Pratt-Gilbert Co. v. Renaud

213 P. 400, 25 Ariz. 79, 1923 Ariz. LEXIS 111
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 14, 1923
DocketCivil No. 1968
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 213 P. 400 (Pratt-Gilbert Co. v. Renaud) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pratt-Gilbert Co. v. Renaud, 213 P. 400, 25 Ariz. 79, 1923 Ariz. LEXIS 111 (Ark. 1923).

Opinion

LYMAN, J.

This appeal involved the right to rescind, for breach of warranty of quality, a sale of personal property after delivery of the article and full payment of the purchase price, the original transfer having been based upon an executory contract, claimed by the appellee, Renaud, in his complaint to have been verbal, involving warranties, express and implied, as to quality, but alleged by the appellant, Pratt-Grilbert Company, in its answer, to have been on a written contract containing definite warranties of quality, and expressly excluding all others.

There is presented here, first, the question as to how the contract of purchase was made; whether it was verbal, as claimed by the appellee, Renaud, or whether it was incorporated in the written agreement, [81]*81as contended by appellant, Pratt-Gilbert Company, Upon this phase of the controversy, the record shows that Pratt-Gilbert Company was general distributing agent of the Monarch Tractor Company, located in Wisconsin; that upon application of Renaud to this agent to buy a tractor he was told that it had none, but that one might be ordered for him from the manufacturer, Monarch Tractor Company. Thereupon Renaud signed a written order, which is set out in the answer, and is of the following tenor:

“Order for Neverslip or Lightfoot Tractor.
“To Monarch Tractor Co., Watertown, Wis.,
U. 8. A.
“Dated at Phoenix, Arizona, the 23d day of August, 1917.
“The undersigned, H. Renaud, of Phoenix, county of Maricopa, state of Arizona, R. R. No.-, hereby purchases from Monarch Tractor Co., of Watertown, Wis., U. S. A., subject to the conditions of agreement and warranty printed on the back of this order, and made a part hereof, to be shipped on or about the -day of-, 19 — , to Pratt-Gilbert Co., at Phoenix, via railroad, 30-10 horse power Neverslip (or Lightfoot) tractor complete with top. And I (or we) agree to pay the freight on the same from the factory and to accept said tractor on arrival. For which I (or we) agree to pay the sum of $1,885.00 and make settlement for said tractor as follows, all payments to be made in New York or Chicago exchange. This price of $1,885.00 does not include freight. Freight about $210.00.
“It is expressly agreed that this order shall not be countermanded, and that title to the tractor shall not pass to the purchaser until the purchase price herein agreed shall have been paid in full, and delivered to the Monarch Tractor Co.
“It is further agreed that the tractor herein ordered shall be, and remain, personal property, in whatever manner it may be annexed to realty. This order shall not become binding until accepted by the Mon[82]*82arch. Tractor Go., in Watertown, Wis., and duplicate of this order forwarded to the purchaser.
“[Signed] H. RENAUD.”
Indorsed: ‘ ‘ Delivered. ’ ’
“Warranty.
“The seller warrants the tractor herein ordered to be well made of good materials, and durable if used with proper care, and agrees to furnish free of charge, any part that may prove defective within one year; and may require the return of such defective part, freight or express prepaid to the factory for inspection and examination; and assumes no responsibility when the machine, or part returned, indicates misuse or neglect or alterations or repairs made outside its factory. If upon three days’ trial, with proper care, the tractor fails to work well, the purchaser shall immediately give written notice to Monarch Tractor Company at Watertown, Wis., and to the agent from whom it was purchased, stating wherein the tractor fails, and shall allow a reasonable time to send a competent man to put it in good working order, and the purchaser shall render necessary and friendly assistance to operate it. If the tractor cannot then be made to work well, the purchaser shall immediately return it to the agent, and the price paid shall be refunded, which shall constitute a settlement in full of the transaction.
“Use of the tractor after three days, or failure to give written notice to Monarch Tractor Company and their agent or failure to return the tractor as above specified, shall operate an acceptance of it and a fulfillment of this warranty.
“This warranty cannot be changed or abridged, and excludes all implied warranties.
“MONARCH TRACTOR COMPANY.”

No duplicate of this order was signed by the Monarch Tractor Company, and delivered to Renaud, but in due time the tractor specified in the order was shipped to Pratt-Gilbert Company, and by it delivered to and received by Renaud, on or about the 1st of October, 1917, who immediately proceeded, with the assistance and under the direction of a man furnished [83]*83by the Pratt-Gilbert Company, to make a test of the tractor, to determine whether or not it fulfilled the terms of warranty specified in the executory contract of sale. After a three days’ tryout of the tractor on the farm of Benaud in plowing and discing, Benaud sent his check for the fnll purchase price of the tractor to Pratt-Gilbert Company, but stopped its payment before it was presented. Whereupon, according to the testimony of Benaud, but denied by appellant’s witnesses, the following colloquy took place:

“So I came down to Mr. Gilbert’s, and he says, ‘What is the matter with you; why did you stop that check for?’ I says, ‘I don’t think that the tractor is practicable. We can’t make it go. The chain comes off and the track come off, and many other things.’ ‘Well,’ he says, ‘that is foolish. This tractor is new, and it ain’t adjusted right. We will adjust them and fix them so it will run right.’ ‘Well,’ I says, ‘Mr. Pratt, I am awfully afraid — I don’t think it will never do the work.’ He says, ‘Don’t be afraid; we are behind that’; he says, ‘We will make it good; I will promise yon.’ I says, ‘It is this way; your word is good, Mr. Pratt. I will go out and tell the president of the bank to pay you that check.’ So I did.”

Thereupon the check was paid on October 8, 1917. Thereafter, and continuing until March 15, 1918, Benaud continued to use the tractor in his farming-operations, having some parts and repairs from time to time supplied by Pratt-Gilbert Company. The tractor was then returned by him to Pratt-Gilbert Company, with notice that he rescinded the sale and demanded a return of the purchase price, which was refused. This action is for rescission of the sale and recovery of the purchase price, including freight on the tractor from Wisconsin to Phoenix, Arizona, with interest.

Benaud was permitted to, and did, introduce evidence of a conversation between himself and Cyril [84]*84S. Gilbert, an officer of tbe Pratt-Gilbert Company, which was had between the two on the occasion of signing the written order for the tractor, as stating the agreement upon which the tractor was purchased. This seems to have been allowed upon the theory that the order signed by Eenaud never ripened into a contract of purchase, because the order, or a duplicate of the order, was never delivered to him bearing the written approval of the Monarch Tractor Company, the party to whom the order was directed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
213 P. 400, 25 Ariz. 79, 1923 Ariz. LEXIS 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pratt-gilbert-co-v-renaud-ariz-1923.