Haun v. Rosenmayer
Haun v. Rosenmayer
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal by the defendant J. J. Rosenmayer from a judgment against him alone in the sum of $3,534.96 for commissions upon the sale of goods. The plaintiff is the assignee of Sutphen & Company, a co-partnership engaged in business as brokers and manufacturers’ agents in the city of Chicago. The defendant was engaged in Los Angeles in the business of buying cauliflower from the farmers and packing the same in barrels and then selling in the eastern markets in carload lots. The defendant paid commission to the plaintiff’s assignor upon a sale of five carloads to Libby, McNeill & Libby, a Chicago buyer, and the dispute is over the commission upon an additional eighty cars sold to the same purchaser a day or so later. The appellant attacks the finding of the trial court to the effect that the plaintiff’s assignor rendered services to the defendant as a broker in securing the purchaser for these additional eighty cars of cauliflower. This finding is based upon the correspondence between the parties, which is set out in the record. It can serve no useful purpose to quote that correspondence in full here, and in the interest of clarity we shall merely call attention to those portions, which justify the conclusion of the trial court. On November 18, 1916, following up other correspondence, the brokers telegraphed the defendant as follows: “Have buyer several cars cauliflower seven dollars shipping point. Will inspect, accept and pay for flower Los Angeles. Wire number of cars and where inspector now at San Francisco can meet you. If only one car let Budlong have it', terms sight draft. If more wire us.’’ To this defendant replied on November 19th: “Am able to load two cars a week at eight dollars per *355 barrel subject to changes. Will ship Budlong one car also at eight dollars. Demand big, market higher. If inspector comes to Los Angeles will make arrangements.” On November 19, 1916, the brokers telegraphed to the defendant that they had “sold Libby McNeill five cars or more if available same price and terms. Their Mr. Eustace now California will see you early part week.” To this telegram defendant replied: “Will ship Budlong car next week. Will be able to ship later all you can sell. Too early yet, don’t guarantee future prices.” On November 21, 1916, Sutphen & Co. wrote the defendant: “Referring to the Libby McNeill and Libby cauliflower deal, they will buy five cars at $8 Los Angeles, if you can supply them or they will take one car this week at $8.00, then wire us price on balance. Their man will be with you today or tomorrow. In your telegram you say that you can give us all the cauliflower we can sell and that it is too early yet to quote price ...” Libby, McNeill & Libby wired their agent at Los Angeles on November 21st: “Rosenmayer quotes thro Sutphen forty-five gallons cauliflower in brine eight dollars Los Angeles, need badly, see Rosenmayer today, inspect cauliflower, buy all possible if good color. ...” On November 22, 1916, Mr. Beilfus, the Los Angeles agent of Libby, McNeill & Libby, in accordance with these instructions, called on the defendant and bought five cars at eight dollars; on November 23d, he bought thirty cars at eight dollars and twenty-five cents and on November 24th, he bought fifty cars at eight dollars and fifty cents. On November 23d, Sutphen & Company wrote to the defendant: “Libby, McNeill & Libby have sent a man to see you. They will buy five cars, more if you have them at the same price. Both Budlong and Libby have agreed to have the cauliflower shipped at once.” On November 27, 1916, Sutphen & Co. wrote defendant again: “We are pleased to learn that you are able to supply Libby, McNeill & Libby with 70 or 80 cars cauliflower. They have informed us over the ’phone of the terms and conditions as set forth in the attached sales ticket. Presume they have cleaned up everything you have outside of the order for Budlong ...”
The defendant paid the commission upon the first five cars only and refused to pay the commission on the eighty cars sold subsequently. The complaint was in two counts; first, upon an express contract and agreed commission of five per *356 cent, and second, for the reasonable value of the services rendered.
The contention of the appellant that this evidence does not show the plaintiff’s assignor entitled to commissions upon the eighty cars of foodstuff is without merit. It is admitted that Sutphen & Company negotiated the sale of the first five carloads to Libby, McNeill & Libby. It also appears that there was a prospect then of selling more goods to this same purchaser, and that Sutphen & Company advised the defendant that the negotiations would be carried on by the representative of the purchaser, who was then in California. These negotiations were carried on and a sale consummated by said representative. It, therefore, appears that while the' details of the sale were arranged between the representative of the purchaser and the seller in Los Angeles, the transaction was made possible by the efforts of the brokers in Chicago in- negotiating with the buyer, and the buyer’s direction to its agent to arrange the details of the transaction with the seller was in accordance with its arrangement with the broker. It therefore appears that the findings of the trial court upon this question find abundant support in the evidence, and they cannot be disturbed by us.
The judgment is modified so as to eliminate the interest from June 1, 1917, until date of judgment. When this amount is deducted the judgment will be for $3,378.55, the reasonable value of the services, together with interest thereon from date of judgment until paid at the rate of seven per cent per annum, together with the necessary costs and disbursements incurred in this action, amounting to the sum of $36.70. As so modified, the judgment is affirmed.
Nourse, J., and Brittain, J., concurred.
A petition to have the cause heard in the supreme court, after judgment in the district court of appeal, was denied by the supreme co;irt on April 20, 1920.
All the Justices concurred, except Shaw, J., who did not participate.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRED A. HAUN, Respondent, v. J. J. ROSENMAYER, Appellant
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published