Neer v. McFarland

291 P.2d 293, 77 Idaho 286, 1955 Ida. LEXIS 350
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 14, 1955
DocketNo. 8299
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 291 P.2d 293 (Neer v. McFarland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Neer v. McFarland, 291 P.2d 293, 77 Idaho 286, 1955 Ida. LEXIS 350 (Idaho 1955).

Opinion

SMITH, Justice.

July 10, 1952, plaintiff entered into a written contract with defendant Kotsche-var, who represented defendant McFarland as a disclosed principal. Plaintiff thereby agreed, for $1,200, to move the McFarland house from its present location to another location. The dispute under this contract arose out of matters having to do with the foundation of the house. The contract, as it relates to the foundation, provides that “the foundations are to be built by R. Kotschevar before moving,” upon which the building and severed portions are to be placed in reasonably good condition and workmanlike manner.

Plaintiff’s amended complaint sets out the written contract, then alleges that defendants prepared the foundation upon which the house was to be placed but in so doing, did not leave openings for skids upon which the house rested and upon which it was moved; that plaintiff requested defendants to make such openings in the foundation walls which defendants refused to do; thereupon defendants told plaintiff that if he expected to get his money, he would have to get the house down on the foundation without openings being made in the foundation.

Plaintiff admitted payment of $700 of the agreed contract price of $1,200; then alleges that he was willing and able to perform the entire contract and place the house down onto the foundation, provided [288]*288that defendants would live up to their agreement, “and prepare the foundation for the house, in proper manner;” that defendants having failed to do so, they an-ticipatorily breached the entire contract, and that plaintiff is still entitled to the full ■contract price of $1,200, less the $700 paid thereon.

Plaintiff further alleges that after he commenced the contracted work, defendants agreed to reimburse him for additional expenses in turning the house before taking it off the foundation, which work was not called for in the original contract; also, that $500 is a reasonable charge for turning the house.

Plaintiff seeks recovery of $500 allegedly ■due on the written contract and $500 for turning the house.

Defendants in answer to the amended complaint admit the written contract of July 10, 1952; admit that, in preparing the foundation for the house, they did not leave skid openings; generally deny the remaining allegations of said complaint, and affirmatively allege that they agreed to pay plaintiff an additional $100 for taking the house out in a different manner, under the oral contract, than as contemplated by the written contract.

The trial court overruled defendants’ demurrers; also denied defendants’ motion for a directed verdict. The jury returned a verdict of $1,000 in plaintiff’s favor upon which the trial court entered judgment and from which defendants perfected this appeal.

Defendants by their several assignments specify error of the trial court in failing to sustain their demurrers; in failing to sustain their motion for directed verdict; and in giving certain jury instructions; also they assign insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict and judgment.

Plaintiff in his amended complaint in effect sets forth two causes of action ex contractu arising out of the house-moving transaction. We shall regard and dispose of each cause of action separately.

Plaintiff attempts to base his first cause of action on the written contract of July 10, 1952, upon the theory that defendants prevented plaintiff’s full performance of the house-moving job by refusing to make skid openings in the foundation.

The complaint does not set out wherein defendants violated the terms of that contract by not leaving skid openings; nor wherein the foundation was not constructed in the proper manner by reason of absence of the skid openings, in violation of specified terms of the contract; also, the complaint fails to allege that the failure of defendants to make the skid openings, or any other action on their part, was wrongful, or in bad faith; or that plaintiff thereby was prevented from completing his performance under the contract; or that the parties contemplated making the skid openings in the foundation when the contract [289]*289was made. The complaint shows on its face, by reference to the contract, only that “the foundations are to be built by R. Kot-schevar before moving.” Nothing further appears relating to the construction of the foundation; particularly, the contract does not contain any clause requiring the builder to leave skid openings in the foundation.

Further, the complaint fails to allege any proper basis for the recovery of damages by reason of any alleged breach of said contract. Plaintiff alleges only that he is entitled to the full contract price less amounts paid on account, rather than that he is entitled to recover his profit on the balance of the contract, had it gone to completion.

We now shall examine the evidence thereby to ascertain whether, at the time the contract was entered into, the parties contemplated that skid openings be left in the foundation.

The record shows that plaintiff is an experienced house mover; that defendant Kotschevar is an experienced builder, but did not have any experience in moving houses; that defendant McFarland did not have experience in either line of endeavor mentioned.

The record shows that the parties met and talked about moving the house. They twice met at the location from where the house was to be moved; then at the office of defendant McFarland where plaintiff and defendants arrived at the terms and conditions of the contract, excepting additions relating to times of payment, which the parties, at plaintiff’s request, added later as part of the contract.

The testimony of all parties fails to show, during those times referred to, that any mention was ever made of skid openings in the foundation; nor did the subject matter ever come up for discussion until the latter part of September, 1952, under the circumstances hereinafter referred to.

Defendants, during the two months period commencing the latter part of July and ending the latter part of September, 1952, caused to be constructed a steel-reinforced concrete foundation for the house, in and upon the lot to which the house was to be moved. Plaintiff’s residence was situate next door, adjoining that lot; although during that period of time plaintiff frequently observed the building of the foundation by defendants’ workmen, he did not mention to defendants, or to their workmen, anything about leaving skid openings in the foundation. During the latter part of September, 1952, after the foundation had been completed, plaintiff commenced the work of moving the house; yet continuing up to that time, he had not checked the foundation for any skid openings.

It was not until plaintiff had moved the house to the new location (excepting a severed bedroom and porches yet to be moved), that the matter of skid openings first came up for discussion. Then, for [290]*290the first time, plaintiff told defendant Kot-schevar that he, plaintiff, desired skid openings in the top of the foundation for the purpose of setting the house on the foundation, thereby to permit plaintiff to withdraw his full length skids from under the house after lowering it on the foundation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
291 P.2d 293, 77 Idaho 286, 1955 Ida. LEXIS 350, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neer-v-mcfarland-idaho-1955.