Lebow & Shell Corp. v. Medella

16 N.E.2d 927, 296 Ill. App. 622, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 420
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 10, 1938
DocketGen. No. 40,041
StatusPublished

This text of 16 N.E.2d 927 (Lebow & Shell Corp. v. Medella) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lebow & Shell Corp. v. Medella, 16 N.E.2d 927, 296 Ill. App. 622, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 420 (Ill. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

Mr. Justice O’Cohhor

delivered the opinion of the court.

Plaintiff brought an action against defendant to recover the balance of $758 plus $75.80 attorney’s fees it claimed to be due on the purchase price of secondhand fixtures sold and installed by plaintiff for the use of defendant’s tenant in running a butcher shop. Defendant denied liability on the ground that the fixtures, as partially installed, could not be used; that defendant requested plaintiff to remove them, and upon its failure to do so defendant had them removed and stored in a warehouse for plaintiff. Defendant also claimed damages and the return of $200 he had paid on account. There was a jury trial finding the issues for defendant, assessing his damages at $200, and plaintiff appeals.

The record discloses that plaintiff was engaged in selling and installing secondhand fixtures for use in butcher shops; whether it also sold new fixtures does not clearly appear. A few days before February 2, 1937, defendant called at plaintiff’s place of business to purchase fixtures to be installed in a building belonging to defendant which he had rented to Frank Burch and wife to be used by them as a butcher shop. The evidence shows that two of plaintiff’s representatives with defendant and his tenant Burch selected each of the fixtures required by defendant. The fixtures were secondhand and were in plaintiff’s place of business at 1141 West Madison street, Chicago. The fixtures selected were, “1 used cereal counter and platters 1 dozen, 1 used 12x9 cooler & partition . . . 2 used counters ... 1 used White porcelain ice machine in running condition to maintain cold temperature (Baker); 2 used scales (Dayton); 1 used combination meat chopper and coffee mill — Steiner; 1 used Slicer — Globe—1 used Cash Register — National —-Ticket M; 1 used staffer and 2 used Blocks in good condition.”

Two witnesses for plaintiff testified that as each fixture was selected and agreed upon the price was given to defendant, and that afterward an itemization of the several articles with the prices, was given to defendant. The items totalled $1,170 and $113 for interest for 24 months, totalling $1,283; $200 was paid in cash and the balance, $1,083, payable in 24 consecutive instalments.

Defendant testified that he and his tenant Burch, together with two of plaintiff’s representatives, selected the several fixtures but that he was not given the cost of each, only the total. Burch was not called. February 2, 1937, a day or two after the articles were selected, a representative of plaintiff called on defendant at his place of business and a written document, designated as a contract by plaintiff, for the sale of the items was signed by both parties. It was agreed that the fixtures were not to be installed until about a month afterward, and this was done. Apparently plaintiff installed the fixtures by one of its contractors, although this does not clearly appear from the evidence. The ice machine, the price of which was $200, was not satisfactory. Plaintiff removed the machine and afterward supplied another, and the evidence is to the effect that the latter was not connected up, so that it could be used, because defendant thought he would purchase a new ice machine. Plaintiff then took this second machine away, and apparently the parties never reached an agreement as to the purchase and installation of a new machine. About two months thereafter, May 24, 1937, defendant wrote plaintiff a letter, which is in evidence, saying that he had written a letter to plaintiff April 26, canceling the contract and that he had then demanded the removal of the fixtures; that unless this was done defendant would remove the fixtures at plaintiff’s expense, etc. Defendant’s evidence is further to the effect that his tenant, Burch, paid rent for February and March and refused to pay further because the fixtures were not completely installed and therefore could not be used, and he vacated the premises about June 19; he lived in the rear of the shop. In June defendant found a new tenant who wanted to use the place for a butcher shop but who had his own fixtures, and defendant was obliged to remove the fixtures in question so the new tenant could install his own. June 19 defendant removed the fixtures and had them stored with the Mozart Motor Service and afterward sent plaintiff the storage company’s receipt.

There is other evidence in the record to the effect that plaintiff did not obtain a permit before the fixtures were installed, nor were they inspected after installation by the proper city official as required by the city ordinance. There is some testimony on behalf of plaintiff to the effect that the contractor who installed the fixtures was to see that the proper permits were obtained and the inspection made, but the contractor was not called. Apparently he was employed by plaintiff. What the contractor did, if anything, does not appear. Since there must be a new trial, this evidence can then be adduced. There is other evidence in the record that the ice machine was condemned by a city inspector. All of this can be gone into on a retrial of the case.

Counsel for plaintiff says that since the fixtures in question were secondhand and selected by the buyer, and since there was no claim of fraud on the part of the seller, the doctrine that the buyer beware applies; that the written contract negatived any expressed or implied warranty because it was expressly agreed in the contract that “all previous comm unications between the parties hereto, either verbal or written, relating to the subject matter of this order are hereby abrogated, and this order when in fact accepted by you as above provided shall constitute the sole agreement between the parties,” and further the parties “expressly waive any and all implied warranties except that the vendor has a valid title and full right to sell.”

We think it clear that the written document designated a contract was not considered by either side as embracing all the terms of the transaction. It contains no provision about the installation of the fixtures that we have been able to find and none has been pointed out, and yet the evidence shows plaintiff assumed the obligation of installing* the fixtures and we think it obvious it was the understanding of plaintiff that the fixtures when installed would be reasonably fit for the purpose for which they were purchased by defendant. And the evidence all shows that plaintiff intended this to be the fact. Every word of plaintiff’s evidence is to the effect that it was obligated to see that the fixtures when installed would be usable. In fact Mr. Shell, who was plaintiff’s principal representative in the matter, on April 15, 1937, wrote defendant, “We guarantee the ice machine to give you satisfaction. In the event the machine does not operate satisfactorily, we will allow you a full credit of $325.00 in exchange of a new machine or otherwise.”

Counsel for defendant, in reply to plaintiff’s proposition, in his brief says “The sale was not second hand goods selected by the buyer but goods that were, not yet manufactured and purchased by sample and with the understanding that they were to be used for the meat market.” This statement of counsel is, to say the least, surprising in view of the facts in the record. Defendant testified he selected the various fixtures at plaintiff’s place of business and all the evidence shows that they were secondhand. In fact this was admitted by counsel for defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 N.E.2d 927, 296 Ill. App. 622, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 420, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lebow-shell-corp-v-medella-illappct-1938.