Heintz v. Malvone

1980 Mass. App. Div. 157, 1 Mass. Supp. 657, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 67
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedSeptember 26, 1980
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1980 Mass. App. Div. 157 (Heintz v. Malvone) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heintz v. Malvone, 1980 Mass. App. Div. 157, 1 Mass. Supp. 657, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 67 (Mass. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Staff, J.

The plaintiff in this civil action seeks to recover the purchase price of an automobile purchased from the defendant. The basis for the claim is rested on the provisions of M.G.L.c.90, § 7N2 in that the vehicle failed to pass the inspection referred to in the statute and that consequently the plaintiff voided the contract of sale.

The defendant’s answer admitted the sale but denied that the vehicle was purchased by the plaintiff for immediate personal use by his family; alleged that the defendant was without knowledge as to whether the vehicle failed to pass a sticker inspection test; [158]*158denied that the plaintiff had voided the contract of sale; alleged that the plaintiff had failed to comply with conditions precedent to the bringing of the action and was estopped to assert that the defendant owed him anything.

The Court found for the plaintiff in the amount of Six Hundred Dollars ($600.00).

At the trial, there was evidence tending to show the following:

Plaintiff bought a used car from defendant, a used car dealer, for the sum of $600.00. At the time he purchased the car, he knew that the car had broken lights and would not pass the inspection test unless repairs were made. The car was taken to a gasoline service station for repairs and to be inspected. The plaintiff obtained an estimate which indicated the cost of repairs to be $84.00 to bring the vehicle up to the standard prescribed to pass the inspection test. The plaintiff brought the car back to the defendant and asked for a refund, which was refused. After leaving the car in an alley next to the defendant’s place of business, the plaintiff sent the defendant a registered letter, which was not received by the defendant. There was no reported evidence as to the contents of the registered letter and, in fact, the plaintiff never did give the defendant an itemized list of repairs from an inspection station.

The following questions put to the plaintiff, in direct examination by the defendant were admitted against the objection of the plaintiff.

QUESTION: What did the estimate of repairs that you obtained show was needed for repairs before the car could pass inspection?
ANSWER: It needed a muffler and tail pipe, backup lights and rear lights, the wiring was also defective. The defendant requested that said ruling be reported.
QUESTION: What did the estimate of repairs that you obtained show the cost of repairs to the vehicle to be before it would pass inspection?
ANSWER: The estimated cost was $84.00. The defendant requested that said ruling be reported.

At the close of the trial and before final arguments, the defendant made the following requests for rulings and the Court took the following action thereon:

1. In order to void a contract of sale of a motor vehicle under the provisions of G.L.c. 90, § 7N, the vehicle must have been purchased for the immediate personal or family use of the buyer. Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
2. A purchase of a motor vehicle is not for “immediate” use within the meaning of G.L.c. 90, § 7N when the buyer at the time of sale intends to make repairs to said vehicle. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
3. A purchase of a motor vehicle is not for immediate personal or family use of the buyer within the meaning of G.L.c. 90, § 7N, when the buyer purchases the vehicle knowing that repairs were required to be made before the vehicle could pass a safety inspection test. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
4. The evidence requires a finding that the plaintiff knew that repairs were required to be made to the vehicle before it could pass a safety inspection test. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
5. The evidence does not warrant a finding that the 1970 Ford Fairlane vehicle was purchased by the plaintiff from the defendant for the immediate personal or family use of the plaintiff. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
6. In order to void a contract of sale of a motor vehicle under the provisions of G.L.c. 90, § 7N, the buyer must within ten (10) days of the date of sale:
a. Notify the seller of his intention to do so;
b. Deliver the motor vehicle to the seller;
c. Provide the seller with a written statement signed by an authorized agent of an inspection station stating the reasons why the vehicle failed to pass the inspection sticker test and an estimate of the cost of necessary repairs.
[159]*159Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
7. The requirements of G.L.c. 90, § 7N as set forth in a, b. and c. of defendant’s requests No. 5 are conjunctive, and the failure of the plaintiff to comply with any one of said requirements within ten (10) days of the date of sale precludes the plaintiff from voiding the sale. Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
8. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff to establish that he complied with all of the requirements of G.L.c. 90, § 7N as set forth in the defendant’s request No. 5. Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
9. The evidence does not warrant a finding that the plaintiff delivered the 1970 Ford Fairlane to the defendant within ten (10) days of the date of sale. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
10. The burden is on the plaintiff to prove that the written statement required by G.L.c. 90, § 7N, was signed by an authorized agent of an inspection station approved by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles pursuant to G.L.c. 90, § 7A. Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
11. The evidence does not warrant a finding that the plaintiff provided the defendant with a written statement signed by an authorized agent of an inspection station approved by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles pursuant to G.L.c. 90, § 7A. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
12. In order to void a contract of sale under G.L.c. 90, § 7N the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to establish that the cost of repairs necessary to permit the issuance of an inspection sticker exceeded ten (10%) percent of the purchase price of the motor vehicle. Ruling of the Court: Allowed.
13. The evidence does not warrant a finding that the cost of repairs necessary to permit the issuance of an inspection sticker exceeded ten (10%) percent of the purchase price of the plaintiff’s vehicle. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
14. The evidence does not warrant a finding for the plaintiff. Ruling of the Court: Denied.
15. The evidence requires a finding for the defendant. Ruling of the Court: Denied.

The Court found the following facts:

In this case the plaintiff seeks to recover from the defendant, a used-car dealer, the sum of $600.00 for a motor vehicle purchased by the plaintiff from the defendant and, according to the plaintiffs allegation not fit for the purposes intended. In defense, the defendant admitted that the plaintiff purchased the motor vehicle but denied that the vehicle was purchased by the plaintiff for immediate use by his family.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1980 Mass. App. Div. 157, 1 Mass. Supp. 657, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heintz-v-malvone-massdistctapp-1980.