Smith v. Carondelet Electric Light & Power Co.

55 Mo. App. 559, 1893 Mo. App. LEXIS 346
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 19, 1893
StatusPublished

This text of 55 Mo. App. 559 (Smith v. Carondelet Electric Light & Power Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Carondelet Electric Light & Power Co., 55 Mo. App. 559, 1893 Mo. App. LEXIS 346 (Mo. Ct. App. 1893).

Opinion

Bond, J.

This is an action for damages for breach of a contract for the delivery of ice. ■ This contract was entered into on the twelfth day of April, 1892, between the respondent and the appellant. By the terms thereof the appellant agreed to sell and deliver to respondent -fifteen hundred tons of good, merchant- . able ice in quantities of one car load per day, all of said ice to be delivered on or about the twentieth day of June, 1892; and agreed, further, that, if he had on hand a sufficient quantity of ice to enable him to deliver more than one car load per day, any amount so delivered in excess of one car load per day might be taken in addition to, or considered a part of, said fifteen .hundred tons of ice, as respondent might elect. The [560]*560appellant further agreed to sell and deliver said ice for the sum of $2.20 per ton, except in case car loads should be delivered at appellant’s plant; in that event all freight to Chouteau avenue to be deducted.

The respondent agreed to buy fifteen hundred tons of ice as above stated, and to pay for the same in cash on delivery. It was further agreed between the parties that appellant should not' be liable for- any damages arising from any failure to deliver said ice as above agreed, caused by any defect or failure in the operation of said company’s ice plant to manufacture merchantable ice in sufficient quantities for delivery under this contract.

It was alleged in respondent’s petition that he had paid on account of said contract the sum of $3,207.30; that appellant had only delivered to respondent eleven hundred and fifty-two tons and three hundred pounds, leaving a deficit of ice of three hundred and forty-seven tons and seventeen hundred pounds, to which respondent was entitled by the terms of said contract; that, on the twentieth of June, respondent extended the time, by agreement with appellant, for the delivery of ice under said contract at the rate of one car per day thereafter, until the entire contract was filled; that, on the twelfth of July, appellant ceased and refused to deliver any more ice; wherefore the respondent prayed judgment for the market value of the ice undelivered.

The answer of the appellant admitted the execution of the contract, and set up that by its terms appellant was to deliver, and respondent was bound to receive, said ice in quantities of one car load per day; that appellant commenced delivering the ice on April 15, and continued to deliver at the rate of one car load per day until April 20, when respondent requested appellant not to deliver any ice for a period of ten days; that appellant accordingly abstained from delivering ice during said [561]*561period of ten days-at respondent’s request; that after-wards, on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth days of May, 1892, appellant again abstained from delivering ice at respondent’s request; that, by reason of these acts, respondent waived the right to require the delivery of the quantity of ice which he was by the contract entitled to receive, to-wit, one car load of ice per day for thirteen days, amounting to two hundred and sixty tons of ice. The answer also set up the delivery of two hundred and thirteen tons of ice under the contract, which was in all respects of the quality therein called for, but that respondent claimed that it was not merchantable ice, and declined to receive it under the contract unless the price was reduced from $2.20 to $1 per ton; that thereupon appellant reduced the price to $1 per ton, and respondent received same under said contract. The answer further stated that appellant delivered eleven hundred and fifty-two tons of ice at the rate of one car load per day, as required by said contract; that after deducting from the fifteen, hundred tons required to be delivered under said contract, first, the two hundred and sixty tons whose delivery was waived by respondent, second, the eleven hundred and fifty-two tons admitted to have been delivered, and third, the two hundred and thirteen tons accepted as under the contract, the result will show that appellant had delivered all of the ice which it had contracted to sell.

The respondent replied, denying the allegations of the answer, and stating that, on the twentieth of April, appellant’s machinery was out of repair, and it was agreed between the parties that the delivery of the' ice should be postponed for ten days, not, however, thereby interfering with the quantity called for Under the contract ; that, at the expiration of these ten days, appellant’s machinery was in condition to make ice, but not [562]*562such as respondent was entitled to under his contract; wherefore for six days thereafter respondent, to accommodate the appellant, purchased ice at the rate of $1 a ton.

There was evidence tending to show that appellant made deliveries of ice under the aforesaid contract until April 20, when, by agreement, it ceased deliveries until May 12, when ré again, by consent, ceased delivery until May 16. There was evidence tending to show that, after these suspensions, appellant delivered two hundred and thirteen tons of ice to respondent at the price of $1 per ton. The evidence was undisputed that appellant delivered eleven hundred and fifty-two tons and three hundred pounds of ice at $2.20 as prescribed in the contract. On July 7, 1892, appellant informed respondent that he considered his contract as about filled.

On the eighteenth of July appellant inclosed the following statement to respondent:

Dear Sir: — Below we hand you statement of iee shipped you, and also the basis upon which we consider our contract for one thousand five hundred tons with you as filled:
$1.00 $2.20 $3.50
April 12 — 30 79.1200 99.800
May 1 — 15 135.100 147.1100
May 16 — 31 78.100 263.1550
June 1 — 15 259.1050
June 16 — 30 195.500
July 1 — 12 61.1800 124.1900
292.1400 1029.800 124.1900
On contract: $2.20 ice 1029.800 tons
1.00 ice made so by stoppage of shipments................. 213.200 tons.
13 days’ stoppage at 20 tons per day... 260. tons.
1500.1000 tons.'
Iee shipped over and above contract... 124.1900 tons.
Yours truly,
Carondelet Electric Light & P. Co.,
Per F. W. Mott, Secretary.

[563]*563The evidence showed that respondent paid for ice to be delivered under said contract the sum of $3,207.30; $725.50 of which was paid on June 22, 1892, and receipted for by appellant as “on account of contract.” There was testimony tending to show that at the time of the letter and statement of date July 18, 1892, supra, respondent called at appellant’s office, when he was informed that his contract was filled, and he then •offered $2.25, $2.50 and $2.75 per ton for ice, which •offer was refused, and the company offered to let him have ice at $3 per ton, a,nd this offer respondent declined. Upon the trial there was a judgment in favor of respondent, from which the defendant has appealed; and it assigns as error, first,

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55 Mo. App. 559, 1893 Mo. App. LEXIS 346, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-carondelet-electric-light-power-co-moctapp-1893.