Ward v. Stimson
Ward v. Stimson
Opinion of the Court
Action to recover the reasonable value of materials furnished and labor performed by plaintiff at the special instance and request of defendants in repairing a steam boiler.
Judgment was rendered for plaintiff, from which defendants have appealed.
It appears without contradiction that, the boiler being in bad condition, defendants, upon an express contract, employed plaintiff to repair the same, at an agreed price of $124.50. The repairs called for the welding upon the boiler of what is termed a lip, some four and a half or five feet in length. Plaintiff himself testified that, while he did not recommend or guarantee that such repairs would proye successful, nevertheless, as done, it would have answered the purpose for which the welding was intended, if the state had allowed it. He says: “I did the work all right, but the authorities would not let it go”; that is, after the work was completed as ordered by defendants, the boiler inspector would not accept it. Thereupon plaintiff, in the absence of an express contract, and as ordered by defendants, furnished materials and did other work in repairing the boiler, for all of which, including the welding of the lip covered by the express contract, he sued herein to recover upon a qucmtum meruit.
In defense of the action, the answer alleged, first, the making of the express contract and that the work was done thereunder; and, second, that not only the work so called for, but all work done by plaintiff was faulty, imperfect, and improperly done and performed.
Clearly, under the evidence offered, plaintiff’s right to recover for the work which he fully performed under the special contract should be limited to the amount specified therein. The judgment in effect grants him a recovery for the reasonable value thereof, which may be greatly in excess of the price at which he agreed to do the work.
Our conclusion renders it unnecessary to discuss other alleged errors pertaining to the character of the work and rulings of the court in admitting testimony.
The judgment is reversed.
Conrey, P. J., and James, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- DAVID M. WARD, Respondent, v. WILLARD H. STIMSON Et Al., Appellants
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published