Tyson v. Ciba-Geigy Corp.

347 S.E.2d 473, 82 N.C. App. 626, 2 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 452, 1986 N.C. App. LEXIS 2610
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedSeptember 2, 1986
Docket8612SC220
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 347 S.E.2d 473 (Tyson v. Ciba-Geigy Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tyson v. Ciba-Geigy Corp., 347 S.E.2d 473, 82 N.C. App. 626, 2 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 452, 1986 N.C. App. LEXIS 2610 (N.C. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

HEDRICK, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff first assigns error to the trial court’s denial of his pretrial motion to amend his complaint to allege negligence, made over a year and a half after the original complaint was filed. G.S. 1A-1, Rule 15(a) gives the trial court broad discretion in determining whether leave to amend will be granted after the time for amending as a matter of course has expired. Willow Mountain Corp. v. Parker, 37 N.C. App. 718, 247 S.E. 2d 11, disc. rev. denied, 295 N.C. 738, 248 S.E. 2d 867 (1978). The denial of such a motion is not reviewable absent a clear showing of abuse of discretion. Garage v. Holston, 40 N.C. App. 400, 253 S.E. 2d 7 (1979). We find no such abuse of discretion and this assignment of error is overruled.

Plaintiff also assigns error to the trial court’s denial of his motion pursuant to G.S. 1A-1, Rule 15(b) to amend to allege negligence, made at the close of plaintiffs evidence. Plaintiff contends that the issue of negligence was tried by implied consent and, therefore, that the trial court erred in denying his motion to amend to conform to the evidence. We disagree.

G.S. 1A-1, Rule 15(b) provides, in pertinent part, as follows: “When issues not raised by the pleadings are tried by the express or implied consent of the parties, they shall be treated in all respects as if they had been raised in the pleadings.” In Eudy v. *630 Eudy, 288 N.C. 71, 77, 215 S.E. 2d 782, 786-87 (1975), our Supreme Court discussed the application of G.S. 1A-1, Rule 15(b) as follows:

[T]he implication of Rule 15(b) ... is that a trial court may not base its decision upon an issue that was tried inadvertently. Implied consent to the trial of an unpleaded issue is not established merely because evidence relevant to that issue was introduced without objection. At least it must appear that the parties understood the evidence to be aimed at the unpleaded issue.

(Citations omitted.) Where the evidence which supports an un-pleaded issue also tends to support an issue properly raised by the pleadings, no objection to such evidence is necessary and the failure to object does not amount to implied consent to try the unpleaded issue. Munchak Corp. v. Caldwell, 37 N.C. App. 240, 246 S.E. 2d 13, disc. rev. denied, 295 N.C. 647, 248 S.E. 2d 252 (1978). The trial court’s ruling on a motion to amend pursuant to G.S. 1A-1, Rule 15(b) is not reviewable on appeal absent a showing of abuse of discretion. Evans v. Craddock, 61 N.C. App. 438, 300 S.E. 2d 908 (1983).

In the present case, the evidence cited by plaintiff in support of the issue of negligence also supports the allegations of breach of warranty, which were raised by the pleadings. Defendants’ failure to object to such evidence, therefore, did not amount to implied consent to try the issue of negligence. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiffs second motion to amend to allege negligence.

Plaintiff assigns as error the trial court’s granting of defendants’ motions for directed verdict. Plaintiff first argues in support of this assignment of error that the evidence is sufficient for the jury to find that Ciba-Geigy breached an express warranty on the Dual 8E label that the product was reasonably fit for the purposes referred to in the directions for use. This argument is without merit. The label attached to the Dual 8E delivered to plaintiff contained the following express warranty: “CIBA-GEIGY warrants that this product conforms to the chemical description on the label and is reasonably fit for the purposes referred to in the Directions for Use.” Under the “Directions for Use” the label instructs, “In soybeans, it [Dual 8E] may be applied alone or in combination with Sencor, Lexone, or Lorox in water or fluid fer *631 tilizer with conventional ground sprayers.” The label also contains tables describing the necessary amount of Dual 8E per acre when using Dual 8E alone or in conjunction with Sencor, Lexone or Lorox. The label does not contain directions for mixing Dual 8E with Paraquat and a surfactant. Vance Tyson testified that he mixed the Dual 8E with Paraquat and a surfactant and that he did not mix the Dual 8E in accordance with the directions for use on the label. The record contains no evidence tending to show that the Dual 8E was not fit for the purposes referred to in the directions for use, and thus there is no evidence that this express warranty was breached by Ciba-Geigy.

