Phœnix Sprinkler & Heating Co. v. Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.

185 N.W. 700, 217 Mich. 156, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 831
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 22, 1921
DocketDocket No. 51
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 185 N.W. 700 (Phœnix Sprinkler & Heating Co. v. Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.) 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
Phœnix Sprinkler & Heating Co. v. Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., 185 N.W. 700, 217 Mich. 156, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 831 (Mich. 1921).

Opinion

Wiest, J.

Suit in assumpsit by plaintiff to recover' a balance due for furnishing and installing heating-boilers for defendant. Defendant pleaded the general issue, gave notice of an express contract and warranty of the capacity of the boilers and of the breach thereof, and also breach of an implied warranty, and notice of recoupment. The case was tried by the court and findings of fact and conclusions of law filed, amended findings and conclusions requested and refused, and exceptions duly entered, and judgment rendered for plaintiff, and the case is brought here by writ of error.

The errors relied on are:

(1) The findings of fact are against the clear weight of the evidence.

(2) The court erred in the conclusions of law.

(3) And erred in refusing to amend the findings of fact qnd adopt the law proposed by defendant.

The court found the facts as follows:

“1. In May, 1919, defendant entered into a contract with the National Spring & Wire Company to erect for it a factory building in this city, including installing therein a complete heating system in accordance with plans and specifications agreed upon between them and on file in defendant’s office in the Michigan Trust building in this city.
“2. In the same month plaintiff here entered into a contract with defendant to install said heating system in said plant according to the plans and specifications therefor prepared by defendant and in its office in said Trust building, and which plans and specifications were made a part of said contract and provided, among other things the following: •
“ ‘To furnish and install complete two boilers, each having a rated capacity of not less than 9,000 square feet of direct radiation and guaranteed to supply steam to the system under the most severe conditions liable to obtain, without undue forcing of fires and using a fair grade of bituminous coal, run of mine size. Boilers to be the cast iron sectional type and to be [158]*158equipped with a complete set of trimmings, castings, firing tools such as steam gauge, safety valve, water column, damper regulator, flue brush, rocking grates, dampers,’ etc.
“3. Under this contract between the parties to this suit, plaintiff was to install two Hart & Crouse updraft boilers.
“4. About the time the contract was made for the installation of said heating system, said National Spring & Wire Company was notified by the smoke inspector of the city of Grand Rapids that:
“ ‘It is unlawful for any owner, lessee or operator of any existing plant or any plant about to be constructed for the production of power or heat, to proceed with the installation, construction, reconstruction or altering of such plant until plans and specifications for such work shall have been first submitted to the smoke Inspector, approved, and a permit for such work issued by him.’
“Immediately upon receipt of such notice said National Spring & Wire Company, and on August 20, 1919, notified defendant here of the receipt by it of such notice by said smoke inspector, such notice reading as follows:
“ ‘Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.,
Grand Rapids, Mich.,
‘Gentlemen: Kindly note attached copy of letter received from E. Hutenga, smoke inspector of Grand Rapids, and copy of ordinance attached hereto which he refers to.
“ ‘Trusting this will have your attention, beg to remain,
“‘National Spring & Wire Co.’
“5. Upon receipt of this notice defendant immediately took up with its engineer, one W. W. Brad-field, the smoke ordinance of said city referred to by said smoke inspector and came to the conclusion that the Hart & Crouse up-draft boilers did not comply with said city ordinance and that it would be advisable to install a smokeless type of boiler in lieu of said Hart & Crouse boiler, and defendant, at once, through its said engineer, who had prepared the plans and specifications in question, got into communication with the Utica Heater Company of Utica, New York, manufacturers of smokeless boilers, resulting in an [159]*159offer by said Utica Heater Company of furnishing two 9,500 square feet rated boilers, the representative of said Utica Heater Company informing said engineer that its smokeless type of boiler of the capacity mentioned would evaporate nine pounds of water per pound of coal, and that it, the Utica Heater Company, would stand back of it for an efficiency of 65%, but stated that, as a matter of fact, from these boilers 70% of efficiency could be obtained and that it would stand back of its rating of 9,500 square feet of radiation for each of these boilers, and that these boilers would sufficiently heat said plant to conform to the specifications mentioned. Whereupon, said Bradfield, for defendant, selected said two Utica Heater Company’s smokeless boilers and so informed plaintiff and sent the representative of said Utica Heater Company to plaintiff to furnish plaintiff with the price that these boilers would be furnished for so that plaintiff could revise its former bid, its bid of August 11, 1919, and on August 26, 1919, plaintiff sent its revised proposition to said engineer, reading as follows:
‘“We will furnish and install two (2) Utica Heater Company’s Imperial smokeless boilers, No. 4014, capacity 9,500 sq. ft., in place of the two (2) Hart & Crouse up-draft boilers No. S-584— 9,350 square feet for the additional sum of $921 to our proposal of August 11, 1919.’
“Defendant accepted this revised proposition and plaintiff immediately ordered and installed said smokeless boilers for said heating system and which installation was accepted by said engineer.
“6. By the terms of this contract, plaintiff was to receive the sum of $11,176.
“7. The construction of said plant was completed with said heating system installed and went into operation sometime in November or December, 1919, and has been running since.
“The National Spring & Wire Company claims that the heating system was not in accordance with the specifications therefor, and did not furnish sufficient heat for said plant; that the boilers were not of the radiation claimed by the Utica Heater Company and refused to pay defendant in full for such construction, and defendant claims plaintiff breached its said con[160]*160tract with the defendant in not installing boilers of sufficient capacity to comply with said specifications and refused to pay plaintiff the balance claimed to be due it of $4,269.64 with interest thereon at 5% since June 17th last to date.
“8. Under plaintiff’s bid of August 11, 1919, and acceptance thereof, plaintiff was bound to install boilers in accordance with said specifications and did select boilers known as the Hart & Crouse up-draft boilers, and which boilers were satisfactory to defendant and would have been installed had it not been for the smoke ordinance of the city of Grand Rapids and said smoke inspector’s refusal to permit the use of said boilers.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
185 N.W. 700, 217 Mich. 156, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 831, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/phnix-sprinkler-heating-co-v-owen-ames-kimball-co-mich-1921.