People v. Dale H. Hughes, Inc.

33 N.W.2d 86, 321 Mich. 573
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 14, 1948
DocketDocket No. 57, Calendar No. 44,006.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 33 N.W.2d 86 (People v. Dale H. Hughes, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Dale H. Hughes, Inc., 33 N.W.2d 86, 321 Mich. 573 (Mich. 1948).

Opinion

Boyles, J.

The defendant is engaged in the business of'dealing in motor vehicles in Detroit. On September 15, 1947, he was tried before a judge of the recorder’s court of Detroit and found guilty oir a complaint charging that he sold the complainant a certain automobile, “and that prior to and concurrent with said motor vehicle sale, the seller did not deliver to him (the purchaser) a written statement *575 describing clearly the motor vehicle sold to the buy.er, the cash sale price thereof, the cash paid down by him, the amount credited him for any trade-in, and charged for motor-vehicle insurance, the amount of any other charge specifying its purpose, the net balance due from him, the terms of the payment of such net balance, and a summary of any insurance coverage to be effected. Act No. 46, Pub. Acts 1921, as amended by Act No. 151, Pub. Acts 1943, contrary to the form of the statute, et cetera.

On leave granted, the • defendant appeals. His claim is that he had complied with the requirements of the statute regulating motor-vehicle retail instalment sales contracts, Act No. 305, Pub. Acts 1939 (Comp. Laws Supp. 1940, § 13509-21 et seq., Stat. Ann. 1947 Cum. Supp. § 19.415 et seq.). This is conceded by the prosecution, but it claims that the above act is a civil act, and that compliance therewith does not relieve the defendant from criminal liability under section 14 of the motor-vehicle title act, Act No. 46, Pub. Acts 1921 (1 Comp. Laws 1929, § 4671), as amended (Comp. Laws Supp. 1945, § 4671, Stat. Ann. 1946 Cum. Supp. § 9.1482).

This case is one of several tried in the recorder’s court resulting in convictions, and this appeal is for the purpose of obtaining an interpretation of two claimed inconsistent statutes. The motor-vehicle retail instalment sales contract act, supra, hereinafter called the instalment sales act, with which the defendant admittedly has complied, provides:

“Every retail instalment sale of a motor vehicle shall be evidenced by an instrument in writing signed by the retail buyer and a copy thereof shall be delivered to him by the retail seller at the time of its execution. An acknowledgment of the delivery thereof contained in the body of the instrument shall be conclusive proof of delivery in any action to enforce any obligation arising out of the retail instal *576 ment sale brought by any successor in interest to the rights of the retail seller. The written instrument shall contain all of the agreements of the parties made with reference to the subject matter of the retail instalment sale and shall recite the following separate items as such and in the following order: (1) the cash price of the motor vehicle which is the subject matter of the retail instalment sale; (2) the amount in cash of the retail buyers’ down payments, whether made in money or goods or partly in money and partly in goods; (3) the unpaid balance of the cash price payable by the retail buyer to the retail seller, which is the difference between items 1 and 2; (4) the cost to the retail buyer of any insurance the retail seller has agreed to procure, if the retail seller has agreed to purchase the insurance and extend credit to the retail buyer for the price thereof and if the term of such insurance is less than the contract period, the period of the coverage also shall be recited; (5) the principal balance owed on the retail instalment contract, which is the sum total of items 3 and 4; (6) the amount of the finance charge; (7) the time balance owed by the retail buyer to the retail seller and the number of instalment payments required and the amount and date of each payment necessary finally to pay the time balance, which is the sum total of items 5 and 6.

“Item 4 and item 6 may be added together and stated as one sum in the written instrument and, if so stated, item 5 may be omitted, but in such event the retail seller shall within 25 days after the making of the retail instalment contract, mail or cause to be mailed to the retail buyer at his address as shown on the retail instalment contract a statement reciting the separate amounts of all the items, 1 to 7, inclusive. * * *

“Under a written instrument evidencing a retail instalment sale which does not substantially comply with the requirements of this section, the seller shall not be entitled to recover, collect or retain that part of the obligation which represents the finance charge *577 and the buyer shall not be liable therefor.” Act No. 305, § 2, Pub. Acts 1939 (Comp. Laws Supp. 1940, § 13509-22, Stat. Ann. 1947 Cum. Supp. § 19.415[2]).

The above act became effective September 29,1939. It is not a criminal statute and does not provide for violation thereof, except the above loss of civil rights.

Section 14 of the .motor-vehicle title act, supra, on which this charge’ is based, requires that persons engaging in the business of dealing in motor vehicles shall obtain a license from the secretary of State, that the licensee shall keep a detailed book record of all purchases and sales of motor vehicles, and further provides that:

“Prior to or concurrent with any motor-vehicle sale, the seller shall deliver to the buyer a written statement describing clearly the motor vehicle sold to the buyer, the cash sale price thereof, the cash paid down by the buyer, the amount credited the buyer for any trade-in and a description thereof, the amount of the finance charge, the amount charged for motor-vehicle insurance, * [stating the types of insurance covered by the insurance policy or policies,] the amount of any other charge specifying its purpose, the net balance due from the buyer, the terms of the payment of such net balance and a summary of any insurance coverage to be effected. A duplicate copy of such statement shall be furnished by the seller and must be filed with the application for title or transfer of title.” Act No. 46, § 14, Pub. Acts 1921, as amended (Stat. Ann. 1947 Cum. Supp. § 9.1482).

The above section concludes with a sentence stating that any person violating any of the provisions of said section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, with a maximum punishment of $100 fine or imprisonment for 90 days in the county jail, or both.

*578 In the instant case the defendant furnished the purchaser at the time of the sale a written statement as required by the instalment sales act. It did not state the amount of the insurance charge (item 4) and the amount of the finance charge (item 6) separately. These items were combined, and within 25 days thereafter the defendant furnished the purchaser a detailed statement reciting the separate amount of all items 1 to 7, inclusive, all of which was. in accordance with the requirements of the instalment sales act, supra.

But this did not comply with the requirements of section 14 of the motor-vehicle title act on which the present charge is based. The latter act, which the defendant is expressly charged with having violated, requires that the seller “prior to or concurrent with any motor-vehicle sale” shall deliver to the buyer a written statement showing, among other things, the amount of the finance charge, and the amount charged for motor-vehicle insurance.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 N.W.2d 86, 321 Mich. 573, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-dale-h-hughes-inc-mich-1948.