Harris v. Clark

41 N.W. 1077, 74 Mich. 334, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 654
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedApril 12, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 41 N.W. 1077 (Harris v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harris v. Clark, 41 N.W. 1077, 74 Mich. 334, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 654 (Mich. 1889).

Opinion

Morse, J.

On August 17, 1882, the complainant and the defendant William A. Clark entered into a written agreement, as follows:

“This agreement, made and entered into August 17, A. D. 1882, by and between Georgiana Harris, of the [335]*335city of Cadillac, Wexford county, Mich., party of the first part, and William A. Clark, of the same place, party of the second part, witnesseth.
“That the said party of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, to be paid to the said party of the first part as hereinafter expressed, hereby agrees to sell to the party of the second part all of the following described personal property, to wit: A certain shingle-mill, with all machinery therein contained, of whatever kind, name, or nature the same may be, including boiler and engine; also her certain boarding-house,' and all boarding-house furniture therein contained belonging to the party of the first part; also a certain blacksmith shop, and all blacksmith tools therein contained, — property being situated at the date hereof on section number nineteen (19), town twenty-three (23) north, of range nine (9) west.
“ The said party of the second part, in consideration of the premises, hereby agrees to purchase said above-described property, and to pay therefor to the said party of the first part, her executors, administrators, and assigns, the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, with interest to be computed at the rate of seven per cent, per annum, as follows, to wit: Seven hundred dollars on the delivery of this agreement, the receipt whereof is hereby confessed and' acknowledged; the balance of the purchase money, to wit, eighteen hundred dollars, to be paid as follows: The said party of the first part is to keep and retain for each and every thousand shingle cut in said mill by the party of the second part the sum of twenty-five cents, until the balance of the purchase price, together with the interest thereon, is fully paid and discharged.
“The said party of the first part does hereby agree to and with the party of the second part that she will stock said mill to its full capacity, so that he shall have full and sufficient stock to run said mill eleven hours per day for the space of two years from and after the date hereof, and does hereby agree to pay the party of the second part for each and every thousand merchantable shingle cut under and by virtue of this contract, for stars and number one, the sum of one dollar and ten cents, less the sum of twenty-five cents per thousand to be paid first party by second party on account of the purchase price of said mill, as hereinbefore expressed, — all payments to [336]*336be made on the loth day of the month for shingles cut the previous month during the life of this agreement; the party of the first part to keep the mill clear from shingles, and second party to deliver shingles piled outside of mill. The party of the second part shall brand all shingles manufactured on this contract. The party of the second part is to keep said mill insured in good companies, payable in case of loss to the party of the first part, as her iñterest may appear, in the sum of not less than eighteen hundred dollars, and to pay one-half of the premium therofor, which shall be charged upon this contract, and become a part of the principal.
“Witness our hands and seals this 17th day of August, A. D. 1882.
[Signed] “Georgiana Harris, [l. s.]
[Signed] “William A. Clark.” [l. s.]

The complainant filed her bill in the circuit court for the county of Wexford, in chancery, to foreclose this contract as a mortgage ,and lien upon the property therein described. The main allegations of the bill are that the defendant William A. Clark under the contract has paid only the $700 on delivery of the agreement, and $402.50 since by the cutting of shingles under the same; that he manufactured some 725,000 shingles in the months of December, 1882, and January and February, 1883, but such shingles were so poorly and improperly manufactured that the complainant refused to apply the 25 cents per thousand' towards the payment ‘of said mill, and that there was also wasted by said Clark about $300 worth of timber in these same months; that said Clark on February 14, 1883, refused to manufacture any more shingles according to the terms of said contract, although the complainant kept the said mill stocked with pine logs in accordance with the terms of said contract; that on August 10, 1883, said William A. Clark recovered a judgment against complainant in the circuit court for the county of Wexford for $743.19, including costs, on account of the said shingles so manufactured in the said months of December, [337]*337January, and February, and that a suit is now pending in the same circuit court between said Clark and the complainant, in which Clark claims pay for shingles manufactured in these same months; that Clark is financially irresponsible, and that whatever is due him for the cutting of shingles, whether merged in judgment or not, should be applied in payment of the balance due complainant upon the mill, and that the mill property, upon which she claims a lien for the purchase price of the mill, is a slender and insufficient security for the same.

That the defendant Kobert Ballard is now operating said mill, manufacturing about 35,000 shingles per day; that he is paying William A. Clark or the defendant Emma C. Clark (who claims to own said mill) the sum of 19 cents per thousand on his cutting, for the use of said mill; that the defendant Adam J. Clark claims to hold a mortgage upon the said mill property, executed by said William A. Clark, which the complainant avers must be considered and held as a subsequent incumbrance, as far as her lien is concerned. She prays for a foreclosure of her lien, and an injunction restraining Ballard from paying anything for the use of said mill to either of the Clarks. This bill was filed December 18, 1883.

The defendant William A. Clark answered, denying that the contract was made for the purpose of securing the payment of the sum to be paid for the mill, or to constitute any lien or incumbrance on the same; avers that he stopped the manufacture of shingles under the contract because the husband of the complainant, and her agent, Levi O. Harris, positively refused to stock the mill any longer; that when he so refused, on February 15, 1883, there was due from complainant to said Clark the sum of 8675 for shingles cut before the 1st of that month; and that for that amount and interest thereon [338]*338be recovered the judgment mentioned in complainant's bill. He avers that the suit then pending and mentioned in complainant's bill is for shingles cut in February; that all the shingles out by him were properly manufactured, and that the claim that they were not properly manufactured was made and litigated in the first suit at law, and decided against the complainant, which judgment stands as a valid one, no appeal having been taken therefrom. He further avers that he has been at all times willing and ready to perform his part of said agreement. He admits that he sold his interest in said mill to Emma C. Clark, September 2, 1883, and that she after-wards leased the same to the defendant Ballard. Defendant Emma C. Clark also answered.

Adam J. Clark, it seems, was found to have no claim upon the property, and asserted none, having assigned his mortgage to Emma O.

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Bluebook (online)
41 N.W. 1077, 74 Mich. 334, 1889 Mich. LEXIS 654, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harris-v-clark-mich-1889.