Stafford v. Anders

8 Fla. 34
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJuly 1, 1858
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 8 Fla. 34 (Stafford v. Anders) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stafford v. Anders, 8 Fla. 34 (Fla. 1858).

Opinion

BALTZELL, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The plaintiff in the court below, George W. Anders, sued to recover upon two promissory notes, the one for $219, the other for $150, and obtaining judgment upon them, the defendant Stafford has appealed to this court, alleging error in the decision overruling his defences. To the first note he plead that “ it was executed in part for a lot of stock hogs, to wit: fifty-eight in number, at the price of two dollars per head, making the sum of $116 — that the plaintiff delivered him 11 of said hogs, and represented that the remaining forty-one were at different places in Hernando county — were gentle, manageable and would come to the call of defendant — that defendant did go to the places designated and called them and hunted the range thereabouts and found only eight head, which were wild and unmanageable, and that he hunted diligently for the remaining thirty-three head and has been unable to find them.” The plea was demurred to as setting up no sufficient defence, as not alleging that the note was obtained by fraud, [39]*39as not setting forth when defendant went to the ponds nor when he hunted diligently — that it impeaches in part the consideration on which the note was given, and was not filed at the appearance term, nor sworn to.” The court sustained the first ground oí objection and overruled the defence. Defendant then filed three amended pleas which were all demurred to. The first of them alleged, that “ the consideration of the note had partially failed in this — that it was given for fifty-eight head of hogs at two dollars per head, which plaintiff agreed and promised afterwards to deliver to the defendant, and that plaintiff delivered only twenty-five and refused to deliver the remaining thirty-three head.” The objection to this plea on the part of plaintiff was, that “ the plea defends against the whole count and sets up only a partial failure of consideration — ■ that it sets up an agreement of plaintiff to deliver the hogs after the note sued on was given, and such promise is nudum pactum, that it is in substance the same as the first plea demurred out, and is otherwise insufficient.” The court sustained these objections except the first.

The exceptions to the plea are rather to its form, than to the merits contained in it. By our statute, a partial failure of consideration may be pleaded with the like efficiency as one that is total. It will prevail to the extent of such defence — see pamphlet laws of 1850, page 125. Of the same character is the objection, that “ the plea defends against the whole count,” by which is meant, that the plea commences by saying “ the defendant comes and defends the wrong and injury, when, &e.” Whatever force may have been attributed to these expressions by the early common law, in practice none has been allowed them here, and the rules of Court expressly declare that “ no formal defence shall be required in a plea,” and it shall commence as follows : u the said defendant by his attorney says, &c.f and [40]*40further that “ it shall not be necessary to use any allegation of actionem non, or to the like effect, &c.” Certainly then the improper use of terms declared to be unnecessary cannot be considered to have the effect of invalidating a plea, if it be in other respects unobjectionable.

Passing from these, the question remains, is the plea good in substance.

Admitting that the agreement for the delivery of the hogs was made afterwards, and not at the time of the bargain, and that there was no agreement then as to the delivery ; the enquiry arises as to the effect of the agreement set up in the pleas, divested of all provision as to' the delivery.

Thus stated, the allegation of the plea is that the note was given for 58 head of hogs at two dollars per head.”'

Such an agreement constitutes a sale, and will be found to be attended with the following results in contemplation of law:

“ The simplest form of a sale is when the price is paid and the article is immediately delivered. But inasmuch as there can be a sale of a thing in future, and also, since the thing sold may not be in the actual possession of the seller, subsequent acts by one or both parties often become necessary in order to complete the sale.” — Story on Cont. 804.

“ Delivery completes the contract of sale, and vests the title to the property sold in the vendee, so that if they be destroyed afterwards by casualty he must bear the loss.” —§ 503.

The first rule of law applicable to delivery, and to which aM other rules are subordinate, is that no sale is complete so as to vest an immediate right of property in the- buyer, so long as any thing remains to be done as between the buyer and seller. The goods sold must be identified? [41]*41s&pcorated cmd distinguished from all other goods, or from the bulk or mass with which they are mixed. When goods are sold by number, weight and measure, so long as the specific quantity or measure is not separated and identified, the sale is not completed, and the goods are at the risk of the seller.” Story on Contracts and cases cited. Sec. 504.

“ Where the seller has done every thing that is required of him as to a portion of the goods, yet something still remains to he done before delivery in regard to tbe rest of the goods, the goods which have been separated and designated, and are ready for delivery, became the property of the buyer and are at his own risk, but tbe part in which something remains to be done is at the risk of the seller, and as to them the sale is incomplete, nor does it make any difference in such case whether the contract be entire or severable. Thus where a quantity of starch in packages was bought, and it was agreed that the different packages should be weighed by tbe seller, who accordingly weighed a portion of the starch and delivered it to the vendee, and left a portion unweighed, and the vendee in the mean time became bankrupt, it was held that the weighing and delivery of a part of the starch, did not transfer to the vendee the property in that which was unweighed. When the whole duty of the seller is completed, and nothing remains to he done by him in relation to any part of the goods, a delivery of a part will he considered as constructive delivery of the whole, whenever the contract of sale is entire. And the same rule governs although the contract be sevéable, unless intention on the part of the seller to surrender only a part is either expressed or manifestly implied from, the circumstances.” Sec. 505.

"For a sale to be valid in law, there must be parties, a [42]*42consideration, and a thing to be sold.”' — Parsons on Contracts, 437. — “ The thing sold must be specific and capable of certain identification.” — Page 440.

“ The property does not pass absolutely, unless the sale be completed, and it is not completed until the happening of any event provided for, or so long as any thing remains to be done to the thing sold, to put it in a condition for sale or to identify it, or discriminate it from other things, &c.s unless this is to be done by the buyer alone.” — Ilid. 441.

It is unnecessary to say, that by the plea no obligation of this kind rests with the buyer. We hold then, that under the facts set up by this plea, delivery was an essential part of the contract, and was incumbent on the vendor.

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13 Fla. 230 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1869)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 Fla. 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stafford-v-anders-fla-1858.