Mallow v. Hall

245 N.W. 90, 209 Wis. 426, 1932 Wisc. LEXIS 245
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 9, 1932
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 245 N.W. 90 (Mallow v. Hall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mallow v. Hall, 245 N.W. 90, 209 Wis. 426, 1932 Wisc. LEXIS 245 (Wis. 1932).

Opinion

Rosenberry, C. J.

Upon the opening of the trial, O. S. Mallow, one of the plaintiffs, was sworn as a witness. He testified to the making of the contract and the delivery and [429]*429installation of the apparatus. Upon cross-examination counsel for the defendants asked the following question:

“Do you recall, Mr. Mallow, that Mr. and Mrs. Hall were particularly anxious if they purchased an oil burner to get a quiet one ?”

To which counsel for plaintiffs objected:

“If the court please, I think we may as well settle now that any and all conversations held contemporaneous or antecedent to the signed agreements are inadmissible. The contract speaks for itself and the contract contains all the warranties between the parties.”

Whereupon the court stated: “Counsel just come forward. I have an opinion on that I might as well give the counsel the benefit of now.” What the opinion was, the record does not disclose. Thereupon counsel for plaintiffs said: “Let that objection stand as to all testimony in relation to such conversations so that we do not have to repeat it constantly.” The Court: “Answer it.”

The evidence with respect to prior oral negotiations was apparently received subject to plaintiffs’ objection under some rule of law announced by the court but not disclosed by the record. The admission of this testimony under the circumstances, so far as it related to an attempt to vary the terms of the written contract, was erroneous.

The contract as modified contained the following clause:

“Badger Oil Burner which is to be installed, is guaranteed by the Mallow Oil Heating Company against any imperfection in materials and workmanship, and that it will supply heat up to the normal heating capacity of boiler or furnace as determined by standard heating methods, provided that the oil used is of the grade and quality specified by the seller. . . .
“There is no understanding, verbal or otherwise, which is not set down herein.”

[430]*430It was the contention of the plaintiffs that the contract between the parties contains an express warranty as to the heating capacity of the apparatus; that the contract being in writing and it being undisputed in the case that all representations claimed by the defendants to be made were made before the signing of the contract, under the well established rule the defendants cannot vary the terms of this contract by parol testimony. To this claim the defendants reply that the evidence discloses an implied warranty for the reasons (1st) that the vendor was advised that the equipment purchased was for a particular purpose; (2d) that an implied warranty is raised by sec. 121.15 (1), Stats. 1931; (3d) that sec. 121.15 (4) has no application to the case.

Sec. 121.15 (4) is as follows:

“In the case of a contract to sell or a sale of a specified article under its patent or other trade name, there is no implied warranty as to its fitness for any particular purpose.”

Sec. 121.15 (6) provides:

“An express warranty or condition does not negative a warranty or condition implied under this act unless inconsistent therewith.”

The jury found and the trial court approved the finding that the plaintiff represented to the defendants before the contracts were made that the heating plant would heat the house. The evidence to support this finding was apparently received over objection. The warranty contained in the contract was that the plant would supply heat up to the normal heating capacity of boiler or furnace as determined by standard heating methods, provided that the oil used is of the grade and. quality specified by the seller. It is difficult to understand how- it can be argued that these warranties do not relate to the same thing — the capacity of the furnace to furnish heat. The defendants claim that under sec. 121.15 (1), which provides: “Where the buyer, expressly or by implica[431]*431tion, makes known to the seller the particular purpose for which the goods are required, and it appears that the buyer relies on the seller’s skill or judgment, . . . there is an implied warranty that the goods shall be reasonably fit for such purpose,” that having informed plaintiffs that he wished a furnace that would heat the house, there was an implied warranty on the part of the plaintiff that the apparatus when installed would he reasonably fit for such purpose. Whatever the situation might be if the plaintiff had had a contract to install a heating plant in the house entire, we need not stop to inquire. The evidence in this case is very convincing, as well on the part of the defendants as the plaintiffs, that the difficulty is that the pipes which run to the rooms regarding which complaint is made are too long to enable the whole plant to work properly in that it gets out of balance. The plaintiff testified that he was of the opinion that the apparatus should heat the house and still was of that opinion if the plant was operated properly, and that although he attempted to rectify the plant, he claims that he was not under any obligation to do so under the contract but that what he did was done in order to please a dissatisfied customer. If under the circumstances of this case, the property having been sold under a trade name, the warranty could extend no farther than that equipment furnished would produce the necessary amount of heat, the distributing plant having been furnished by the defendants, there could be no implied warranty that there would be proper distribution of the heat. The evidence establishes quite satisfactorily that the plant produced heat enough but the difficulty was with its distribution..

In submitting to the jury question number 3: “Did the plaintiff represent to the defendant's before the contracts for the heating plant were entered into that the heating plant would heat the house?” — the court entirely ignored the fact that the implied warranty at the most'related to the capacity [432]*432of the plant, not to the efficiency of the distribution system. Heating the house and furnishing a plant which will create enough heat to heat the house are two entirely different things. If, as claimed by the defendants, the representation was to heat the house, that is a representation wholly inconsistent with the clause contained in the contract and parol evidence was not admissible to vary the terms of the contract, there being no claim of fraud or mutual mistake. Mandelker v. Goldsmith, 177 Wis. 245, 188 N. W. 74, and cases cited.

There remains to be considered the contention of the plaintiffs that there was no rescission. There was complaint by the defendants from time to time after the plant was installed. In response to these complaints the plaintiffs from time to time attempted to remove the cause of the difficulty. The plant was installed in July, 1930. In February, 1931, seven months after the installation and between three and four months after defendants began using the plant for heating purposes, Hall told Mallow that he would pay him no more money until the plant heated differently. The plaintiffs did the last work on the plant on March 16, 1931. On April 10th plaintiffs notified the defendants that a lien had been filed; that they would save expense by giving the matter their attention. Thereupon and on April 16th the defendants’ attorney wrote a letter which contained among other things the following:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
245 N.W. 90, 209 Wis. 426, 1932 Wisc. LEXIS 245, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mallow-v-hall-wis-1932.