Jones v. Armstrong

145 P. 949, 50 Mont. 168, 1915 Mont. LEXIS 3
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 16, 1915
DocketNo. 3,448
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 145 P. 949 (Jones v. Armstrong) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jones v. Armstrong, 145 P. 949, 50 Mont. 168, 1915 Mont. LEXIS 3 (Mo. 1915).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE SANNER

delivered the opinion of the court.

Action by Evan D.-Jones against Bart Armstrong, upon a promissory note given by the latter to the former for the sum of $800, with interest at eight per cent per annum. The answer consists of denials and “a further and separate defense” wherein it is alleged that said note was given in payment of an Emerson plow purchased of Jones by Armstrong for sod-breaking; that Jones, who knew of the purpose for which the plow was desired, warranted and represented the same to be capable of first-class work in that respect; that these representa[172]*172tions were untrue, and were known to Jones to be untrue; that Armstrong did not know, and could not ascertain, without a trial of the plow, that these representations were not true, and he relied upon them; that he took possession of the plow and gave it an immediate and fair test, as a result of which it was ascertained that the same was wholly unfit, and could not be used for breaking or any other purpose; that notice was forthwith given to Jones by Armstrong, who tendered back the plow and demanded the return of said note; that; in consequence of the failure of the plow to meet the representations made by Jones, Armstrong became unable to perform certain contracts which he had entered into, and lost the profits which would have accrued therefrom, and also sustained special damage in certain other respects, all in the sum of $1,100, for which judgment is prayed. All these affirmative allegations are traversed by a general denial in the reply.

Upon the trial, which was to the court sitting with a jury, the plaintiff contented himself with the introduction of the note and testimony to the fact that it was due. and wholly unpaid. On cross-examination it was elicited by defendant’s counsel that the note was given in payment for the plow which he (Jones) had previously bought and used, and which had done satisfactory work for him.

The evidence on the part of the defendant was given by Armstrong himself and by the witnesses Hughes, Cawood and Price. Armstrong testified: “I went to see Mr. Price, and asked him if he had what is known as the Emerson plow, sod-bottom plow, and disc plow. He said he didn’t have one. He was the agent for this plow at Conrad at this time, and I asked him if he knew of one, if I could locate one. He said he thought Evan Jones over east of town had a plow that he wanted to sell. So Mr. Price drove me out there in his automobile, and we saw Mr. Jones and saw the plow. The plow at this time had the discs. It was not rigged for sod-bottom plowing. It was a three-section Einerson plow, susceptible of sod-bottom, as all are supposed to be, Mr, Jones made a price on this plow of $S0Q, Mr. [173]*173Price and I went back, and I talked to Mr. Price about this plow, and I asked him if this plow could be guaranteed to give satisfaction or to do good plowing. He said it could; that the Emerson was behind the plow as long as a man saw fit to operate it. * * * I met Mr. Jones two times. I am not sure which time it was that he spoke about the plow. He said the plow did good work for him; that was with the sod-bottoms on. I think he said he plowed sixty acres with sod-bottoms — probably not that much. I told him I wanted to use the plow for sod-bottom breaking. * * * When I got the plow it was hitched to the engine, and I took it out to the ranch. I used it two or three times; we tried it out on the prairie sod. * * * After the plow was used three times, I guess there were some ten or twelve acres we had gone over and tried to plow. It was not a good piece of plowing. I don’t know that I knew what was the trouble with it. * # * One of the front sections cut too deep; the rear section would not run deep enough; and each section in the middle or center is worked by one lever. If the front section run too deep, you raised the lever, and that throws the plows of the rear section out of the ground. There was no adjustment as to the depth of the plows, other than the four levers. These four levers covered the plow or the depth of all the plows that was strung .on the two sections from this frame. I had the same man on the engine that plowed for Mr. Jones, and I was looking after the plows myself also. * * * The fault was net in the plow; the fault was in- the place that it seemed to swing on — in the frame of the plow. * * * The plow would not plow uniformly. It had that fault of running too deep and running too shallow, and also had the fault of piling the sod up instead of folding it over. * * * After using the plow for three times, I wrote Mr. Jones that the plow was there at his disposal. I could not use the plow. I told him it would not do the work and did not answer the purpose for which I purchased it. * * * ” Upon cross-examination Mr. Armstrong further testified: That he had operated an Emerson plow before this in the disc frame, but not in the sod-bottom frame. [174]*174“To say that I know why the plow did'not work properly would involve a good deal. The construction frame that carries these plows was not so mechanically built as to carry the plows evenly and regulate them in the ground. * * * There would be two cables to adjust, and you must have these cables so they would carry the beams squarely in front of the plow, dr carry the beam in right angles behind the engine or parallel with the rear of your engine. * * * When I first went to see Mr. Jones about buying the plow it was the time I talked to Mr. Price; I went out once, and I might have gone twice. * * * I asked him to reduce the price, but he said I could take it for $800 or leave it.” On redirect examination he said with reference to Jones’ statement that the plow had done good work for him: “I took the statement for what it was worth. I relied upon Mr. Price as agent for the Emerson plow people. * * * I relied upon both Mr. Price’s statement and Mr. Jones’ statements in purchasing the plow.”

David Hughes testified: “I was plowing for Mr. Jones with an Emerson plow, sod-bottom breaking part of the time. * * * I don’t think the mold-board was not good plowing. This plowing was good. * * * The work did not suit Mr. Jones. * * * It was the bottoms — the mold-boards. * * * I had no experience before that in handling Emerson plows. I adjusted the cables on the plows. I don’t know the regulation length of the cable for No. 1 beam or No. 2; we adjusted them and changed them so as to try to make the plows work.”

Cawood testified that he “saw some ground that had been plowed by this Emerson plow. * # * The plowing * * * was poor. * * * I do not know what was wrong with the plow. * * * I do not know whether it was the fault of the plow or the .fault of the man that operated it that accounted for the bad plowing.”

Price testified that the plow was second-hand when sold to Mr. Jones and third-hand when sold to Mr. Armstrong.

At the conclusion of the testimony the plaintiff moved the court to direct the jury to return a verdict in favor of the plain[175]*175tiff, which was done, and, upon the verdict so returned, judgment was entered. Thereafter motion for new trial was made and overruled. The defendant has appealed from this judgment and order.

The only question presented is whether the evidence on the part of the defendant tended to establish any defense under the allegations of the answer. He contends that it did, upon what theory we are unable to precisely determine. The first part of his argument is devoted to a discussion of the right of rescission [1]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Woodahl v. Matthews
639 P.2d 1165 (Montana Supreme Court, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 P. 949, 50 Mont. 168, 1915 Mont. LEXIS 3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jones-v-armstrong-mont-1915.