Landsberger v. Joyce

168 N.W. 969, 203 Mich. 156, 1918 Mich. LEXIS 567
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 27, 1918
DocketDocket No. 73
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 168 N.W. 969 (Landsberger v. Joyce) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Landsberger v. Joyce, 168 N.W. 969, 203 Mich. 156, 1918 Mich. LEXIS 567 (Mich. 1918).

Opinion

Ostrander, C. J.

The suit is brought to recover the purchase price of certain goods sold and delivered to defendants by plaintiff. One shipment was made in November, 1914, $82.50, the other in August, 1915, $481.25. That the goods were originally sold to, delivered, and received by defendants “is not disputed. That they had not been paid for when suit was begun is not disputed. There is no contest about quality, quantity or price. There is no controversy whatever over the November item. The declaration is upon the common counts in assumpsit, the plea the general issue. With the plea defendants gave notice that they would show, in defense of the action,—

“that said goods mentioned in the declaration in said cause were ordered by said defendants for fall delivery with an understanding that said goods should not be delivered until the latter part of November, 1915, and that said defendants should have thirty days and sixty days after delivery at that time. That • said goods were shipped by said plaintiff in the summer time of 1915, when said plaintiff knew that said goods could not be used by said defendants as they were winter goods, and that said defendants could not use them at that time and so notified said plaintiff.
“Said defendants will also give in evidence and insist in their defense that just before the 1st of the year of 1916, the said plaintiff had another agreement with said defendants at the city of Grand Rapids, [158]*158Michigan, in which said plaintiff agreed that said defendants need not pay for the goods, and that said plaintiff would take the same back and notify said defendants where to ship them.
“That said defendants held said goods as per last arrangement with said plaintiff subject to the order of said plaintiff, and still have the same subject to their order according to said agreement.
“That at the time said plaintiff took the amount of freight bills and other things connected with expenditures made by said defendants in relation thereto, and acquainted himself with all the circumstances in the matter, and agreed as above stated.”

The cause was tried by the court without a jury. At the conclusion of the trial the court rendered,' orally, an opinion, concluding with an order for judgment for the plaintiff. The attorney for defendants said :

“A stay of twenty days and findings of facts and law I would like to have made by the court.”

And the court replied:

“Well, that is all right. I will file what I have said here. I will look that over, and if it is enough, in my judgment, I will file it as findings of fact and law.”

Later, this opinion was filed as “findings of fact and law”; this in February, 1917. Still later, May 17, 1917, formal findings were filed, and in June, 1917, defendants filed exceptions thereto, one of. which is that the court filed two findings, both of them against the law and evidence. It does not appear that the exceptions, as such, were ever brought on to be heard. Some of them are embodied in the reasons asserted on the motion for a new trial. The record shows the following as the formal findings:

“This cause having come on to be heard before the court without a jury, the court does hereby find the facts to be as follows:
“1. That in the year 1914, and for some years prior [159]*159thereto, the plaintiff was engaged in business in the city of San Francisco, in the State of California, as a merchandise broker and manufacturer of food products.
“2. That; the defendants in the year 1914, and for some time prior thereto, had been engaged and were engaged in the retail business, having a store in the city of Grand Rapids, and one store in Traverse City, both in the State of Michigan.
“3. That on the 2d day of February, 1914, the defendants signed a written contract for the purchase from plaintiff of 50 cases' of tomato nectar and 50 cases of individual clam bouillon, amounting to $481.00. That these goods were to be shipped ‘on or about the fall of 1915,’ and were to be paid for one-half 30 days and the balance 60 days from date of invoice.
“4. That on the 3d day of November, 1914, the defendants ordered from plaintiff ten cases of clam bouillon for immediate shipment, and on the 5th day of November, 1914, defendants made additional order from plaintiff of ten cases of clam bouillon, amounting in all to $82.50, and that these goods were shipped to the defendants on the 14th and 23d days of November, 1914, and terms of payment 30 days from date of invoice.
“5. I further find that the goods called for by the order of February 2, 1914, arrived and were accepted by the defendants at Grand Rapids, Michigan, the latter part of August, 1915.
“6.‘ I further find that defendants made some com- . plaint, because these goods arrived too early and that the plaintiff, to meet this objection, agreed to extend the date of the invoice from August 17th to October 17th, thus extending the time of payment 60 days beyond the original agreement.
“7. I further find that during the year of 1915 the plaintiff made persistent and repeated efforts to secure from the defendants payments of the invoice of the goods shipped November, 1914, of $82.50, and after November 17, 1915, plaintiff made repeated efforts to secure payment of the goods shipped in August, 1915. And I further find that defendants made no payments on any of the goods shipped.
“8. I further find that on the 2d and 3d days of [160]*160December, 1915, the plaintiff was in the city and called upon the defendants for the purpose of securing payment of his bills and, in order to reach an immediate settlement or adjustment, offered to take back one-half of the goods shipped in August, 1915, provided that the defendants would immediately pay the balance of the goods shipped August, 1915, and also the bill of $82.50 for goods shipped November, 1914. Defendants refused to accept this offer. I further find that this was the only arrangement or agreement or understanding that the plaintiff had with the defendants on this occasion.
“Conclusions op Law.
“1. I therefore conclude, as a matter of law, that the defendants are indebted to the plaintiff, and that the plaintiff is entitled to recover from the defendants the sum of five hundred seventy-nine and .06-100 dollars, and that judgment be entered in favor of said plaintiff against said defendants for that amount, with costs of this suit to be taxed.”

As plaintiff also asked for formal findings and these formal findings were made, they must be considered as the findings of the court. Judgment was entered, and a motion for a new trial was denied.

There are 18 assignments of error. In the brief for appellants, it is said:

“The only question involved in this suit is whether or not the agreement entered into on the 3d day of December, 1915, as testified to by Mr. Joyce and his bookkeeper, Mr. Cherwenka, was a binding agreement; and whether or not there was any consideration for the same.”

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Related

Clark v. Detroit & Mackinac Railway Co.
163 N.W. 964 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1917)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
168 N.W. 969, 203 Mich. 156, 1918 Mich. LEXIS 567, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/landsberger-v-joyce-mich-1918.