Packard Phoenix Motor Co. v. McRuer

19 P.2d 332, 41 Ariz. 450, 1933 Ariz. LEXIS 186
Arizona Supreme Court·Decided March 1, 1933·No. Civil No. 3262.·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

LOCKWOOD, J.

Packard Phoenix Motor Company, a corporation, hereinafter called plaintiff, brought suit against Donald McRuer, hereinafter called defendant, on a promissory note given by the latter to the former. Defendant answered to the effect that the note was without consideration and then by way of cross-complaint set up that he had purchased from plaintiff a certain Packard roadster for $1,468, and “ . . . that to induce defendant to purchase said automobile, plaintiff represented to defendant that said automobile was in first class condition and that it would run perfectly, and plaintiff agreed to give defendant ninety-days’ free service on said automobile, being the same service it gave on new automobiles sold by it; that the defendant relied on the representations of plaintiff as to the condition *452 and performance of said automobile, and being induced thereby purchased said automobile, and as a part of the consideration for the purchase price, defendant executed the note set out in plaintiff’s complaint.” Defendant further alleged that shortly after the purchase of the car it developed many defects and did not run satisfactorily and that he returned it frequently for adjustment, but that after many attempts to repair it plaintiff finally stated that it was unable to put the car in first-class condition, whereupon defendant spent various sums of money with other automobile mechanics endeavoring to repair the car, and finally was compelled to purchase another engine block, his total expenses in this behalf amounting to $485.03. The cross-complaint also contained the following allegation:

“That because of the misrepresentations of plaintiff as to the condition of said automobile as aforesaid, defendant was deprived of the use of it for days at a time since he purchased the same from plaintiff while it was being repaired, by plaintiff and others, causing defendant further damage in the sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).”

The case went to trial before a jury, and plaintiff proved the execution and delivery of the note and that there was $200 still due thereon and rested, whereupon defendant proceeded on his answer and cross-complaint. After a good deal of evidence had been offered by him, he amended his cross-complaint and the case was finally submitted to the jury. Two verdicts were rendered, the first on plaintiff’s complaint, which reads as follows: “We the jury duly empaneled and sworn in the above-entitled action, upon our oaths, do find for the defendant cancellation of the balance of note and interest.” And the second on defendant’s cross-complaint, which reads as follows: “We.the jury duly empaneled and sworn in the above entitled action, upon our oaths, do find *453 for the cross-complainant and against the cross-defendant in the sum of-Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) damages.” And judgment was rendered that plaintiff: take nothing by its complaint and defendant recover $200 from plaintiff in accordance with the verdict above. After the usual motion for new trial was overruled, this appeal was taken.

There are ten assignments of error which we will consider in accordance with the legal propositions raised thereby. The first is that the court erred in permitting defendant to amend his cross-complaint. It appears from the transcript of evidence that at first both court and counsel were in considerable doubt as to whether the cross-complaint was based upon the violation of a warranty, either express or implied, or whether it was an action for fraudulent misrepresentations, but after a good deal of discussion the court came to the conclusion that it was an action in fraud and allowed the amendment to conform the pleadings to that theory. The amendment changed the last paragraph of the complaint above quoted so that it read as follows: ‘ ‘ That because of the misrepresentations of the plaintiff as to the condition of said automobile as aforesaid, the defendant was damaged in the sum of $585.23.” This was over the objection of plaintiff, which contended that the trial amendment changed the whole theory of the case and that if that was done the complaint should be made more definite and certain by showing of what the damages consisted. The court held that under the amendment the complaint stated a cause of action in fraud in which the measure of damages would be the difference between the actual value of the car and the price paid for it by defendant and denied plaintiff’s motion to make more definite and certain. We think that if the case was one based upon fraud the action of the court was proper, and since the case was tried thereafter by both parties on that theory, there *454 was no error in allowing the trial amendment or in refusing to require defendant to make more definite and certain the manner in which he was damaged. And this appeal must be determined on the theory on which the case was tried in the lower court. Tevis et al. v. Ryan et al., 13 Ariz. 120, 108 Pac. 461, affirmed 233 U. S. 273, 34 Sup. Ct. 481, 58 L. Ed. 957; Dey v. Hill, 20 Ariz. 466, 181 Pac. 462.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Packard Phoenix Motor Co. v. McRuer, 19 P.2d 332, 41 Ariz. 450, 1933 Ariz. LEXIS 186 (Ark. 1933).

19 P.2d 332 (Packard Phoenix Motor Co. v. McRuer) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Aspen v. Wakefield
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2021
Ulan v. Richtars
446 P.2d 255 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1968)
Ashley v. Kramer
442 P.2d 564 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1968)
Sarwark Motor Sales, Inc. v. Husband
426 P.2d 404 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1967)
Hemstad v. Mehlhoff
377 P.2d 532 (Montana Supreme Court, 1963)
Steele v. Vanderslice
367 P.2d 636 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1961)
Goocher v. Maas
259 P.2d 551 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1953)
Waddell v. White
109 P.2d 843 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1941)
Williams v. Klemovitz
87 P.2d 269 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1939)
Leggett v. Wardenburg
85 P.2d 989 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1939)
Shell Oil Co., Inc. v. Brazee
75 P.2d 45 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1938)
Wood v. Ford
72 P.2d 423 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1937)
Carlson v. Murphy
47 P.2d 1100 (California Court of Appeal, 1935)