Hickham v. Chronister

792 S.W.2d 631, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 132, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 1645, 1989 WL 139937
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 21, 1989
Docket55586
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 792 S.W.2d 631 (Hickham v. Chronister) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hickham v. Chronister, 792 S.W.2d 631, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 132, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 1645, 1989 WL 139937 (Mo. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

CARL R. GAERTNER, Judge.

This action was commenced by plaintiff seeking to obtain possession of plastic injection molds fabricated by defendant pursuant to a contract. Having successfully obtained possession, plaintiff now appeals from the judgment of the trial court ordering him to pay the contract price for the molds. We affirm.

Plaintiff is an orthodontist who also designs and sells orthodontic appliances. Defendant is a tool and dye maker engaged in the fabrication of plastic injection molds. In 1983, plaintiff approached defendant regarding the manufacture of a saliva ejector consisting of a cheek retractor and a tongue depressor which plaintiff had designed. After some discussion they entered into a contract on January 12, 1984, in which defendant agreed to fabricate a cheek retractor mold for $8,500 and a tongue retainer for $9,735. The contract also provided a per unit price for parts made from these molds. In accordance with the terms of the contract, plaintiff paid defendant $9,000, the balance to be due upon completion of the molds and acceptance of the parts. Defendant also agreed to fabricate a mold for a safety wire latch designed by plaintiff at a price of $2,875.

Plaintiff furnished defendant with a design of the products for which the molds were to be manufactured. From these designs, defendant prepared blue prints which were modified by plaintiff. Over the ensuing months the parties had numerous discussions concerning modifications of the original design. Eventually, plaintiff approved the blue prints as modified. Sample parts were sent to plaintiff in June or July, 1984, but they were not satisfactory. All changes made in the mold were in accordance with plans and specifications either made or approved by plaintiff. As late as January, 1985, plaintiff sent defendant a letter including drawings of changes plaintiff wanted made. Finally, in February 1985, after receiving samples he considered unacceptable, plaintiff directed defendant to cease and desist from any further work and cancelled the contract.

In July, 1984, defendant sent plaintiff a bill for the safety wire latch mold in the amount of $2,875. In December, 1984, a bill for the cheek retractor and tongue depressor molds for the balance due of $9,235 was sent to plaintiff. Both bills stated “PAY on APPROYEL [sic]”. Although neither bill was paid, defendant took no action to recover the unpaid balance.

Two years after plaintiff cancelled the contract on February 6, 1987, plaintiff commenced this litigation by filing a petition seeking possession of the cheek retractor and tongue depressor molds pursuant to sections 430.400-430.407 RSMo.1986. Section 430.403 establishes a lien upon molds made by a plastic fabricator for the amount due from a customer for plastic fabrication work. Section 430.405 provides for the court to order possession of such a mold be returned to the customer upon payment into court of the amount claimed by the fabricator, plus interest and costs, or the filing of a sufficient bond approved by the court. Upon the filing of plaintiffs petition in this case, the court approved a bond in the sum of $12,110, the outstanding balance of the contract price, and ordered defendant to deliver the molds. On February 9, 1987, defendant complied and delivered the molds to plaintiffs attorney. On February 18, 1987, defendant filed a counterclaim seeking payment of the unpaid balance on the contract in the amount of *633 $12,110. In an Answer to this counterclaim, plaintiff alleged as affirmative defenses breaches of express and implied warranties of fitness and merchantability. Subsequently, plaintiff filed an amended petition seeking to recover as damages for these alleged breaches of warranties the $9,000 down payment and an additional $12,270 allegedly paid to other manufacturers for satisfactory manufacture of the molds.

On these pleadings the case was tried without a jury. The court found “defendant agreed to fabricate a mold that would produce the cheek retractor and tongue depressor designed by plaintiff and that’s what he did.” Further, the court concluded that because plaintiff furnished the technical specifications plaintiff could not rely upon an implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. Accordingly, the court entered judgment for defendant on the counterclaim in the amount of $12,110 and dismissed plaintiffs amended petition. From this judgment plaintiff appeals.

When reviewing the decision of the trial court, this court must sustain the trial court’s decision unless the judgment is not supported by substantial evidence, the judgment is against the weight of the evidence, or the judgment erroneously declares or applies the law. Murphy v. Car-rón, 586 S.W.2d 80, 32 (Mo.bane 1976). In reviewing a bench trial where no findings of fact or conclusions of law were requested, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the prevailing party and disregard the contrary evidence. If the trial court’s decision can be upheld on any reasonable theory supported by the evidence, the judgment must stand. Hackmann v. Sommerfor Development Corp., 741 S.W.2d 857, 859 (Mo.App.1987). Thus, all fact issues are deemed found in accordance with the results reached by the trial court. Rule 73.01(a)(2); In Re Marriage of Schatz, 768 S.W.2d 607, 612 (Mo.App.1989).

Plaintiff asserts two points on appeal: 1) trial court error in finding in favor of defendant because the evidence shows plaintiff never “accepted” or “approved” the molds or the parts produced, a condition of the contract, and, 2) trial court error in finding that the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose was not applicable. 1

The contract provided that payment of the balance of the price became due “upon completion of the mold and acceptance of the parts.” The invoices provided for “Payment on Approvel [sic]”. Plaintiff argues that because he never accepted parts and never approved the molds these conditions of the contract were not met. In response, defendant contends plaintiff’s refusal to accept the parts and to give his approval was arbitrary, unreasonable and not in good faith. Defendant’s theory does uphold the decision of the trial court and it is supported by defendant’s testimony that plaintiff never complained about the safety wire latch and that the original defects in the saliva ejector components had been corrected so that the final sample parts sent to plaintiff were satisfactory. Where performance of a contract is to be to the satisfaction of the promisor, he must exercise that judgment in good faith and as a reasonable man, not arbitrarily without a bona fide reason for his dissatisfaction. Long v. Huffman, 557 S.W.2d 911, 916 (Mo.App.1977).

Moreover, our reading of the entire record discloses an even more basic principle which supports the decision of the trial court. A party who repudiates a contract may not retain the benefit of the bargain without paying what he agreed to pay for such benefit. Plaintiff’s position might be more tenable had he merely sued to recover his down payment after advising defendant in February, 1985, that the contract was cancelled.

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792 S.W.2d 631, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 132, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 1645, 1989 WL 139937, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hickham-v-chronister-moctapp-1989.