Universal Coal Co. v. Old Ben Coal Corp.

167 N.E. 904, 32 Ohio App. 254, 1929 Ohio App. LEXIS 604
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 28, 1929
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 167 N.E. 904 (Universal Coal Co. v. Old Ben Coal Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Universal Coal Co. v. Old Ben Coal Corp., 167 N.E. 904, 32 Ohio App. 254, 1929 Ohio App. LEXIS 604 (Ohio Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

Cushing, J.

After the determination of this case on December 17, 1928, counsel for plaintiff in error applied for a rehearing and filed a motion to correct the record. An affidavit of an official stenographer was filed in support of the motion to correct the bill of exceptions. Under Section 11572a, General Code, this court has authority to correct a record or refer it to the trial court for correction.

We have concluded to consider the case as though the record were corrected, and for that purpose have examined the briefs and the record to determine the questions of law involved.

This action was brought by the Old Ben Coal Corporation against the Universal Coal Company for damages in the sum of $20,000 for breach of contract.

*256 The Old Ben Coal Corporation in its amended petition stated that it entered into a contract with the defendant, by which the defendant promised and agreed to deliver to the plaintiff 100 cars of Eagle Gas run of mine coal at a price of $1.40 per ton, to be shipped in proper equipment, as fast as possible, to Tidewater No. 123, care of Wyatt Coal Sales Company, Newport News, Virginia, and to the Logan and Kanawha Coal Company, at Clifton Forge, Virginia, for which the plaintiff promised to pay $1.40 per ton; that on July 3 and 17, 1926, defendant delivered 2 cars of coal on each day, and on August 17, 1926, defendant by mistake in consignment delivered one car of coal; that the time for shipment was extended from time to time; that in the latter part of October, 1926, plaintiff refused further extension of time, and requested and demanded shipment and delivery according to contract; and that the defendant on or about November 9, 1926, failed and refused to ship said coal or any part thereof, except as stated, to plaintiff’s damage in the sum of $20,000.

In its answer, the defendant admitted said contract and the price’ of the coal, and stated that said contract was subject to the condition of cash payment on or before the 15th of each month for all coal shipped during the preceding month, and -added that, by the terms of that contract, no liability was to accrue to the defendant for failure to make delivery from causes beyond defendant’s control; that the plaintiff did not comply with the condition to make payment on or before the 15th day of each month for coal shipped during the preceding month; that, after starting delivery, a fire destroyed the *257 power plant at the producing mine, and for the time being production of coal was impossible; and that it also had labor trouble. Defendant further answered that the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company had placed an embargo upon coal for tidewater shipment.

Further answering, the defendant said that, during the time when the mine was non-producing, by reason of said fire, the defendant offered to supply plaintiff with Eagle Gas run of mine coal, produced from mines other than those specified in the oral part of the contract, but that the plaintiff, notwithstanding the fact that the coal offered to be delivered was of the same kind and character as that specified in the contract, refused to permit the defendant to substitute the coal of mines other than the Guyan Valley Fuel Company; that the defendant, through no fault of its own, was prevented by causes beyond its control and the acts of plaintiff from completing the contract in accordance with the terms of the written memorandum.

Plaintiff’s reply denies that the coal was to be produced from the mines of the Guyan Valley Fuel Company, at Crown, West Virginia, and denies that said contract was subject to the condition of cash payment on or before the 15th day of each month for all coal shipped during the preceding month, and says that said contract was for 100 cars of said coal, payment to be made on completion of the delivery of said coal. Plaintiff admits the delivery of 4 cars under said contract, and denies that the defendant did anything further with respect to the performance of said contract, and denies that performance was made impossible by fire, or that the plain *258 tiff designated any mine from which, the coal called for in the contract was to be produced, and says that said contract was for Eagle Gas run of mine coal; and that no mine was designated. Plaintiff further denies that the shipment and delivery of coal described in said contract was prevented and made impossible by an embargo upon said coal, and says that Eagle Gas run of mine coal was shipped during the time covered by said contract to Tidewater and other shipping points covered by shipping directions.

Plaintiff further denies that there was any oral or verbal change in the written contract entered into by the plaintiff and defendant, and denies that the defendant offered to deliver any coal of the kind and character specified in the contract other than the 4 cars of coal delivered as aforesaid, and denies that it refused to accept delivery of coal from any mine producing coal of the kind and character described in said contract, and says that it continuously requested and demanded performance by the defendant, but that defendant did not perform.

Further replying, the plaintiff denies each and every other allegation in the answer not specifically admitted.

The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $15,023.60.

On motion for a new trial, the court granted a remittitur and entered judgment for $10,920, with interest from the 2d day of April, 1928.

This action is prosecuted to reverse that judgment.

Counsel for plaintiff in error state six grounds claiming they constitute reversible error:

*259 1. That the jury erred in. basing its verdict upon the breach of contract of November IQ, 1926, as there is no evidence that would support such a finding.

The record is that from the making of the contract until November 10,1926, there were many communications, oral and written, about the delivery of the coal. On November 10, 1926, the plaintiff in error orally and in writing stated that it could do nothing further. This amounted to a refusal to deliver the coal, and, under Section 8447, General Code, there was a breach of the contract, and the jury was justified in so holding.

2. That the court erred in overruling the motion for a new trial, after having found that the verdict was excessive.

The record discloses that the price of coal varied from June 26, to November 10, 1926, and, as the measure of damage for a failure to deliver the coal would be the difference between the price stated in the contract and that on the date of the breach, the court was justified, on authority of Pendleton St. Rd. Co. v. Rahmann, 22 Ohio St., 446; Cleveland & M. Rd. Co. v. Himrod Furnace Co., 37 Ohio St., 434; Silverglade v. Von Rohr, 107 Ohio St., 75, 140 N. E., 669, and Alter v. Shearwood, 114 Ohio St., 560, 151 N. E., 667, in calculating the amount due as shown by the record.

3. The court erred in the admission of testimony of transactions after July 20, 1926.

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167 N.E. 904, 32 Ohio App. 254, 1929 Ohio App. LEXIS 604, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/universal-coal-co-v-old-ben-coal-corp-ohioctapp-1929.