Peck v. Greige

21 Mass. App. Dec. 21
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedFebruary 15, 1961
DocketNo. 5477; No. 15249
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 21 Mass. App. Dec. 21 (Peck v. Greige) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peck v. Greige, 21 Mass. App. Dec. 21 (Mass. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

Eno, J.

This is an action of contract with a declaration in three counts:

1. For money loaned in December 1956, in the sum of $500.00 plus interest of $90.00.
2. For money loaned in January and February 1957, in the sum of $175.00 plus interest of $31.20.
3. For money loaned on September 24, 1959, in the sum of $200.00.

The answer is a general denial and a plea of res judicata.

At the trial it was agreed that Count 3 refers to an action which was previously fully tried, a finding was made, and that the matter is res judicata..

Only Counts 1 and 2 of the declaration are now in issue.

The report is erroneously entitled “Plaintiff’s Report”. The original report that an aggrieved party files after a decision is called a “Draft Report” but when it is allowed by the Trial Judge it becomes the “Report” of the Judge, and not a “Plaintiff’s” [23]*23or a “Defendant’s” report. Rule 28 of the Rules of District Courts, (1952).

The report is very meagre as shown by the following quoted verbatim therefrom:

“It was further agreed that on or about December 12, 1956, the plaintiff did loan the defendant $500.00 and that the defendant had made no payments on this loan. The plaintiff stated that this claim was against the defendant on a common count of money loaned and not on a specific written contract mentioned by the defendant. At the request of the Court, the plaintiff produced, but did not offer in evidence, a copy of the written contract mentioned which, on motion of the defendant, was admitted to evidence and which is now attached to the pleadings. The written contract original is now in the Federal Court.
The plaintiff testified that two additional loans totaling $175.00 was made to the defendant in January and February 1957, and that no payments had been made on the loan whatsoever. The defendant denied such loans were made.
The defendant then presented and offered as evidence a report of the finding of one Justice Ford in the Federal Court For The District of Massachusetts involving the libel of a fishing vessel and entitled Ernest H. Peck, Libelant vs. the Oil Screw F. V. Lou Sam, her engines, tackle, apparel and furniture.
[24]*24The plaintiff objected to the admission of such report for the purpose of proving the plaintiff’s three counts in the action at bar to be res judicata (sic.) as the parties and other elements of the case in the Federal Court were different from the case at bar.
The Court overruled the plaintiff’s objection and allowed the report to be entered as evidence.
The plaintiff duly claimed an exception and offered to prove that the parties in the Federal Court case were not the same as in the case at bar; that the basis for the claim at bar was on an implied oral contract only and not on an express, written contract used as basis of claim for the Federal Case of Peck vs. Lou Sam. The plaintiff requested that the said ruling be reported.”

While the report states that the plaintiff duly “.claimed an exception” to the admission of said report, he failed to pursue the matter since he did not reduce his objection in writing within five days after the ruling was made as required by Rule 27, of Rules of District Courts, (1952).

The plaintiff also failed to argue this point in his brief and we treat this matter as having been waived.

The report admitted in evidence was an opinion by Ford, D. J. rendered December 7) 1959 in a case brought in the U. S. District [25]*25Court by the plaintiff, (libellant) vs. “The Oil Screw Fishing Vessel Lou Sam, her engines, tackle, apparel and furniture” (the respondent).

The pertinent portions of this opinion is as follows:

“In December of 1956 libelant Peck and one Greige, one of the three owners of the Lou Sam, and described as the managing owner, entered into a written agreement under which Peck advanced to Greige the sum of $500. to fit out the vessel for fishing purposes. Other material provisions of the agreement read as follows:
“4. That said Greige will keep the said dragger Lou Sam fishing and will pay over to said Peck each week a one-sixth share of the earnings of said dragger Lou Sam even if the amount paid to said Peck is far in excess of the five hundred dollars loaned.
“5. That if by March 31, 1957 at least five hundred dollars in shares has not been paid to said Peck, then the arrangement in paragraph 4 is to continue until the full sum of five hundred dollars has been paid to said Peck.
“6. That said Greige as the managing owner of said dragger Lou Sam will sell each trip or catch of fish to one reliable dealer and will keep full and accurate records of each catch and sale and will [26]*26furnish said Peck with a weekly report of the same.”
“Peck further testified that on a subsequent occasion in January 1957, he loaned Greige an additional $100. to fit out the vessel and later in the same month an additional $75. Greige denied these two later loans were ever made and said that in 1957 no money was spent for repairs on the vessel until March of that year. On the evidence the libelant has failed to sustain the burden of proving that the loans of $100. and $75. were made.”

The District Judge, after reciting further findings as to the $500. loan, concluded as follows:

“The conclusion is that repayment to libelant of his $500. is not yet due in whole or in part under the contract and that libellant, having shown no actual damage suffered by him for the failure of Greige to keep records as required by the contract, is entitled only to nominal damages for that breach.
A decree will be entered awarding nominal damages to libelant in the amount of one dollar.”

The agreement above referred to is dated December 12, 1956, and is signed by the plaintiff and defendant in this action. It refers to the defendant as “the managing owner of the small dragger named Lou Sam”, and certain other pertinent paragraphs of that [27]*27agreement are quoted in the opinion above mentioned.

The plaintiff filed certain requests for rulings which were denied by the Court as follows:

1'. The evidence warrants a finding for the plaintiff.
"Denied, (see memo of Findings and Rulings)”
2. The evidence does not warrant a finding for the defendant.
"Denied, (see memo of Findings and Rulings ) ”
3. As a matter of law, the plaintiff is entitled to waive his contract with the defendant as agent and part owner of a vessel, and bring suit against the defendant on a count for money loaned as provided by statute and common law.
"Denied and further plaintiff did not waive his rights under the written agreement referred to and attached to the Court’s memo of Findings and Rulings.”
4.

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Bluebook (online)
21 Mass. App. Dec. 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peck-v-greige-massdistctapp-1961.