Nelson v. Hall

74 So. 877, 73 Fla. 810
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMarch 31, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 74 So. 877 (Nelson v. Hall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nelson v. Hall, 74 So. 877, 73 Fla. 810 (Fla. 1917).

Opinion

Ellis, J.

The. plaintiff in error brought suit in the Circuit Court for Dade County against R. E. Hall upon three promissory notes, each dated March 20th, 1908. [811]*811There were’ five counts to the declaration; three of them were based on the three promissory notes, the other two were common law counts for materials furnished and money paid by the plaintiff to the defendant at his request. The declaration alleged that the three notes were made by the defendant R. E. Hall and payable to the International Harvester Company of America, by that company endorsed to the Miami Hardware Company, which endorsed them to the plaintiff, Edwin Nelson.

To this declaration the defendant interposed two pleas, which in substance averred that the notes were given for the purchase of an “Engine, pump and other machinery” to be. set up and water supplied on the land of defendant on or before September, A. D. 1908.. It was averred, in. substance, that the defendant agreed to purchase from the International Harvester Company an irrigating plant consisting of engine, pump and other machinery to be set up and water supplied on, defendant’s land, and that an “appliance would be furnished which would be attached to said machinery, so that the. engineer in charge could turn all the pipes at one time, or with drum attached to engine the pipes would be turned automatically.” The first plea averred that the machinery was not installed and water flowing as agreed, and that the defendant relying upon the promises made by the agents of the International Harvester Company planted a crop on the lands and the crops failed on account of the unsatisfactory manner in which the machinery was set up, and the lack of parts which was agreed to be furnished, and defendant lost his entire crop and the. machinery and irrigating plant was worthless' to him because the promise of the agents of the company had not been complied with.

The second plea averred that among other promises the agents represented that the irrigating plant would be [812]*812in first-class condition in every respect; and although part of the machinery was placed on the. land, the machinery was not installed and water flowing as agreed; that the defendant, relying on the promises made, planted a crop which failed on account of the unsatisfactory manner in which the machinery was se.t up and the lack of parts which was agreed to be furnished, and the defendant lost his entire crop, and the machinery and plant was worthless to defendant because of the failure of the. corporation to comply with its promises, and that the plaintiff was not a bona fide holder of the notes' for a valuable consideration and without notice, and that when the notes were signed the agent of the International Harvester Company represented to defendant that the notes would not have to be paid until all the machinery was in perfect condition, and that the plaintiff and the International Harvester Company had failed and refused to put the same in perfect condition.

To these pleas the following replication was filed: “Comes plaintiff and for a third replication to defendant’s first and second additional pleas, says that the pump, engine, piping and fittings for which the notes sued on were given in payment were delivered to defendant in the fall of 1907 and said machinery had been set up and was in full operation and use by defendant more than four and a half months béfore the notes sued on in this cause were executed and delivered by defendant to the International Harvester Company of America, and that at the time defendant executed said notes he had, or by the exercise. of reasonable diligence could have had, full knowledge that the said machinery had been set up and water supplied on or before November 1st, 1907, and had full knowledge that no appliances had .been furnished to be attached to said machinery so that the engineer in charge [813]*813could turn all the pipes at one time or with drum attached to the engine would be turned automatically, and that with such knowledge defendant executed and delivered the several notes sued on in payment for said machinery and thereby waived any delay in the. setting up of said machinery and thereby waived the alleged defects in said machinery and the absence of such turning device.”

According to a well established rule of pleading, allegations or averments that are material to the cause of action or defense which are not denied by the opposite party, are for the purpose of the trial considered to be not in issue. The reason for the rule is that the parties may by their pleadings produce a single issue which' is the object of the. common law system of pleading. If an immaterial issue is tendered it may be accepted and the parties go to trial upon it. See Cotton States Belting & Supply Co. v. Florida R. Co., 69 Fla. 52, 67 South. Rep. 568; New York Life Ins. Co. v. Mills, 51 Fla. 256, 41 South Rep. 603; Evans v. Kloeppe, decided at the June Term, 1916, 73 South. Rep. 180.

The replication ignored the averments of the two pleas as to the consideration for which the notes were given, and that in the agreement for the purchase of .the machinery it was provided that an appliance would be furnished which would be attached to the machinery so that the engineer could turn all the pipes at one time, or with drum attached to engine the pipes could be turned automatically. It also ignored the averments as to the failure to comply with such agreement, and averred the fact to be that the machinery, pump, engine, pipes and fittings, had been set up and was in full operation and use by the defendant for more than four months before the notes sued on were executed and delivered, and that the defendant had thereby waived the alleged defects in the [814]*814machinery. In other words, the defendant had by the execution and delivery of the notes several months after the machinery, pump, engine, pipes and fittings, had been set up by the. seller and used by the defendant, waived the objection that the seller had failed to comply in every particular with the agreement of sale, particularly the agreement to furnish the appliances to be attached to the machinery.

The defendant accepted the-issue and the parties went to trial.

It is contended by plaintiff in error that there was evidence to support the issue of fact tendered by the replication, viz, that the notes were executed and delivered four months after the machinery, pump, engine, pipes and fittings, had been set up by the seller on the defendant’s land, and was in full operation and use by defendant.

The court, however, instructed the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, which they did. A judgment was entered thereon', to which the writ of error was taken.

The trial court should not withdraw a case from the jury by giving a peremptory instruction for either party unless there is no evidence before the court that could in law support a verdict contrary to the one directed by the court. If there, is evidence to support a different verdict, or the evidence is conflicting upon the issue on which the cause is tried, the court errs if he withdraws from the jury the consideration of such evidence, thereby usurping their province and substituting his judgment upon the facts for theirs. McKinnon v. Johnson, 57 Fla. 120, 48 South. Rep. 910; Bass v. Ramos, 58 Fla. 161, 50 South. Rep. 945; Wood v. Gipson, 63 Fla. 316, 58 South Rep. 364.

The principle announced above was expressed in the following language in the. cases cited: “A charge direct[815]

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Bluebook (online)
74 So. 877, 73 Fla. 810, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nelson-v-hall-fla-1917.