Miller v. Haney

116 N.E. 21, 64 Ind. App. 406, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 71
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 11, 1917
DocketNo. 9,291
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 116 N.E. 21 (Miller v. Haney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Haney, 116 N.E. 21, 64 Ind. App. 406, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 71 (Ind. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Hottel, J.

The appellant appeals from a judgment in appellee’s favor for $875, in an action brought by the latter to recover damages alleged to have been sustained by him on account of a fraudulent sale to him by appellant of a newspaper agency in the city of Vincennes, Indiana, The issues of fact were tendered by a complaint in two paragraphs and a general denial thereof. A demurrer to each paragraph of complaint, and a motion for new trial, filed by .appellant, were each overruled, and each of these rulings is separately assigned as error in this court and relied on for reversal.

1. The memorandum accompanying said demurrer contains numerous grounds of objection to each of said paragraphs of complaint, but appellant in his brief presents but one objection against the .first paragraph and two against the second paragraph. The others will be treated as waived. Pittsburgh, etc., R. Co. v. Greb (1904), 34 Ind. App. 625, 73 N. E. 620; Wolf v. Akin (1913), 55 Ind. App. 589, 591, 104 N. E. 308, and cases cited.

2. As against the first paragraph, it is insisted that its averments affirmatively show such “negligence, carelessness or gross indifference on the part of the plaintiff relative to the things complained of” that he “cannot recover.” This ground of objection is a departure at least from the letter of any ground contained in the memorandum, but, assuming that those contained in such memorandum are sufficiently comprehensive to include it, the averments of the first paragraph furnish a complete answer to the objection. Without attempting to allege all or in detail the averments of said paragraph, it is sufficient to say that it alleges in substance that appellant was the owner [409]*409of the business called the Vincennes News Agency, and as such had the agency for and carried on the business of buying and selling daily and Sunday newspapers; that he was the representative and agent in Vincennes for a large number of newspapers, nine of them being specifically mentioned, published at Indianapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago,, and other cities, and had the exclusive right to the sale in said city of Vincennes of a number of such papers, under contracts with the publishers thereof; that by these contracts he bought papers at wholesale and sold them to the citizens of Vincennes ; that appellant well knew that he could not transfer to appellee any right to purchase or control the sale of said papers in said city, but nevertheless falsely and fraudulently represented to appellee that he could and would transfer to' appellee such agency and the exclusive right to buy and sell all of said papers in said city, and the full and complete right to manage, own and control and operate said business, and control the sale of all of said papers in the city of Vincennes; that said business was prosperous and paying, and said agencies were worth much more than $1,200. This paragraph further alleges that appellant was totally blind and was a stranger in said city, with no friends or acquaintances therein, which facts were well known to appellant; that said representations were false and well known to be so when made by appellant, and were made with the fraudulent purpose and intent of inducing appellee to purchase appellant’s business and agency, and with the intent and purpose of defrauding and cheating appellee out of the said sum of $1,200; that appellee relied on said representations and believed them to be true and by them was induced to purchase appellant’s said agency and business, and to pay him therefor said sum of $1,200; that appellee paid said sum and undertook to take over said business; that the publishers of several [410]*410newspapers denied appellant’s right to make such pretended sale and transfer, and refused to recognize it; that appellant had no right, power or authority to sell or transfer said agency, and in fact gave to appellee nothing of value for the $1,200 received from him; that, relying upon such representations, appellee paid appellant $1,200, etc.

2. It is apparent from these averments that whatever right or ability appellant had to sell or otherwise dispose of said agency and his business of buying and selling said papers thereunder, was a matter peculiarly within his knowledge. Under such circumstances, appellee was warranted in relying on his representation concerning it. Shaeffer v. Sleade (1844), 7 Blackf. 178; Harvey v. Smith (1861), 17 Ind. 272; Bloomer v. Gray (1894), 10 Ind. App. 326, 37 N. E. 819; Coulter v. Clark (1902), 160 Ind. 311, 66 N. E. 739; Rose v. Hurley (1872), 39 Ind. 77; Jones v. Hathaway (1881), 77 Ind. 14; Paxton, etc., Co. v. Mundell (1915), 62 Ind. App. 45, 112 N. E. 546; New v. Jackson (1911), 50 Ind. App. 120, 95 N. E. 328; Judy v. Jester (1912), 53 Ind. App. 74, 100 N. E. 15; Firebaugh v. Trough (1914), 57 Ind. App. 421, 107 N. E. 301; Chaney, Admr., v. Wood (1916), 63 Ind. App. 687, 115 N. E. 333; Godwin v. DeMotte (1917), ante 394, 116 N. E. 17. As against the objection urged, the first paragraph of complaint is sufficient.

3. The second paragraph of complaint contains substantially all of the averments of .the first, indicated supra, and in addition alleges in substance that appellee trusted the appellant to prepare a written contract for the sale of his said business and agency; that appellant prepared the same, and then falsely, fraudulently, purposely and designedly misread it to appellee. The contract so prepared, substituting “M” where the words “Ira F. Miller,” or “party of the first [411]*411part,” either or both, are used therein, and “H” where “C. F. Haney,” or “party of the second part,” either or 'both, are used therein, is as follows:

' “This contract made by M and H witnesseth that M sells arid delivers to H his newspaper business for the city of Vincennes, Indiana, with all equipment as now owned and operated by him, clear -of all incumbrances for the-sum of Twelve Hundred (* * *) Dollars, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, on the following conditions: The said H is to take charge and possession of said business on August 1, 1913, and to own and operate the same as his own, but to use M’s name in getting his papers from the publishers, and H agrees to keep his bills paid promptly at the end of each month, and at any time he fails to meet his bills that are made in M’s name M has the privilege of paying them and selling and transferring said agency to other parties, and after taking out amount of all bills paid by M, then pay what, if any remains, to H (And it is further agreed that at any time that H can give to the different news publishing companies that furnish this agency papers a bond acceptable to them, and they will transfer the agency to H then M shall release and help make the transfer after receiving any moneys he may have paid for H).'
“This contract made in duplicate this July 24th, 1913.
ira F. Miller ■his
C. F. + Haney.” mark

Appellant did not read to appellee the last clause of said contract, (placed in parentheses, supra), but instead thereof appellant falsely and knowingly read it to appellee and stated to him that it read as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
116 N.E. 21, 64 Ind. App. 406, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-haney-indctapp-1917.