Poppenberg v. R. M. Owen & Co.

84 Misc. 126, 146 N.Y.S. 478
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 84 Misc. 126 (Poppenberg v. R. M. Owen & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Poppenberg v. R. M. Owen & Co., 84 Misc. 126, 146 N.Y.S. 478 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1914).

Opinion

Wheeler, J.

The plaintiff moves for a new trial on the ground of alleged errors claimed to have been committed by the court on the trial of this action.

The complaint set forth eight causes of action upon a contract entered into between the parties to this action, nearly-all of which were either -admitted by the pleadings or conceded upon the trial. There was, however, a controversy touching the right of the plaintiff to a reduction on the list price of certain automobiles made in July, 1911. The main contro[128]*128versy arose out of the contract between the parties, dated June 30, 1910. By the terms of this contract the defendant, in consideration of an order for 420 Reo motor cars, gave the plaintiff “ the exclusive right to sell all styles of Reo motor cars ” in the counties of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Allegany, Livingston, Monroe, Steuben, Tates, Ontario and Seneca, in this state until July 31, 1911.

The plaintiff agreed to push the sale of the Reo cars to the best of his ability in the territory named, and as part of the contract agreed to handle, during the term of the contract, “ only cars sold by the party of the first part, except upon the written consent of the party of the first part.”

It was conceded the plaintiff did not take or pay for all the 420 cars agreed to be purchased, nor did he handle exclusively the cars sold by the defendant, but on the contrary handled and sold a large number of automobile cars manufactured by other concerns.

The defendant set up by way of counterclaim in its answer the failure of the plaintiff to comply with the contract in the particulars above specified, and demanded damages for such breach.

The plaintiff, on the trial, contended that the requirements of the contract in these respects had been waived by the defendant, and these questions of fact so presented by the evidence were submitted to the jury for their disposition under proper instructions. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant for the sum of $31,315.33, which it may be said represented the damages sustained by the defendant, less the demands of the plaintiff allowed by the jury.

So far as the disputed questions of fact have been settled by the verdict of the jury, they are not now the subject of further consideration. Their verdict [129]*129was fully sustained by the evidence. It only remains to review, as briefly as possible, the questions of law raised and involved in the case.

The plaintiff contends, in the first place, that the defendant is entitled to recover no damages whatever for any breach of the contract by the plaintiff, for the reason that the defendant was guilty of a breach of the contract in question on its part, in that the defendant did not make or deliver, or offer to sell or deliver, any of the automobiles designated and described as “ Models K or J ” in the contract. An examination of the contract shows that 85 of the 420 cars agreed to be purchased were to be what is designated as the “K Roadster” and “J Roadster.” Some time after the contract had been entered into and prior to December 21,1910, the defendant notified the plaintiff that it would not be able to furnish any of the automobiles described as “ Models K and J,” but proposed instead to substitute in place thereof what is known as the 66 Torpedo Roadster.”

The defendant claims that this proposed substitution was mutually agreed upon by the parties. But we deem it quite immaterial in this case whether such was the fact or not. If the defendant defaulted in fulfilling the terms of its agreement, the plaintiff had a perfect right to terminate the contract and refuse further performance on his part. This he did not do. On the contrary, he insisted on the right to continue to act as the representative of the defendant under it. In fact the evidence discloses that early in the winter of 1911 the defendant became solicitous, about .the plaintiff living up- to his agreement with it, and wrote the plaintiff calling attention to the fact that he was not talcing cars as he had contracted to do, and expressing doubt whether under the circumstances and by reason of his delay he would be able to handle and [130]*130dispose of the cars he had agreed to purchase, and offering on its part to cancel the contract with the plaintiff, with a view, of course, of making arrangements with others to handle the business in the territory given the plaintiff exclusively. The plaintiff declined to terminate the existing contract and sent his representative to the defendant excusing his delay in performing his agreement to take cars- and assuring defendant’s officers that all would be satisfactory, and the cars agreed to be purchased would ultimately be taken and disposed of within the life of the contract. Upon these assurances the parties continued to act and do business under the contract in question, and no question was raised by either but that the contract was in full force and effect.

Of course, if the defendant failed to fulfill some of the stipulations of the contract and the plaintiff suffered damage by reason of such failure, the plaintiff was entitled to maintain an action for such a breach. The court so charged the jury, but the plaintiff neither alleged in his complaint nor proved on the trial any damages resulting from the failure of the defendant to manufacture or deliver the “ Model K ” roadster or 'any other of the cars covered by the agreement. In fact I recall no evidence in the case where any shipping- orders for such roadsters were given. The contract having been continued in force and effect by the parties and acted upon by-them during- the term of its life, the plaintiff is now in no position to say that the defendant cannot recover for breaches on its part. Deeves & Son v. Manhattan Life Ins. Co., 195 N. Y. 330; Ruff v. Rinaldo, 55 id. 664; Granniss & Hurd Lumber Co. v. Deeves, 72 Hun, 171; affd., 147 N. Y. 718; Beyer v. Henry Huber Co., 115 App. Div. 344; Crocker-Wheeler Co. v. Varick Realty Co., 104 id. 570; Sinclair v. Talmadge, 35 Barb. 602-[131]*131606; Rogers v. Beard, 36 id. 31; Ming v. Corbin, 142 N. Y. 334; Tipton v. Feitner, 20 id. 425; Secor v. Sturgis, 16 id. 548.

All that could he claimed by the plaintiff under such circumstances was the right to recover for the defendant’s breaches, and, in-this case, the damages, if any, were at best purely nominal, so far as the evidence discloses.

It is further contended on the part of the plaintiff that the defendant cannot recover for the failure of the plaintiff to take and pay for the automobiles agreed to be purchased, for the reason that the defendant never tendered the cars not taken, and that without such a tender the defendant could not put the plaintiff in default.

On the other hand, the defendant contends that no such physical tender was necessary under the terms of the contract and the circumstances of the case. The justice presiding at the trial held that a physical tender was not necessary, and denied a request to charge in accordance with the plaintiff’s Contention in this regard.

In order to fully understand the question presented and the ruling made, it is necessary to examine the provisions of the contract between the parties. This agreement recites that: “In consideration of an order for 420

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Bluebook (online)
84 Misc. 126, 146 N.Y.S. 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poppenberg-v-r-m-owen-co-nysupct-1914.