Bank of Orland v. Finnell
Bank of Orland v. Finnell
Opinion of the Court
The complaint sets forth, in substance, that in August, 1894, it was agreed between plaintiff, defendant, and James and William Deveney that the Deveneys should summer-fallow two thousand five hundred acres of land for defendant, and that, defendant should pay plaintiff the reasonable value thereof; that in the summer-fallowing season next ensuing, and subsequent to such agreement, the Deveneys did the summer-fallowing; that it was worth $1.50 an acre, or a total of $3,750. Then follows, in the complaint, this allegation: “That at the time of the entering into the said agreement, after the said plowing had been completed, the said Deveneys, for a valuable consideration, directed the said John Finnell to pay the plaintiff, and the said John Finnel agreed to pay the plaintiff, for the said plowing, as aforesaid.” The pleadings were not verified. The answer contained a general denial; also, an affirmative defense, in the nature of a novation, in which it was alleged that in October, 1894, defendant executed a two years lease to the Deveneys
The evidence would seem to be lacking to support that portion of the last finding relative to plaintiff accepting the written lease in satisfaction of the claim of plaintiff for the
I am of the opinion that the point made in appellant’s specifications and brief, that the court failed to find on the issue as to whether, after the plowing was done, defendant, for a valuable consideration, promised to pay plaintiff for it, is well taken. The question is whether the finding that, before the summer-fallowing was done, the execution of a lease for two years superseded the agreement for one year, of August 9, 1894, and so rendered any further finding unnecessary. But the record does not show satisfactorily that the situation was such that the defendant could not bind himself by the express contract charged. It is contended by respondent that the allegation of the complaint quoted above is confined, as to its date, to the time of the first agreement mentioned in the complaint, and must be taken as a part of such agreement, and that that agreement was completely disposed of in the findings. This allegation of the complaint seems to be somewhat ambiguous as to time, but there was no demurrer to it on that or any other ground, so it became the duty of the court to determine what it meant; and, if it was material, the findings should have covered it. It may as well be said that the allegation in question refers to a time after the plowing was completed, as to say it refers to any time prior thereto, and this construction must have been placed upon it by both court and counsel on the trial; for much evidence was introduced on behalf of the plaintiff to show that long after the making of the two year lease, after much of the plowing had been done, and about the last of March or first of April, 1895, the defendant had requested plaintiff to procure a written order from the Deveneys, directing him to pay the price of the plowing, and promised to pay the same. This was denied by defendant on the witness-stand. Plaintiff put in evidence a written order drawn on defendant by the Deveneys, in favor of plaintiff, for the price of plowing. This order was dated in August, 1895; and plaintiff’s cashier testified that he had obtained it pursuant to such request of defendant. So that there was a sharp conflict in the evidence upon the question as to whether defendant, after the
We concur: Haynes, C.; Pringle, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment is reversed and a new trial ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BANK OF ORLAND v. FINNELL
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Findings.—Plaintiff Alleged an Agreement Whereby Third Parties were to summer-fallow land for defendant, and that defendant should pay plaintiff the reasonable value thereof; that, after said plowing had been completed, said third parties directed defendant to pay plaintiff, and defendant agreed so to do. Defendant alleged execution of a two years lease to such third parties in payment of said agreement, and that plaintiff and such third parties accepted the same in full satisfaction of the claim. Held, to require a finding as to whether, after the plowing was done, defendant, for a valuable consideration, promised to pay plaintiff therefor, as alleged in the complaint.