Gimnich Furniture Mfg. Co. v. Sorensen

96 P. 121, 34 Utah 109, 1908 Utah LEXIS 42
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMay 27, 1908
DocketNo. 1907
StatusPublished

This text of 96 P. 121 (Gimnich Furniture Mfg. Co. v. Sorensen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gimnich Furniture Mfg. Co. v. Sorensen, 96 P. 121, 34 Utah 109, 1908 Utah LEXIS 42 (Utah 1908).

Opinion

FRICK, J.

This was an action commenced by respondent to recover a balance alleged to be owing' by appellant to it for the purchase price of a certain lot of furniture. There were several defenses interposed by the appellant as counterclaims. The appellant alleged that the original contract of purchase had been superseded by another after the delivery of the furniture whereby a different price from that originally agreed upon was fixed; that the furniture was not as represented, in that both the material and workmanship were of inferior quality; that it was improperly packed for shipment, by reason of which it was injured and damaged while in transportation, which rendered it unsalable and greatly affected its value; that, by reason of the matters aforesaid, the value of the furniture was greatly reduced, in consequence of which 'appellant offered judgment in favor of respondent for the sum of $483.16, instead of the amount claimed by the respondent. The respondent in the reply denied the matters set up, as defenses, and alleged others which were in avoidance of some of the claims made by appellant. Upon these issues a trial was had to a jury, which resulted in a verdict for respondent for the amount claimed by it less $338.48. Judgment was duly entered upon the verdict. From such judgment, this appeal is prosecuted.

There are but two errors assigned, both of which relate to the instructions. The court in stating the issues to the jury made special reference to each, one of the defenses set up, .and thoroughly explained the theories of the respeck ive parties. The statement of the court in this regard was unusually full and explicit. .After stating the issues, the court defined the duties of respondent with regard to packing the furniture for shipment and its liability for a failure thereof. It also told the jury that, if they found [111]*111the issues in favor of respondent, then they must determine the amount it should recover. After these instructions, the court gave instruction No. 7, in which it referred to the claim made by appellant with regard to the alleged substituted agreement, and after stating to the jury that, if they found certain facts to exist, “then the court instructs you that the defendant [appellant] accepted the furniture in question, and the rights of the parties to this suit, in case he accepted the furniture, must be determined under the contract,' sued upon by plaintiff [respondent] and not under the contract, if you find there was such a contract, claimed by defendant to have been made with Daniels in August, 1903.” The exception is directed to the part above quoted. To understand the purpose of this instruction, it should be stated that in one of appellant’s defenses he insisted that he had never accepted the furniture at all, and that it thus remained the property of the respondent, and hence he was not liable under the contract of purchase. Under another theoiy he claimed that the original contract was rescinded and another substituted therefor. Still another theory was that the furniture was warranted as to quality, and that there was a breach of this warranty. The court' submitted the case to the jury upon all of these theories.. The appellant does not complain in this regard, and he admits that the alleged substituted contract is not now in the case; but he insists that the court committed prejudicial error in using the language quoted above. In connection with this,’ the appellant further urges that the court erred in giving certain portions of instruction No. 8, which immediately follows the one referred to above. In the latter instruction the court told the jury what the law would be if they found certain facts to exist; and then continued as follows: “If he [appellant] afterwards dealt with the furniture in question as though it were his own, and appropriated it to his own use by selling or by placing in stock with his other furniture for sale, he thereby ratified the contract for the purchase of said furniture, and was bound by its provisions as originally entered into.” It appears from the [112]*112evidence that appellant at the time of the trial had sold and disposed of the entire lot of furniture, with the exception of two or three pieces. It is claimed.that the court erred in giving that part of the instruction last above quoted. The particular criticism made is that by the quoted parts of the two instructions the court, in effect, told the jury to disregard appellant’s claim for damages on account of the inferior quality and workmanship' of the furniture, and practically instructed them to find for the respondent for the amount of the purchase price as stipulated in the original contract. In other words, it is claimed that the jury were, in effect, told that no allowance should be made by them in the 'value of the furniture. If we view the language used by the court in these instructions in the light of the issues stated to the jury, we cannot agree with counsel in this contention. Furthermore, if we view the language in the light of what was said in other instructions immediately following the two excepted to upon the subject of warranty and the quality and workmanship of the furniture, we cannot see how appellant was or could have been1 prejudiced by what the court said. Counsel for appellant offered fourteen requests (all of which were given), in which the subject of warranty, both express and implied, the questions of inferior quality and workmanship' of the furniture, and the appellant’s right to recoup damages upon these grounds and for defective packing, were fully stated to the jury. The court also stated to the jury in plain and explicit terms that “it is solely and exclusively for the jury to find and determine the facts, and this they must doi from the evidence, and, having done so, then apply to them the law as stated in these instructions.” This was stated as a guide to the jury, and, following it, the jury would necessarily look to all of the instructions for the law, and not to one or two merely. In view that the respondent claimed under one contract and the appellant asserted that there was a substituted one, it became necessary for the court to advise the jury how to determine which one of the contracts should prevail'. In in[113]*113struction No. 1 the court told the jury that, if they found certain facts to exist, then the first or original contract must be taken as a basis from which to determine the rights of the parties. In instruction No. 8 another set of facts were stated, which, if found to be true, would also make the first or original contract binding on both parties. In these in-, structions, therefore, the court simply advised the jury with regard to the particular contract under which the rights of the respective parties must be measured and determined in case they found that such contract was still in force.

We cannot assent to counsel’s contention that the jury were, in effect, told that they must find the value of the furniture in accordance with the price stated in the original contract. There is nothing said in either of these instructions about finding, any amount due, nor is there anything said with regard to the value or price that is to be allowed. All that the language amounts to, and all that was intended thereby, was the fixing of the standard or basis from which the rights of the parties were to he determined. This would have to be done either from the original contract, or, if that were found to have been substituted, then by the latter contract, if such existed.

The succeeding instructions fully and completely cover the grounds with regard to the-claims for which deductions might be made and how to arrive at the amount of damages, if any.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
96 P. 121, 34 Utah 109, 1908 Utah LEXIS 42, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gimnich-furniture-mfg-co-v-sorensen-utah-1908.