Lewis National Corp. v. Collentro

33 Mass. App. Dec. 86
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedNovember 29, 1965
DocketNo. 6120; No. 12684—1964
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 33 Mass. App. Dec. 86 (Lewis National Corp. v. Collentro) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis National Corp. v. Collentro, 33 Mass. App. Dec. 86 (Mass. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

Parker, J.

This is an action of contract. The declaration is in two counts, the first for damages resulting from an alleged breach of contract, the second for liquidated damages .as set out in the alleged contract. The defendant’s answer is a general denial. The court found for the defendant on both counts.

On 16 April 1963 the defendant signed a form which read in part as follows:

“Lewis National Corporation, hereafter called the Seller, proposes to deliver f.o.b. point of shipment to Joseph Collentro d/b/a—Plaza Sparkling Cleaners—Danvers Shopping Plaza Rt. 1 Malden, Mass., Buyer, the following equipment in accordance with the specifications, descriptions, and terms and conditions of this contract .....” (The underlined portions of the [88]*88above were in the handwriting of the Vice President of the plaintiff.) Then follows a description of two Spencer. Coin-operated Dry Cleaning Units and recitation of payments received on the machines and methods of future payments. On the same page in print appears the following: “This contract becomes effective only upon acceptance by Seller at its home office”. On the second page appears in print the following: “(18) Execution: The contract shall become final and binding upon execution by the Seller at its home office”.

The defendant signed on the line above the word “Buyer”. The signature is Joseph V. Collentro. On the same page and to the left of the space filled by the defendant’s signature appears the following printed space “LEWIS National Corporation Seller By-• -Title”.

After the defendant had signed the form, the plaintiff’s vice-president took it to the plaintiff’s office. There was evidence given by the plaintiff’s vice-president that the president of the plaintiff, Harold P. Lewis, on the day following the defendant’s signing, signed his name in the space between “By” and “Title” adding after his name the word “Pres.”.

The machines arrived and on 24 April 1963 the plaintiff, by one Browne Asst. Treasurer, wrote a letter on its letterhead reading “Lewis National Corp. One Mt. Vernon St., Dorchester 25, Mass. TA 5-6141 Laundry and [89]*89Dry Cleaning Machinery” addressed to the defendant “d/b/a Plaza Sparkling Cleaners, Inc.”. The first sentence of the letter read as follows: “Thank you for your recent order in the amount of $8600.00 dated April 16, 1963.” With the letter were enclosed conditional sales contract and a financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code. The letter directed the defendant to sign these papers “as you normally sign without corporate title”. Upon receipt of the letter, the defendant called the plaintiff, spoke to Browne, and said he did not want to sign personally and that the deal was that the corporation (Sparkling Cleaners, Inc.) was to be responsible, not the defendant. The defendant was informed that the machines would not be delivered unless he personally signed the conditional sales agreement and the financing statement. The defendant refused to do so. The machines were not delivered, and the plaintiff brought this suit.

The court found that the form was not intended to be a contract, and that it was intended that a formal conditional sales contract complying with statutory requirements be drafted, and that when such contract was drafted by the plaintiff, the defendant refused to sign, since it purported to bind him personally. The court found that the plaintiff signed the form after the defendant had already communicated to the plaintiff his refusal to enter into a contract calling for personal liability on his part, in effect withdrawing [90]*90any offer made by him to enter into a contract. The plaintiff filed 13 requests for rulings. Request reads as follows:

“That there is evidence to warrant a finding for the plaintiff (a) on COUNT ONE of the plain - Itiff’s declaration”.

The court allowed this request, but did not so find.

Request #2 reads as follows:

“That there is insufficient evidence to warrant a finding for the defendant (a) on Count One of the plaintiff’s declaration and (b) on COUNT TWO of the plaintiff’s declaration”.

The court denied this request.

The remaining requests and the action taken by the court thereon are as follows:

“3. In the absence of fraud, one who voluntarily signs a written agreement is bound by its terms whether he reads or understands it or not. jRuling: This may be a correct statement of law but it is immaterial in view of my findings.

4. The written contract declared on by the plaintiff shows on its face that it was intended to set forth the entire agreement between the parties. Ruling: I do not find that the writing declared on by the plaintiff ripened into a contract.

5. Where a written agreement shows on its face that it was intended to set forth the entire agreement between the parties, its terms cannot be varied or supplemented by paroi evidence. Ruling: This may be a correct [91]*91statement of law but it is immaterial in view of my findings.

8. By the terms of the contract between the parties the defendant is estopped from asserting that said contract was cancelled unless said cancellation was authorized by the written consent of the plaintiff. Ruling: I do not find that any contract was entered into between the parties.

9. By the terms of the contract between the parties the defendant is estopped from asserting any variations or modifications of said contract unless the same are in writing and accepted by the plaintiff. Ruling: I do not find that any contract was entered into between the parties.”

Requests 3 through 13 are based upon the assumption by the plaintiff that the form dated 16 April 1963 was a valid contract. The court by its rulings on these requests, by denying them, holding them immaterial, refusing to find as requested and by its findings has found and ruled that it is not a contract because, if it be held that the form of 16 April 1963 was an offer, it was not accepted by the plaintiff before it was withdrawn by the defendant; and if it be held that the offer was accepted, even then, there was no contract, because the form looked to a completed conditional sales contract as the contract between the parties and no such conditional sale was ever agreed upon.

The court was not compelled to accept the plaintiff’s testimony as to the time [92]*92of its signing of the form dated April 1963 as given by the plaintiff, even though the testimony is uncontradicted.

”11. The amount of the damages provided for in clause (16) on the reverse side of the contract declared on by the plaintiff, is reasonable in the light of: (a) the anticipated or actual harm caused by the defendant’s breach, (b) the difficulties of proof of loss and (c) the inconvenience or nonfeasibility of otherwise obtaining an adequate remedy. Ruling: Immaterial in view of my finding for the defendant. If material, I would not so find.

12. Upon all the evidence there should be a finding for the plaintiff on COUNT ONE of the plaintiff’s declaration because (a) the defendant ordered the equipment described in the contract dated April 16,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 Mass. App. Dec. 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-national-corp-v-collentro-massdistctapp-1965.