Plaintiff also contends that Ciba-Geigy breached the implied warranty of merchantability and this warranty was ineffectively disclaimed on the Dual 8E label. This contention is also without merit.

G.S. 25-2-316(2) provides, in pertinent part, as follows: “to exclude or modify the implied warranty of merchantability or any part of it the language must mention merchantability and in case of a writing must be conspicuous, and to exclude or modify any implied warranty of fitness the exclusion must be by a writing and conspicuous.” G.S. 25-1-201(10) provides that whether a term or clause is “conspicuous” is for decision by the court and that language in the body of a form is “conspicuous” if it is in larger or contrasting type or color.

The label on the Dual 8E in the present case contains the following language: “Ciba-Geigy makes no other express or implied warranty of Fitness or Merchantability or any other express or implied warranty.” This language is in darker and larger type than the other language on the label and is therefore “conspicuous,” as defined by G.S. 25-1-201(10). We hold, therefore, that Ciba-Geigy effectively disclaimed any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness.

Plaintiff argues that he presented sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Farm Chemical breached express warranties relating to the effectiveness of Dual 8E to kill crabgrass in the no-till cultivation of soybeans. Plaintiff contends that the statements of the sales representative of Farm Chemical that the Dual 8E, when mixed with Paraquat and a surfactant, would “do a good job” created an express warranty.

*632 G.S. 25-2-313(l)(a) provides that “[a]ny affirmation of fact or promise made by the seller to the buyer which relates to the goods and becomes part of the basis of the bargain creates an express warranty that the goods shall conform to the affirmation or promise.” A salesman’s expression of his opinion in “the puffing of his wares” does not create an express warranty. Motors, Inc. v. Allen, 280 N.C. 385, 186 S.E. 2d 161 (1972). Thus, statements such as “supposed to last a lifetime” and “in perfect condition” do not create an express warranty. Id. Similarly, the statement made by the salesman in the present case that the Dual 8E would “do a good job” is a mere expression of opinion and did not create an express warranty.

Finally, plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in granting defendant Farm Chemical’s motion for directed verdict on the issue of breach of implied warranty. We agree with this contention. G.S. 25-2-315 defines implied warranty of fitness for particular purpose as follows:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Daedalus, LLC v. Mecklenburg Cnty.
Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2026
PRESNELL v. SNAP-ON SECURECORP., INC.
M.D. North Carolina, 2022
Kerry Bodenhamer Farms, LLC v. Nature's Pearl Corp.
2018 NCBC 83 (North Carolina Business Court, 2018)
Lindsay v. Nichino America, Inc.
202 F. Supp. 3d 524 (M.D. North Carolina, 2016)
Kearney v. Bolling
774 S.E.2d 841 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2015)
Carl Shockley v. Joseph F. Crosby
Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2004
Shore v. Farmer
515 S.E.2d 495 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1999)
Karr-Bick Kitchens & Bath, Inc. v. Gemini Coatings, Inc.
932 S.W.2d 877 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1996)
Members Interior Construction, Inc. v. Leader Construction Co.
476 S.E.2d 399 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1996)
Smith v. Childs
437 S.E.2d 500 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1993)
Delta Marine, Inc. v. Whaley
813 F. Supp. 414 (E.D. North Carolina, 1993)
Stewart Office Suppliers, Inc. v. First Union National Bank
388 S.E.2d 599 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1990)
Mosley & Mosley Builders, Inc. v. Landin Ltd.
361 S.E.2d 608 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
347 S.E.2d 473, 82 N.C. App. 626, 2 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 452, 1986 N.C. App. LEXIS 2610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tyson-v-ciba-geigy-corp-ncctapp-1986.