The Bastian-Blessing Company v. Stroope

155 S.W.2d 892, 203 Ark. 116, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 328
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 24, 1941
Docket4-6492
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 155 S.W.2d 892 (The Bastian-Blessing Company v. Stroope) 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
The Bastian-Blessing Company v. Stroope, 155 S.W.2d 892, 203 Ark. 116, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 328 (Ark. 1941).

Opinion

Holt, J.

On June 2,1939, Joe Davis sold to appellee, C. S. Stroope of Camden, Arkansas, certain soda fountain equipment for freezing and preserving ice cream, taking therefor Stroope’s note in the amount of $1,298 and a “conditional sale contract” from Stroope in which title was retained in Davis until the payment of the note in full. On the same date (June 2, 1939), Joe Davis assigned the note and contract to appellant, The BastianBlessing Company.

Shortly thereafter the fountain equipment and accessories were shipped to Stroope and installed by Davis in Stroope’s place of business in Camden, Arkansas.

Stroope refused to make payments on the note and on December 30, 1939, appellant brought this suit against appellee, Stroope, to recover the balance ($1,261 with interest) due on the note and sale contract. It alleged in its complaint “That the said Joe Davis, for a valuable consideration, on June 2, 1939, sold and assigned said note and contract to the plaintiff, The Bastian-Blessing Company, who is the owner in due course and before maturity of the same. ’ ’

Appellee, after admitting the execution of the note and sale contract, the delivery and installation of the equipment in his place of business at Camden, denied every other material allegation in the complaint, and alleged “that said Joe Davis was the agent of plaintiff and acting for it in making said contract and represented and told the defendant that said fountain, counter, earbonator and compressor was what he wanted and-that said property would keep and hold ice cream in such condition as to make it sell and be marketable; that said property was in Chicago when the defendant contracted with said Joe Davis, and defendant had no chance or opportunity to try or test said property at the time of making said contract, and relied altogether on the statements and representation of said Joe Davis; that the said contract is fraudulent and void,” and further that the equipment would not perform the service for which it was sold to him, was defective, waived all claims to the property, offered to return same- to appellant,‘and filed ‘ ‘ counterclaim ’ ’ alleging damages in the amount of $500.

There was a jury trial and a verdict for the defendant Stroope, appellee here. Prom the judgment on this verdict comes this appeal.

For reversal appellant urges here “(1) that it was an innocent purchaser of the note, and conditional sale contract; and that there was no express warranty on its part and no breach of implied warranty was shown.”

1.

The testimony shows that Joe Davis was appellant’s agent in its Arkansas territory. The note and sale contract for the equipment in question executed between Davis and Stroope were both on forms furnished Davis by appellant and on the same day they were executed (June 2,1939) Davis assigned them to appellant. Davis’ commission on the sale was immediately forwarded to him by appellant. The property sold was manufactured by appellant in Chicago and sold through its agent in this territory to appellee, and appellee had no opportunity to examine it.

We quote here from the testimony of Joe Davis: “Q. Did I understand you to say, you had an arrangement with the plaintiff that after you sold the equipment you took the order in your own.name, and would transfer it to them—:they will pay you your commission, and handle the paper. Is that right? A. Yes, sir. Q. And attend to shipping the equipment? A. Yes, sir. Q. They are the manufacturers of the equipment are they? A. Yes sir. Q. Have you done that same way ever since you have been their agent? A. Yes sir. Q. Now, this agreement which was introduced in evidence—the note and contract—they furnish you this form, do they not? A. Yes, sir. . . . Q. At the time you took this paper you expected, of' course, to transfer it to the company—the plaintiff? A. Yes, sir. Q. They pay you a commission and they handle the balance, and you have nothing to do with the balance of it, is that right? A. Yes, sir—-I don’t know whether you would call it a commission or not; I get the difference between what I have to pay for the equipment under the contract, and what I sell it for. . . . Q. This note and contract show to have been prepared and signed at the same time—both of them? A. Yes, sir. Q. By Mr. Stroope? A. Yes, sir.”

We think it clear from this testimony that appellant was not an innocent purchaser of the note and sale contract for value before maturity.

The case of Commercial Credit Company v. Childs, 199 Ark. 1073, 137 S. W. 2d 260, 128 A. L. R. 726, is in point and applies here. There this'court said: “We think appellant was so closely connected with the entire transaction or Avith the deal that it cannot be heard to say that it, in good faith, Avas an innocent purchaser of the instrument for value before maturity. It financed the deal, prepared the instrument, and on the day it was executed took an assignment of it from the Arkansas Motors, Inc. . . . This court mil not disturb, on appeal, the finding- of a jury that one is not an innocent purchaser' of a note, if the finding is justified or warranted by any substantial evidence. Holland Banking Co. v. Booth, 121 Ark. 171, 180 S. W. 978; Iowa City State Bank v. Biggadike, 131 Ark. 514, 199 S. W. 539.”

II.

Appellant next contends that there was no express warranty and no breach of an implied Avarranty shown. While it is true that there is no express warranty stated in the contract, there is an implied warranty that the property sold here was reasonably suited for the purpose for Avhich it was sold to appellee. The law is well settled that where a manufacturer undertakes to supply goods which it manufactures for a particular purpose and the vendee, or party to whom it sells, has no opportunity to inspect the goods, there is an implied warranty on the part of the manufacturer that he will furnish a merchantable article reasonably fitted for the purpose intended and for which it Avas sold.

In the case of Dyke v. Magdalena, 171 Ark. 225, 283 8. W. 374, it is said: “ ‘Proof of an express warranty by the defendant of the quality of this machinery was not essential to a recovery. Ordinarily, upon sale of a chattel, the law implies no warranty of quality. But there are exceptions to the rule, as well established as the rule itself. One of these exceptions is where a manufacturer undertakes to supply goods manufactured by himself to be used for a particular purpose, and the vendee has not had the opportunity to inspect the goods. In that case the vendee necessarily trusts to the judgment and skill of the manufacturer, and it is an implied term in the contract that he shall furnish a merchantable article, reasonably fit for the purpose for which it is intended.’ (Citing other cases.)

“In the case of S. F. Bowser & Co. v. Kilgore, 100 Ark. 17, 139 S. W. 541, this court quoted with approval from the case of Kellogg Bridge Co. v. Hamilton, 110 U. S. 108, 3 S. Ct. 537, 28 L. Ed. 86, the following statement of the law: ‘When therefore the buyer has no oppor-.

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Bluebook (online)
155 S.W.2d 892, 203 Ark. 116, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/the-bastian-blessing-company-v-stroope-ark-1941.