]*363notation: “Notify C. J. Bugbee.” This shipment was made by the plaintiff company in pursuance of a written order of purchase signed by Bugbee, which was as follows:

Dated at Fulton, Ill., Oct. 15, 1909.

To Famous Manufacturing Co., East Chicago, Ind.

I hereby order of you, to be shipped on or before the 20th day of October, or as soon thereafter as possible, via C. & N. W. Ry., in care of yourselves at Fulton, state of Illinois, machines as follows:

One “Champion” detached, power baling press, size 16s 18 complete with 4 H mounted power, complete with metal truck wheels and such fixtures and extras as you usually furnish, also the following attachments; Gong & bale length indicator & bale weighing attachment.

In consideration whereof, the undersigned agrees to receive the above ordered machinery on arrival, and to pay freight and charges, and to pay to your order, at the time of delivery, the sum of three hundred forty ($340.00) dollars, as follows:

Cash in hand .-...$85.

Note due first day of March, 1910. 85. 7% interest

Note due first day of November, 1910. 85.

Note due first day of March, 1911. 85.

The above notes to bear interest at the highest legal rate from date until paid.

And further to give in security of the foregoing notes a first mortgage on the above named machinery.

When man is sent to start press, settlement must in all eases be made with him as soon as press is set to work and performs as warranted. Failing to pay said money or execute and deliver said notes, this order shall stand as purchasers’ written obligation, and have the same force and effect as notes, for all sums not paid in cash.

It is also fully understood and agreed that if the purchaser does not make full settlement for the hay press with cash or notes as above provided, upon its delivery to him, he thereby waives all claim under this warranty.

Said machinery is purchased upon and subject to no [364]*364other conditions than the warranty given in circular or cata-logue, relating to machine ordered.

C. J. Bugbee.

The warranty referred to in the foregoing order, contained the following provision:

The purchaser shall have a trial of two successive days from day of receiving same, and, should the purchaser fail to make the machine perform as above, immediate notice must be given to us and to the agent from whom the machine was purchased, subject to a second trial in our presence. Then, if the failure has not arisen from any defect in the machine, the purchaser to pay the expenses of the trip. But should the defect be in the machine, and person sent is unable to make it work as warranted, the purchaser is to return it to place of delivery and money paid will be refunded.

The plaintiff did not send the bill of lading to Bugbee., It did send the same duly indorsed in blank to the First National Bank of Lyons, Iowa, the city of Lyons being located just across the river from Fulton. The purpose of sending such bill of lading to the bank was to enable it to make settlement with Bugbee for the plaintiff for the purchase price. Plaintiff’s letter of instructions to the bank contained the following:

According to the terms of our warranty, he is to have two days in which to try the machine. You will therefore hold the payment and settlement papers until such a time has elapsed, and, if you are not advised to the contrary by him, you will then mail all to us in the self-addressed stamped envelope.

The bank was in possession of the, bill of lading duly indorsed by the plaintiff. It called up 'the defendant’s railway office at Fulton by telephone and advised the depot agent that it had the bill of lading, and directed the depot agent to deliver the shipment to Bugbee. It also advised the depot [365]*365agent that Bugbee was entitled to two days’ trial of the baling press. Thereupon the local agent complied with such direction, and delivered the shipment to Bugbee, without any other knowledge of the mutual rights of the parties than was thus communicated to him by the holder of the bill of lading. After a purported trial of the machinery by Bugbee, he returned the same to the railway company at the place of delivery in purported compliance with the conditions of the warranty and upon the alleged ground that the machinery in question did not perform according to the warranty. The plaintiff was at once notified by the railway agent, but it refused to recognize the rescission or to have anything to do with the property thus returned.

The argument of the plaintiff, in brief, is that the bank had no authority to direct the delivery of the property to Bugbee, and that the railway company was bound to ascertain the extent of its authority, and that its delivery of the property to Bugbee without an ’ actual surrender of the bill of lading was unauthorized, and rendered the railway company liable for conversion of the goods. There are, however, several reasons that stand out prominently in the record why the plaintiff is not entitled to recover upon such theory or upon any other.

I. By delivering to the bank the bill of lading duly indorsed, the plaintiff clothed the bank with the apparent legal title to the property, and with the undoubted right to i p.»i.TT^g • bm i0iveryaofSgooas • conversion. ' obtain delivery of possession from the railway company. Bank v. Milling Company, 103 Iowa, 518. Milling Co. v. Railway Co., 102 Iowa, 262; Chicago Racking Co. v. Railway Co., 103 Ga. 140 (29 S. E. 698, 40 L. R. A. 367).

"What the right of the bank was as between it and the plaintiff was not material, in the absence of any knowledge or notice to the railway company. If the bank through an appropriate officer, had appeared at the railway office at Fulton with the bill of lading in its possession duly indorsed, [366]*366it is undeniable that the railway company could properly have delivered the consignment to him. In legal effect, this was what was done. The delivery to Bugbee at the direction of the holder of the indorsed bill of lading was, in legal effect, a delivery to such holder. Gates v. Railway Co., 42 Neb. 379 (60 N. W. 583).

We think it quite immaterial whether the bank be deemed for the purpose as the mere agent of the plaintiff or whether as the holder of the legal title or of the right of possession of the consignment under the indorsed bill of lading. If it was the mere agent of the plaintiff, the indorsed bill of lading measured the extent of its agency, so far as the defendant was concerned. In the presence of the indorsed bill of lading, the railway company was legally justified in good faith to deliver the consignment in accord with the directions of the holder thereof, and it became thereby entitled to a surrender of such bill of lading. Such is the sum of this case.

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166 Iowa 361, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/famous-manufacturing-co-v-chicago-northwestern-railway-co-iowa-1914.