Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp.

145 N.E. 824, 250 Mass. 410, 1924 Mass. LEXIS 1178
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedDecember 19, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 145 N.E. 824 (Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp., 145 N.E. 824, 250 Mass. 410, 1924 Mass. LEXIS 1178 (Mass. 1924).

Opinion

Crosby, J.

These are two actions of contract to recover commissions alleged to have been earned by the plaintiff under a written contract dated August 16, 1920. They were consolidated and referred to an auditor who in the first case (numbered 134,562 on the docket of the Superior Court) allowed certain claims of the plaintiff and disallowed the others; and in the second case (numbered 143,412 on the docket of the Superior Court) found for the defendant. The sums so allowed amounted to $7,781.66; the auditor deducted two payments of $1,000 each, leaving a balance of $5,781.66, which he found the plaintiff was entitled to recover with interest. The cases were afterwards tried together before a jury in the Superior Court; in the first case a verdict was returned for the plaintiff in the sum of $11,525.35; in the second case the court directed a verdict for the defendant. The cases are before us on exceptions taken by the plaintiff and the defendant to requests given and refused by the trial judge in the first case, and to exceptions taken by the plaintiff in the second case.

The defendant is a corporation which manufactures an amusement device known as the Dodgem.” The Dodgem ” consists of a contrivance in the nature of a small, circular automobile containing a motor; the machine seats two persons and is operated and controlled by the passenger. [421]*421A set of fifteen such cars constitutes what is known as a ride.” These rides operate on a smooth surface in an enclosed area, and, it appears, are in use in a number of amusement parks throughout the country. One Pratt was the treasurer, general manager and principal business agent of the corporation. The contract under which the respective rights and obligations of the parties are to be governed was dated August 16, 1920, and was to continue for one year thereafter. Material portions of the contract are as follows:

The party of the first part hereby agrees to pay the party of the second part the sum of One Thousand dollars (1000.00) as commission for each fifteen car Dodgem ride, so called, sold by her at the sum of fifteen Thousand dollars (15000.00) : — the following acts by the said party of the second part being sufficient to entitle her to any sums of money which may be due her as herein provided, namely: — the party of the second part shall make an appointment for the consummation of a contract of sale between the prospective purchaser and the party of the first part, or the party of the second part shall notify the party of the first part by mail or telegram of the intention of a prospective purchaser solicited by the party of the second part for the purpose of consummating a contract of sale. The,party of the first part further agrees to pay the party of the second part a sum equal to 10 per cent on all monies received on any contract of sale solicited by her as above mentioned over and above fifteen Thousand dollars.
The party of the first part further agrees to pay to the said party of the second part a sum equal to 10 per cent on any cars which may be sold by said party of the first part to any purchaser solicited by her in addition to original ride sold said purchaser at any time within one year from date of the original sale to said purchaser.
The party of the first part agrees to pay to the party of the second part any monies due her as hereinbefore provided in the following manner: namely; one half of said sum upon signing of any contract of sale with any purchaser as above provided; and a note for the balance payable 45 days after date of signing of said contract of sale.
[422]*422“ The party of the first part is not to be held responsible for any expenses incurred by the said party of the second part in connection with the sale of the Dodgem ride.”

As all the questions involved arise under this contract they may be considered in one opinion.

FIRST CASE.

The auditor made specific findings on each of the seventeen items contained in the schedule annexed to the plaintiff’s declaration in the first case, allowing some of them and disallowing others. The trial in the Superior Court was upon the auditor’s report and other evidence; some but not all of the evidence was reported.

While this contract was in force, namely, on December 10, 1920, the plaintiff entered into another agreement with a firm known as Miller and Baker, which at that time was also an agent of the defendant in the sale of Dodgems on commission. This contract by its terms was to remain in force until August 15, 1921, substantially the time when the contract between the plaintiff and the defendant would expire. The plaintiff entered the employ of Miller and Baker as agent for the purpose of selling Dodgems manufactured by the defendant; by the terms of this contract she was to receive for her services for each fifteen car ride sold by her the sum of $500, and in case of a sale of a twenty car ride she was to receive $587.50 and in addition thereto five per cent on the purchase price of any ride in excess of twenty cars “ and at the same rate for any sale of exclusive right.” All travelling expenses of the plaintiff incurred by her in endeavoring to effect any sale were to be paid by Miller and Baker. She was also to be paid five per cent on the purchase price on any cars which might be sold to any purchaser, " in addition to original ride sold said purchaser at any time within one year from the date of said original sale to said purchaser.” This contract contained other provisions which it is unnecessary to refer to.

It is the contention of the defendant (1) that its contract with the plaintiff was abrogated or rescinded when she entered into the contract with Miller and Baker, and (2) [423]*423that apart from having entered into the second contract the plaintiff is not entitled to certain commissions claimed by her for the reason that she did not sell the rides in conformity with her agreement with the defendant. -

Under the second contract the plaintiff was to receive only about one half what she was entitled to get from the defendant on the sale of a fifteen car ride, but she was to receive all her expenses from Miller and Baker, and in the event of a sale of twenty cars she was to receive $87.50 from the latter and $87.50 from the defendant which it had agreed orally to pay as an inducement to her to sign the contract with that firm.

For these reasons and upon other evidence the defendant contends that the second contract was inconsistent with that previously entered into with the defendant whereby as matter of law the original contract was rescinded; that by entering into the second contract the plaintiff undertook to “ serve two masters ”; and that such action was detrimental and adverse to her principal, the defendant. We are of opinion that, in view of all the evidence, this contention cannot be sustained. There was evidence that the second contract was entered into by the plaintiff at the request of Pratt, the defendant’s treasurer and general manager, who had full knowledge of the facts. The plaintiff testified that Pratt told her in substance that, as she and Miller and Baker were at times seeing the same prospective customer, confusion resulted; that he was anxious to have her enter into the second contract; that he said to her, “ Another thing, you can’t go wrong. You have always got your contract you can fall back on. Go out and try it. You have nothing to lose. ...

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 N.E. 824, 250 Mass. 410, 1924 Mass. LEXIS 1178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greenburg-v-stoehrer-pratt-dodgem-corp-mass-1924.