Plano Manufacturing Co. v. Parmenter

30 Ill. App. 569, 1888 Ill. App. LEXIS 337
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 25, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 30 Ill. App. 569 (Plano Manufacturing Co. v. Parmenter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Plano Manufacturing Co. v. Parmenter, 30 Ill. App. 569, 1888 Ill. App. LEXIS 337 (Ill. Ct. App. 1889).

Opinion

Upton, J.

This cause was tried in the Circuit Court of Peoria county on appeal from a justice of the peace, wherein appellant was plaintiff. Appellant is a corporation engaged in the manufacture of harvesting machinery, with its principal office at Chicago.

In the winter of 1886 it entered into a written contract with appellee, who resides at Knoxville, Illinois, for the sale of its machines at that point and vicinity.

The parts of the said contract deemed necessary to be considered here are the appointment of appellee as the agent of appellant for the purpose above indicated, which agency was to continue until September 1, 1886; the price specified at which its harvesting machines were to be sold was fixed at §180; the machines sold were warranted by the appellant to the purchasers thereof, through its agents, to the effect that such machine was well made, of good materials, and, with proper care and management, was capable of doing first-class work; that purchasers should have one day to give the machine a fair trial, and if it would not work well, written notice thereof, stating wherein it failed, was to be given the agent of whom it was purchased and the appellant at Chicago, and a reasonable time allowed to remedy the defects, if any, (the purchaser rendering necessary aid and friendly assistance) and if the machine could not be made to do good work it should be returned to the agent at the place where it was received by the purchaser, and a new machine given in its place, or the notes and money would be refunded, which terms of warranty were not to be changed or varied by the appellee.

The fourth ciause of the contract provided that if any of the machines should be sold by appellee on credit, settlement therefor might be made at the net price, in notes of good and reputable parties or persons, the payment of which notes was to be guaranteed by the appellee, and that a failure of appellee to indorse such guaranty of payment upon such sale notes should not affect his liability on “ this contract of guaranty of payment thereof" and that machines or goods of appellant sold under the contract on credit by the appellee, or upon any other terms, should render appellee liable therefor in cash upon demand.

In consideration whereof appellant was to allow appellee a commission of twenty-five per cent off, on the list price of $180, for each machine, upon all sales thereof, for cash or on credit, to parties who were trustworthy and financially responsible, and upon appellee’s contract of guaranty, as above set forth.

In June or July, 1886, appellee having received from appellant, harvesting machines, for sale under said contract, sold one of said machines to Bussell and McGill for $150, to be paid for on the first of the ensuing August, and subject to the warranty above set forth. This machine was put in use by the purchasers. Some complaint was made as to the working of it; that it was of heavy draft; that the steel frame was out of plumb, which caused the main pinion, running inside the master wheel, to cut out rapidly. Appellant, by its agents, made efforts to remedy the defects complained of.

Bussell and McGill still remained dissatisfied, as they claimed, with the machine, but continued to make use of it for the entire harvest of 1886, and did their own harvesting with it, doing all the work they had to do with a harvesting machine for that season, but did not deliver or offer to deliver the machine to the agent of whom it was purchased, or to the appellant, but refused to pay for it as they had agreed.

In the fall of 1886 appellee’s agency terminated under the contract, and it became important to both appellee and appellant that, in the settlement between them, this machine sold to Bussell and McGill, and still remaining in their possession, should be adjusted and settled for, to accomplish which it was agreed that Bussell and McGill should meet the general agent of appellant, one Charles G. Van Bess, at the store or place of business of appellee, and adjust the matters in dispute in reference thereto, if possible.

The parties accordingly met, as agreed, and effected a settlement between them, which was, in brief, that Bussell and McGill should keep the machine so purchased of appellee, and execute their promissory note for the sum of $150 of date of December 1, 1886, payable to appellant, or order, on or before September 1, 1887, with interest at eight per cent per annum; and thereupon appellant, by its agent, Charles G. Yan Ness, and with the full knowledge, if not the express consent of appellee, executed and delivered to Eussell arid McGill a contract of warranty of said machine of the following tenor and effect: “ In consideration of a settlement made in full this day and date for one Steel Crown Plano Harvester and Binder, purchased of A. M. Parmenter, by Charles Eussell and F. W. McGill, said harvester and binder not having given satisfaction to the purchasers, who claim that said harvester and binder is defective, and therefore it is agreed hereby by the Plano Manufacturing Company that they will send a competent expert to adjust and repair said harvester and binder, and put the same in first-class working order for the harvest of 1887. If said machine can not be made to do as good work as any machine of its class, and the defects, if any, can not be remedied by the expert of said Plano Manufacturing Company, the said machine shall be returned, and a new one furnished by the said Plano Manufacturing Company in its place, free of any extra charge to said purchasers.

“If the above conditions and agreements are not fulfilled, then the note given by the above named purchasers in settlement shall be null and void, or the money, if any paid, shall be refunded to the purchasers, Charles Eussell and F. W. McGill.”

Upon this settlement being made, appellee was allowed his commission on the sale of said machine, of twenty-five per cent, as agreed, and appellee guaranteed the payment of the note so given for said machine by indorsement in writing on the back thereof, and the note was taken at its face value by appellant, and allowed to appellee upon settlement of his accounts with appellant as such agent.

Prior to the harvest of 1887 the appellant sent one or more experts to repair and adjust the machine; Eussell and McGill made some complaints concerning the working of it, by correspondence and otherwise, which resulted in appellant sending experts to adjust the same, if needful or required. Eussell and McGill used the machine during the harvest of 1887, cut and harvested their own grain, as well as that of others, all that the parties had to cut that season, and that machine still remains in the possession of Bussell and McGill, without return or offer of the return thereof to appellant or its agents. The note of $150 given for said machine, as above stated, and guaranteed by the appellee, not being paid at maturity, this suit was commenced against appellee, as the guarantor of payment thereof. Appellant was defeated on the hearing in the Circuit Court, before a jury, and the cause is before this court on appeal, and errors are assigned upon the record.

What the defense to this suit was in the court below, in fact, does not clearly appear from this record.

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Related

Plano Manufacturing Co. v. Parmenter
41 Ill. App. 635 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1891)

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Bluebook (online)
30 Ill. App. 569, 1888 Ill. App. LEXIS 337, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/plano-manufacturing-co-v-parmenter-illappct-1889.