Voorman v. Voight

California Supreme Court
Voorman v. Voight, 46 Cal. 392 (Cal. 1873)

Voorman v. Voight

Opinion of the Court

By the Court:

We are of opinion that the exceptions taken to the evidence of Schultz and Voorman cannot be maintained. The objections were general against their admissibility for any purpose whatever. It is clear enough, that had Yoight been the sole defendant in the action, the evidence objected to would have been admissible as against him. If, as to his codefendant Spreckels, a different rule would obtain, by reason of the latter being a guarantor only (a question not necessary to consider), the objection should have been limited accordingly, or an instruction asked upon the point. Nor do we think, on looking into the instructions, that there was error in instructing the jury that, if the plaintiffs had substantially complied with the contract, they would be entitled to a verdict, or that the jury were misled by that expression occurring in the instructions given. The case at the *398trial was reduced to a single issue as to whether the packages in which the spirits were contained were good packages,” as required by the contract sued upon. The jury were told in substance, that the delivery of packages not sufficient to hold the spirits or which- would discolor it so as to render it unmarketable, would not amount to a substantial compliance with the contract upon the part of the plaintiffs; to instruct them in this connection, that a substantial compliance with the contract would entitle the plaintiffs to recover, was only to say that, if the packages delivered were sufficient in these respects, they should find for the plaintiff, and we think that, as thus understood, the case was correctly put to the jury upon the single issue involved at the trial.

Judgment and order affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
HENRY VOORMAN and LOUIS SCHULTZ v. CHRISTIAN H. VOIGHT and CLAUS SPRECKELS
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Objection to Testimony.—If an action is brought, on a contract the performance of which was guaranteed, and the contracting party and guarantor are joint defendants, and testimony is offered which is relevant as to the contractor, but not admissible as against the guarantor, a general objection to the testimony is insufficient, but the objection must point out why the testimony ought not to be received. Evidence in Action on Contract. — In an action on a contract to deliver spirits in good packages, where the only issue made is, whether the packages were good, the plaintiff, being the party to deliver the spirits, may prove that the defendant assigned other reasons than the defect in tlio packages for not paying for the spirits, and that he did not offer to return the packages. Compliance with Contract. — In action upon a contract to deliver spirits in good packages, where the only issue is, whether the packages were good, an instruction to the jury that if the plaintiff had substantially complied with the contract he was entitled to a verdict, but that if the packages containing the spirits were not good, it was not such a substantial compliance with the contract as to entitle the plaintiff to recover, is not erroneous.