Samuel Eiseman & Co. v. Fruchtman

211 A.D. 543, 207 N.Y.S. 112, 1924 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9916
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedDecember 19, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 211 A.D. 543 (Samuel Eiseman & Co. v. Fruchtman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Samuel Eiseman & Co. v. Fruchtman, 211 A.D. 543, 207 N.Y.S. 112, 1924 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9916 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1924).

Opinion

McAvoy, J.:

The complaint here is predicated upon section 144, subdivision 3, of the Personal Property Law (as added by Laws of 1911, chap. 571). It alleges a cause of action for the price of goods, the property in which did not pass from the seller to the buyer. On January 30, 1920, as alleged, the plaintiff and the defendant entered into a writ[544]*544ten agreement for the sale by the plaintiff to the defendant of seventy-two pieces thirty-six-inch printed poplin, quality S, at one dollar and eighty-five cents per yard, twelve patterns, six colors each, half piece to each color, five-yard samples to be delivered June first and the balance to be delivered about July first, on terms 6/10/60 extra. The price was thereafter reduced from one dollar and eighty-five cents per yard to one dollar and seventy-five cents per yard, and between June 1, 1920, and July 1, 1920, the plaintiff claims it offered to deliver to the defendant 2,539 yards of the said merchandise, which the defendant refused to accept. The plaintiff thereafter notified the defendant that the merchandise was being held by the plaintiff as bailee of the defendant, and that at the time of the defendant’s refusal to accept, the merchandise could not be resold for a reasonable price.

Afterward an amendment to the complaint was allowed, reading: “ That it was understood and agreed between the parties hereto that printed poplin of a width between 35 inches and 36 inches would be in compliance of the aforesaid contract, and that the aforesaid written agreement was made with said understanding, and that the custom and usage in the trade at the time the aforesaid contract was made, and at all times mentioned in the complaint, was that ' 36-inch printed poplin ’ meant printed poplin of a width between 35 inches and 36 inches, and which custom and usage were well known to this defendant.”

The answer admits that the plaintiff offered to deliver ninety-two and three-quarters yards of merchandise, and that on or about June 7, 1920, and June 23, 1920, the plaintiff offered additional quantities thereof • in attempted performance of the agreement.

The answer sets up two defenses. The first defense, after alleging the making of the agreement and that the agreement required the plaintiff to sell and deliver goods described as “36 inch printed poplin,” and that five-yard samples were to be delivered on June first, alleged that on or about June 2, 1920, the plaintiff offered to deliver to the defendant ninety-two and three-quarters yards of poplin, which, instead of measuring thirty-six inches in width, measured from thirty-five to thirty-five and one-half inches in width, and that promptly thereafter the defendant notified the plaintiff of the plaintiff’s breach of warranty and of the defendant’s refusal to accept delivery of goods pursuant to the contract.

The second defense alleged a breach of warranty of fitness for use in manufacture. It alleged that prior to the making of the agreement, the defendant made known to the plaintiff that the goods were required for use in the manufacture of neckwear, and the [545]*545defendant relied on the skill of the plaintiff in connection therewith. It alleged further the delivery of ninety-two and three-quarters yards of merchandise on or about June 2, 1920, and that the merchandise so delivered was not reasonably fit for use in the manufacture of neckwear in that the width was not thirty-six inches, but varied from thirty-five inches to thirty-five and one-half inches. There was pleaded, too, a notice of breach as required by the statute, and the refusal of the defendant to accept any goods under the contract.

The trial on these pleadings was upon the plaintiff’s performance of the contract: (1) as to the delivery of merchandise thirty-six inches wide, (2) as to the time of delivery of the samples (which concededly were not delivered on June first, as required by the contract), and (3) as to the tender by the plaintiff of the merchandise required to be delivered, or plaintiff’s readiness, ability and willingness to deliver the same.

The contract read:

Article — Printed Poplin
Width — 36" [concededly meaning inches]
Price — $1.85
Delivery — July 1
‡ ‡
12 patterns — 6 colors each — \ piece each color
30 yards to the half piece
72/2 pieces 36" Printed Poplin qual. S at $1.85 per yard
5 yd. samples June 1st.”

The requirement with respect to five-yard samples meant that the defendant was to receive a five-yard sample of each pattern in each color, there being six colors of each pattern. The defendant was to receive on June first a total of seventy-two times five yards of samples, or 360 yards. The bulk of the merchandise, consisting of seventy-two half-pieces containing 30 yards each, would total 2,160 yards. The defendant was to receive under the whole contract’s requirements 2,520 yards of merchandise, including 360 yards of samples on June first, and 2,160 yards of piece goods on July first. The plaintiff did not deliver the 360 yards of samples on June first. On June second a partial delivery of the samples was made. This delivery consisted only of 92f yards. Plaintiff claims that a tender of 271 yards was made to the defendant on June seventh, and refused by the defendant. On June twenty-third the plaintiff sent the defendant a third and final invoice for $3,807.34, which purported to represent a tender of 2,175f yards of merchandise. The tender of the merchandise covered by the [546]*546invoice of June twenty-third was made to the defendant on June twenty-eighth, but was refused by the defendant.

It was admitted that plaintiff delivered ninety-two and three-quarters yards of samples on June second or June third; but it is asserted that on examination the defendant discovered that the merchandise was of narrow width. Instead of the samples measuring thirty-six inches in width, they measured thirty-five to thirty-five and three-eighths inches in width. The defendant offered to return the samples, but the offer was refused.

On this appeal two of several questions are presented which are strongly urged by appellant and have apparent merit.

The first of these questions relates to the alleged erroneous admission of evidence whereby a witness was permitted to testify with regard to the manner in which the merchandise, which was the subject of the contract to sell, was manufactured, and particularly with regard to the shrinkage of the merchandise in the dyeing process.

Appellant claims that the contract sued upon clearly required the plaintiff to deliver to the defendant poplin which was thirty-six inches wide. He asserts it was a simple contract for the sale and delivery of merchandise plainly described. There was no provision in the contract allowing for a depreciation in the width of the merchandise caused by shrinkage in the dyeing process; nor was there any provision in the contract for an allowance for depreciation in the width resulting from any cause whatsoever. Indeed the nature of the articles to be manufactured from the goods, to wit, neckwear, required an adherence to the precise width ordered so as to conform to the necessities of manufacture.

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Bluebook (online)
211 A.D. 543, 207 N.Y.S. 112, 1924 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9916, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/samuel-eiseman-co-v-fruchtman-nyappdiv-1924.