Gant v. Broadway
Gant v. Broadway
Opinion of the Court
This was a suit in replevin of hay in bale. Defendant justified seizure as sheriff by virtue of attachment against one Thompson. It appeared in evidence that the hay had been cut and baled and piled up by one Kellogg on his farm, and that he had sold the hay to Thompson where it stood. That thereafter Thompson sold the hay to Grant, plaintiff. "When Gant purchased, he said he would buy it, if Kellogg would let the hay stay where it was until he wanted to move it. Kellogg assented to it, and Grant bought and paid for the hay. He had moved none of it when defendant seized it as Thompson’s hay by virtue of an attachment issued in favor of Goldman. The cause was tried by a jury, and the appellant, the defendant below, assigns for error the charge of the court, which was as follows:
The court gave the following instructions to the jury for the plaintiff: “The jury are instructed: (1) That a delivery of personal property must be a transfer of possession and control, made by the seller with the purpose and effect of patting the goods out of his hands. This is sufficient delivery, whatever its form. Hence it may be constructive, as by delivering the key of a warehouse, or even a receipt, or without such when the goods are bulky and difficult of access, as in the case of the hay in suit.” “ (3) Actual change of the situation of cumbersome property is not necessary to the immediate delivery and actual and continued change of possession required by our statutes to render a sale valid as against the creditors of the vendor, so that other circumstances connected with the sale preclude a continued ownership of possession in the vendor, and which, taken altogether, exclude from the transaction the idea of fraud. (4) When the goods at the time of the sale are in the possession of the third party, an actual receipt by or delivery to the vendee takes place when the vendor, the purchaser, and the third party agree that the latter shall cease to hold the goods for the vendor, and shall hold them for the purchaser.” “(7) The jury are further instructed that, under the evidence, the possession of Thompson of the property in dispute, as
In this case, Kellogg was the ostensible owner of the hay. He had cut it, baled and piled it up on his land. Had his creditors levied upon it, the question would have been clearly before the court. Thompson’s possession was constructive and good as between him and Kellogg. He transferred to Gant all the titled and possession he had. Kellogg had given him permission to leave it where it was, and Kellogg gave to Gant the same permission. Kellogg being the ostensible owner, and apparently in the possession, a stranger is charged with notice of his possession. But his possession is not attacked; it is Thompson’s, who was not ostensibly in possession. Thompson never had any actual possession; and when the levy was made, he had no right or title. That had passed to Gant. The issues were fairly presented. We see no error in the charge. The judgment is affirmed.
Wright, C. J., and Porter, J., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. L. GANT, and v. N. M. BROADWAY, and
- Status
- Published