Harvey v. Duffey

33 P. 897, 99 Cal. 401, 1893 Cal. LEXIS 678
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 30, 1893
DocketNo. 15155
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 33 P. 897 (Harvey v. Duffey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harvey v. Duffey, 33 P. 897, 99 Cal. 401, 1893 Cal. LEXIS 678 (Cal. 1893).

Opinion

Fitzgerald, J.

The complaint in this action in substance alleges, that at the time therein stated plaintiff’s assignor, the [402]*402A. A. Griffing Iron Company, a Hew Jersey corporation, manufactured for defendants, at their special instance and request, certain standard hot water radiators of the sizes described, and were ready and willing to ship and deliver the same at the agreed price of $909.72; that after the manufacture thereof defendants notified the corporation not to ship or deliver the goods, as they would not accept or pay for them or for any part thereof, and that they have not paid the whole or any part of said sum; that afterwards, upon due notice to the defendants by the corporation, it resold the goods at public auction to the highest bona fide bidder, and that the net proceeds of such sale was $13.25.

The answer specifically denies the allegations of the complaint, except the allegation of notice not to ship or deliver the goods, which is admitted, with the averment that the notice was given before the corporation informed or notified the defendants that it intended to or would manufacture the same, and that said notice was given before and not subsequent to such manufacture.

The facts necessary to be stated are as follows: On April 3, 1890, the defendants had in their possession a catalogue of the Griffing Iron Company, in which was listed the goods in question, and upon the fly-leaf thereof was the following statement: “To enable'us to fill our orders promptly, we carry at all times an enormous stock, comprising at all times every style as shown in our list.” On that day the defendants, acting upon this statement in the catalogue, sent to the Griffing Iron Company the following telegram:—-

“Give us lowest prices on three thousand (3,000) feet, thirty-nine (39) inch hot water standard radiators. Answer.
[Signed] “Duffey Bros.”

On the following day, upon the receipt of this telegram, the Griffing Iron Company telegraphed plaintiff as follows:—-

“Duffey Bros, telegraph for prices culprit (hot water) standard. Sell, if necessary, at your price and we will give you ten per cent commission on order if taken from consigned stock. Impossible for them to buy, even cheapest type of radiator, at better than forty-nine cents imbibel (in less than car load lots), and thirty-four cents illusion (in car load lots), in San Frau- - [403]*403cisco. Even if you have to give an extra five, don’t lose the order. Mich., radiator salesman, is due in San Francisco to-day to see Duffey.
[Signed] “A. A. Griffing Iron Co.”

On the same day the company mailed to defendants a letter which, among other things, contained the following: —

“Immediately upon the receipt of your telegram to-day, we wired C. D. Harvey to call on you and name you prices. We trust that before this comes to hand you will have given him your order.....
“ We did not wire you an answer, thinking that Mr. Harvey would call and give you personal attention which, no doubt, he did do so. Trusting to receive your order through Mr. Harvey, we remain, ' . Tours truly,
“A. A. Griffing Iron Co.”

Harvey, on receipt of the company’s telegram, called on the defendants and obtained from them the following order:—■

“A. A. Griffing Iron Co.: Please ship to us at San Francisco the following Bundy hot water standard radiators, 39 in. high: 145, 1x4; 16, 1x10; 1, 1x20.
“Duffey Bros., A.”

This order was delivered to Harvey, to be by him transmitted to the company, and was on the same day transmitted by him with the following letter: —

“ A. A. Griffing Iron Co. — Genis: Enclosed I send order from Duffey Bros, for H. W. radiators. Those crossed I can supply from stock here. The balance you will prepare at once, as Mr. D. desires them as soon as possible.
“I will send you Monday a list to make up car load. Tour telegram of 4th inst. relating to this order received. I had already given them prices, 60 & 5 off, and now give on such as are here in stock an additional five per cent as you directed.
“Tours truly, C. D. Harvey.”

At the ti me the order was given, Harvey in his testimony says: “I told Mr. Duffey at'the time that the 1x4 radiator was a radiator that we had never used here in my business, and I did not think the company had them on hand.” Duffey testified that “ Nothing was said between me and him about the necessity of [404]*404manufacturing them. I did not know they would have to be manufactured. They were catalogued and I had the catalogue and acted according to it”; and that when he revoked the order he did not know that the company was manufacturing the goods for him.

On April 18, 1890, the defendants having received no reply whatever to the order sent through Harvey and being in entire ignorance as to whether it liad been received, or if received whether it would be accepted, sent a telegram to the company countermanding the order. This telegram was received by the company before the manufacture of the goods was completed, but notwithstanding this fact it proceeded to complete the manufacture of them and afterwards insisted upon the defendants receiving them. This they refused to do, and thereupon the goods were sold by the company at public auction as alleged.

The findings of the court are as follows: —

“1. That at no time did the A. A. Griffing Iron Company manufacture at the special instance or request of the defendants, or at the special instance or request of either of them, or for the defendants, or either of them, any of the hot water radiators mentioned in the amended complaint, or any of the goods described in the amended complaint.
“2, That the defendants did not agree, nor did either of them agree to pay the A. A. Griffing Iron Company for the goods described in the amended complaint, the sum of nine hundred and nine dollars and seventy-four cents ($909.74), or any sum whatsoever.
“ 3. That defendants did not, subsequent to the manufacture of said goods, notify the A. A. Griffing Iron Company not to ship or deliver the same, but that said modification was prior to the manufacture of said goods, and prior to any notification to the defendants, or to either of them, by said A. A. Griffing Iron Company that it intended to manufacture any of said goods.
“4. That said goods were sold by the A. A. Griffing Iron Company ou or about the second day of September, 1890, at public auction, but that said sale was without notice to defendants, or to either of them, or to the world.”

And thereupon judgment was accordingly entered for defendants, from which judgment and the order denying his motion for a new trial plaintiff appeals.

[405]*405The contention of appellant, that the first finding is not justified by the evidence, cannot be sustained.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 P. 897, 99 Cal. 401, 1893 Cal. LEXIS 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harvey-v-duffey-cal-1893.