Southern Engine & Boiler Works v. Globe Cooperage & Lumber Co.

136 S.W. 928, 98 Ark. 482, 1911 Ark. LEXIS 182
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedApril 3, 1911
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 136 S.W. 928 (Southern Engine & Boiler Works v. Globe Cooperage & Lumber Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southern Engine & Boiler Works v. Globe Cooperage & Lumber Co., 136 S.W. 928, 98 Ark. 482, 1911 Ark. LEXIS 182 (Ark. 1911).

Opinion

Frauenthal, J.

This was an action of replevin instituted by appellant for the recovery of certain sawmill machinery .which it sold to appellee. The sale was made in pursuance of a written contract under which the appellee executed notes for the purchase money of the property, the last of which was past due and had not been paid. In the contract and notes it was stipulated that the title to the property remained in the appellant until the payment of the purchase money, with the immediate right of possession upon default in the payment thereof.

The appellee admitted the execution of the contract and notes and that the last note had not been paid. In its answer it alleged by way of counterclaim that it had been damaged by reason of a breach of an express warranty of the property contained in said contract in a sum far in excess of the amount of said note, and that on this account there was nothing due thereon.

The cause wias, by consent, tried by the court, who found that the appellee was entitled “to damages growing out of the contract ot sale of the machinery in question in an amount in excess of the amount found due as a balance of the purchase money for said machinery.” It thereupon rendered judgment in favor of the appellee for said property.

The appellee bases its right to plead the above counterclaim for damages against a recovery in this action of replevin upon the principles announced in the following opinions rendered by this court: Ames Iron Works v. Rea, 56 Ark. 450; Johnson v. St. Louis Butchers’ Supply Co., 60 Ark. 387; Ramsey v. Capshaw, 71 Ark. 408.

Appellant does not contend that the appellee was not entitled to plead a recovery on said counterclaim in the event there was any legal evidence adduced upon the trial of the case upon which such damages can be based. O11 the contrary, it was expressly agreed by appellant in the lower court that such counterclaim might be pleaded and a recovery thereon had in such event.

The appellant was located at Jackson, Tennessee, and the appellee conducted its sawmill business at Edgemont, Arkansas. In the written contract of sale it was provided that the property should be delivered by appellant to appellee free on board the cars of a common carrier at Jackson, Tennessee. Amongst other terms in said contract, it was expressly agreed that, if anything was found short, broken, defective or not as specified, notice' thereof should be given in writing to appellant within ten days after the machinery was received by it that appellant might correct the same. The contract also contained the following express warranty:

“Warranty: The Southern Engine & Boiler Works guarantees said machinery and property shall be as represented herein, and of good material and workmanship — to do good work when properly set down and operated. And the parties of the second part agree, to test the same within thirty days after received, and if, upon trial, said machinery should not prove as herein represented, the parties of the second part expressly agree to give immediate written notice to the said Southern Engine & Boiler Works, of Jackson, Tennessee, and to allow the company a reasonable length of time, after having received said written notice, to send a man to adjust said machinery, the purchaser agreeing at the time to give full co-operation, together with the necessary help. The use of said machinery, without giving the written notice as herein provided, shall be deemed and construed as an acceptance of and conclusive evidence that said property is as herein represented.”

It appears from the undisputed testimony that the appellant, in December, 1908, in pursuance of said contract of sale, delivered said machinery to a common carrier at Jackson, Tennessee, duly consigned to the appellee at Edgemont, Arkansas, and that same was received by the appellee at said latter place in due course during the same month, and it paid the freight thereon. On January 4, 1909, and presumably within ten days after receiving the machinery, the appellee ‘ notified appellant by letter that some small items thereof were either broken or missing, amounting in the aggregate to $7.25, but we think the undisputed testimony shows that such portions of the maohinery were either damaged or lost while the property was in transit. In reply to this letter from appellee, the appellant wrote that it would send said items on receipt of the price thereof, and requested the appellee to make out its claim therefor against the railroad company and send to appellant and it would'collect same for it. It also indicated in its letters that, in the event appellee would make a verified claim against the railroad company therefor, it would, on receipt of such claim, send the parts desired without payment. The appellee made no reply to this letter.

The testimony on the part of the appellee tended further to prove that immediately upon receipt of the machinery it set up and began operating the same, and that it would not do good work, but on the contrary it could not be successfully operated on account of a defect in the mandrel. It appears that the appellee attempted to operate the machinery continuously for a period of from four and one-half to five months after it was first set up before it discovered the particular defect in the machinery .which caused it to fail to do proper workbut the testimony upon its behalf shows that, whatever may have been the cause, the machinery would not do good work immediately upon its being set up, and continued in this condition for four and one-half to five months thereafter. Under the undisputed testimony, however, the appellee never did give any notice, either verbal or written, to the appellant that there was any defect in the machinery or that it could not be properly operated. The testimony on the part of appellee tended to prove that by reason of the fault either of the machinery or the manner in which it was set down, lumber could not be properly sawed, and on this account it was operated during the above period at a considerable loss instead of a profit, and its manager testified that it was damaged thereby -in the sum of $1,000. The defect which the appellee claims was in the mandrel consisted of a kink or crook therein, and when .this was discovered a new mandrel was purchased by it at a cost of $49. The remainder of the damages, it is claimed, consisted in the loss of time and profits.

It is urged .by the appellee that the appellant breached the warranties contained in said written contract of sale when it failed to send to it the broken parts referred to in the above letter, and that appellee was thereby entitled to recover in damags the cost of said items. But we do not think that this contention is correct. It was provided by the contract that, if anything was found broken or defective in the machinery, the appellee should give notice to the appellant so that it might correct same. This, we think, was in effect a warranty upon the part of appellant that the -machinery at the time it was sold and delivered was in perfect condition. But this warranty related -only ,to the condition of the property at the time of the sale, and did not cover any future defects which were not then in existence. According to the terms of the contract, it was provided that the property should be delivered by the appellant to appellee to a common carrier at Jackson, Tennessee; .and when the same was thus delivered by it, ¡the title thereto at once vested in the appellee. State v. Carl, 43 Ark. 359; Burton v. Baird, 44 Ark.

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Bluebook (online)
136 S.W. 928, 98 Ark. 482, 1911 Ark. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southern-engine-boiler-works-v-globe-cooperage-lumber-co-ark-1911.