Kull v. Noble

10 S.W.2d 902, 178 Ark. 496, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 467
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 26, 1928
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 10 S.W.2d 902 (Kull v. Noble) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kull v. Noble, 10 S.W.2d 902, 178 Ark. 496, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 467 (Ark. 1928).

Opinion

Mehaffy, J.

The appellee, plaintiff below, brought this suit in the 'Sevier Circuit Court against the appellant, defendant below, to recover the sum of' $104, with interest, alleged t-o be the balance due on the price of a -certain piece of machinery known as a hog machine. The evidence shows that there is a difference between the make of the hog machine used in sawmills and the machine used in veneer mills; that they required a different arrangement. The appellant operated a veneer mill, and manufactured boxes, baskets, crates, caskets, etc., and it is contended that this machine was unfit for use in a veneer mill. The machine was bought by correspondence, and it was described and known as 2-C Mitts-Merrell hog machine. The appellant contended that the machine was bought through representations in advertising matter, and that it was represented as of the (kind and character used in a veneer plant. And he also contended that it was wholly unfit for use in a veneer plant. Efe also alleged that he had made an advance payment of $96, and asked judgment in a cross-complaint for that amount, with interest.

Appellant, according to his testimony, bought the machine, relying solely upon the representations of the plaintiff in its advertising matter, and had no opportunity to inspect the machine, but that it Was shipped subject to an inspection; that, when he saw it, he found that it was not the kind and character represented by appellee, and he refused to accept it, and promptly notified the appellee that the machine was at the station subject to his order. The appellee refused to take the machine back, and brought suit for the balance due. There was a verdict for the appellee for $104, with interest, and this appeal is prosecuted to reverse the judgment entered thereon.

The evidence showed that the machine was a known, described and defined article of manufacture, and was bought by appellant, relying on the description in advertising matter. The appellee is not a manufacturer, but a dealer in second-hand machines. The undisputed proof shows that this was the kind of machine ordered, and the undisputed proof also shows that it was unfit for use at appellant’s plant.

Appellant’s first contention is that the court erred in refusing to permit witness Kull to testify that he would not have bought the machinery if he had seen the description as contained in appellee’s Exhibit G-. Appellee’s Exhibit Gr was a description of machine which appellee’s evidence showed was mailed to the appellant, but which appellant’s evidence shows was never received. And it appears from appellant’s testimony that, if he had received this exhibit, he could have told from it that the machine was unfit for his use. But this testimony was not competent, because, when one buys a known manufactured article, calls for that article and gets the article that he asked for, it is not competent to show that, if he had possessed more accurate information about it, he would not have purchased it, or would have purchased some other kind of machine.

If one should order an Underwood typewriter of a certain make and certain number, and an Underwood typewriter of that make and number was shipped to him, it would be wholly immaterial whether it was fit for his use or not, and he would not be permitted to testify that, if he had known anything more about it, or if he had seen the machine, he would not have purchased it. And that is true of the testimony offered by appellant as to this exhibit. He himself says that he purchased or ordered what is known as 2-C Mitts-Merrell hog machine from the appellee. He says he knew nothing about this kind of a machine, but that he ordered it from the list that'appellee furnished hita; that, when he inspected it on its arrival, he ascertained that it was not the 'kind of a machine he wanted; that it was a sawmill hog, instead of a veneer hog, and that he could not use it. He said he relied solely, in ordering this machine, upon the representations contained in the list which he had, and that he never received the cut introduced as Exhibit Gr to the testimony of appellee.

Appellant next contends that the court erred in refusing to submit appellant’s theory of the case to the jury. He insists that a peremptory instruction should have been given on behalf of the appellant, for the reason, as he contends, that the undisputed testimony shows that the machine in question was not such a machine as that used in veneer plants; and that, if appellee did not know the kind of ¡business in which appellant was engaged, it had the machine advertised as a veneer machine.

It is true that the undisputed proof shows that the machine was not such a machine as was required by the appellant. But it was the identical machine that appellant ordered, and, as we have already said, when one purchases a well-known article of manufacture, orders a particular kind of machine, and receives the kind he ordered, there is no warranty that it shall ¡answer the particular purpose intended by the buyer.

Appellant next contends that the court erred in refusing to give its requested instruction number six. That instruction, in effect, told the jury that, if appellant had no opportunity to inspect the machine, he had a right to rely upon'the representations of the plaintiff as to the ase for which the machine was intended. And that if they found, through advertising matter or otherwise, that appelleq, had represented to the appellant that the machine was suitable, when in truth and in fact it was not, the appellant had a right to reject it and rescind the contract, provided they further found that the appellant did not 'know that the machine was not suitable for use 'in a veneer mill, and relied upon the representations of the plaintiff that it was suitable.

There was no contention on the part of appellant that he had any representations from the appellee in any way except the advertisements; and instruction number 6 permitted appellant to recover if he relied on the advertisements, although he ordered a known, described and definite article and received the kind of a machine he ordered. The court did instruct the .jury as follows:

‘ ‘ If you believe from the evidence that the machine in controversy, shipped to defendant by plaintiff, was of the described kind and condition, and equipped as agreed upon by the plaintiff and defendant, your verdict will be for the plaintiff in the sum of $104, with interest thereon at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum from April 2, 1927, to this date.”

This instruction was given by the court upon its own motion, and was numbered one.

It will be seen that, before they could find for the plaintiff, the machine must be of the described kind and condition, and accepted as agreed upon by the plaintiff.

The court also of its own motion gave instruction number 2, which is as follows:

“If you find from the evidence that the said machine was not of the described kind and condition, and equipped as agreed upon in the contract between plaintiff and defendant, you will find for the defendant upon his counterclaim in the sum of $96, with'interest thereon from April 5,1927, to this date, at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum. ’ ’

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

Related

Modern Farm Service, Inc. v. Ben Pearson, Inc.
308 F.2d 18 (Fifth Circuit, 1962)
General Motors Acceptance Corp. v. Jerry
181 Ark. 771 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1930)
Brierton v. Anderson
20 S.W.2d 313 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1929)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 S.W.2d 902, 178 Ark. 496, 1928 Ark. LEXIS 467, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kull-v-noble-ark-1928.