Power Specialty Co. v. Michigan Power Co.

157 N.W. 408, 190 Mich. 699, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 928
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1916
DocketDocket No. 36
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 157 N.W. 408 (Power Specialty Co. v. Michigan Power 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
Power Specialty Co. v. Michigan Power Co., 157 N.W. 408, 190 Mich. 699, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 928 (Mich. 1916).

Opinion

Stone, C. J.

This is an action of assumpsit by

a New York corporation to recover the price of six superheaters which plaintiff had agreed to sell and erect in defendant’s power plant at Lansing, Mich. [701]*701The principal office of the plaintiff is located in New York City. It is engaged in the manufacture and sale of an appliance known as the “Foster Superheater,” designed to raise the temperature of steam used in power plants. This superheater consists of a number of pipes connected to other pipes called “headers,” all erected inside of a steam boiler in such a way that the hot gases superheat the steam as the latter passes to the steam engines.

Prior to November 6, 1912, the defendant was engaged in generating and furnishing electricity and steam heat in the city of Lansing, and at that time had in its plant six “Wickes” vertical water tube boilers. It was about to add to its installation two more such boilers.

The various parts making up thes.e superheaters were delivered by plaintiff to defendant, but were not erected, or set up by it, due, it is claimed, to defendant’s refusal to allow plaintiff to do so.

The declaration in the first count sets forth the written contract sued upon, alleges that the plaintiff delivered to said defendant, at Lansing, two of said Foster superheaters, and yerected the same in said defendant’s plant at Lansing in accordance with said agreement, and defendant paid for the same; that after-wards, and on, to wit, the 1st day of April, 1913, in accordance with said contract, and at the request of said defendant, the plaintiff delivered to said defendant at Lansing the balance, or remainder of said Foster ^superheaters mentioned and described in said agreement, and said plaintiff then and there offered to erect, and is still ready and .willing to erect, the said six remaining superheaters in said defendant’s plant aforesaid in accordance with its agreement, but that said defendant did not, or would not, suffer the plaintiff to erect said remaining six superheaters in .said defendant’s plant, and avers that it has done and [702]*702performed all things by it to be done and performed under said contract, except as it has been wrongfully prevented by said defendant from doing. This count is followed by the common counts in assumpsit.

The bill of particulars of the plaintiff’s demand is for the price of six Foster superheaters at $1,125 per heater, with interest at 6 per cent.

The plea was the general issue with notice:

(1) That said plaintiff was a foreign corporation,, and at the time of the occurrence of the matters set forth in the declaration, and at the date of the alleged contract, had not complied with the provisions of the laws of Michigan with reference to foreign corporations, in that it had not procured from the secretary of State of Michigan a certificate of authority to carry on its business in the State of Michigan; that the contract declared upon not only contemplated that said plaintiff should manufacture, ship, and deliver the articles and things therein referred to, but also required and contemplated that plaintiff should erect the same in defendant’s plant at Lansing, said contract providing for erection, brickwork, superintendence of erection and work thereon in connection with the installation of the superheaters referred to in said alleged contract; and that said contract was not valid because it was entered into by plaintiff in violation of the laws of the State of Michigan, and that it is unenforceable against the defendant.

(2) That said contract contemplated that said .superheaters were to be installed and erected in certain boilers then in use, and in certain boilers to be thereafter erected at the defendant’s plant; that certain of said superheaters were to be located in defendant’s boilers then in use at its said plant and connected with the header pipes then in use by the defendant; that-plaintiff’s sales manager stated and represented to this defendant, before and at the time of the execution of [703]*703said alleged contract, that said superheaters would work satisfactorily in connection with the cast-iron fittings of the main header pipe then used by defendant in its plant; that no changes would have to be made by defendant in its use of the cast-iron fittings of its 10-inch steam header pipe by reason of the installation of said superheaters, and said sales manager represented to the officers of the defendant that he was experienced in the installation of said superheaters and economies resulting from the use thereof; that he had particular knowledge in such matters; that the defendant had had no experience with said superheaters and their use and effect, and in executing said contract Relieved and relied upon the statements and representations made to it by said sales manager, and that but for such statements and representations the defendant would not have entered into said alleged contract; that said two superheaters so installed by the plaintiff in defendant’s two boilers did not work satisfactorily, and did not fulfill the guarantees contained in said alleged contract; that said two superheaters superheated the steam to about 150 degrees instead of from 90 to 110 degrees, resulting in the creation of dangerous conditions in defendant’s 10-inch steam header pipe; that said excessive head made said header pipe expand and twist so as to become dangerous, and liable to break and destroy the lives of defendant’s employees in its plant; that on one occasion said excessive superheat did cause a cast-iron fitting which formed a part of defendant’s steam header pipe to burst, but fortunately, at a time when defendant’s employees did not happen to be in the boiler room; that as a result of its bursting defendant’s plant became filled with steam, making it necessary to shut down the machinery; that the said representations made by said agent and representative of said plaintiff were untrue and fraudu[704]*704lent in law, and for this reason the said contract was and is void as to this defendant.

On November 6, 1912, plaintiff submitted to defendant its written proposition, which defendant accepted on the same date. The proposition and acceptance were as follows:

“Power Specialty Company, 111 Broadway, New York.
“Foster Superheater.
“Proposal and Specification.
“November 6, 1912.
“No. C — 1244—A.
“To The Michigan Power Co.
“We propose to furnish and deliver eight Foster superheaters guaranteed to raise the temperature of 12,000 pounds of steam per hour containing not more than 1% moisture at a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch to 465 degrees Fahr., corresponding to a superheat of 100 degrees when erected and operated in accordance with conditions hereinafter stated.
“The superheater will be of our standard composite construction. It will consist of a series of straight elements connected to steel manifolds and return headers, or a series of return bend elements. The joints between the elements and the headers will be metal to metal obtained by expanding the ends of the elements into carefully reamed holes in accordance with the most approved practice to insure tightness and durability.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
157 N.W. 408, 190 Mich. 699, 1916 Mich. LEXIS 928, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/power-specialty-co-v-michigan-power-co-mich-1916.