Baily v. Carnduff
Baily v. Carnduff
Opinion of the Court
There is no dispute about the principal matters of fact, which being established, determine the right of this appeal. They are conceded by the pleadings, established by the testimony and found by the verdict. Therefrom we gather that in November, 1896, Baily, the appellant, employed Carnduff & Rusch as brokers to sell for him on the exchange at Colorado Springs 700 shares of Anaconda stock. At the time of the employment and when the direction to sell was given no limitation was placed on the authority of the brokers other than as to the price at which the stock must be sold and the sum which it must net the seller Baily. Acting under this general authority Carnduff & Rusch sold the stock on the exchange within the named price limit and thereafter notified him of the sale and the price received. Thus far there is no dispute. The parties are substantially agreed in their statements and if they were not these facts are established by the admissions in the pleadings as well- as by the verdict of the jury. We now come to a disagreement between the brokers and the principal as exhibited by the testimony. The brokers insist that they notified Baily of the sale'immediately after the transaction - and that he said he would deliver the
It is conceded by the attorney for the appellant, as indeed it must be under the authorities, that where a broker sells stock in obedience to the instructions of his customer who refuses to deliver, the customer will be liable to the broker
Every fact essential to render Baily liable for the loss was stated at the outset. Carnduff & Rusch were brokers. Baily employed them to sell 700 shares of Anaconda stock, and placed no limitation on the power to sell, save as respects the price at which the stock was to be sold. The stock was sold within the price limit, and the principal and the brokers became bound to deliver to the vendee the 700 shares of Anaconda stock. The principal refused to deliver. It therefore follows under this conceded principle, the brokers would have a, right to go into the market and buy it at the best price they could to fulfill their contract, and hold the principal not only for their commission but for their loss. This was the verdict, and this was the judgment. There is no controversy about the sum which the brokers were compelled to pay for the stock or the commissions to which they were entitled. The sum total was the verdict. This leaves only the consideration whether what happened was a sufficient defense. The appellant has built up an elaborate argument to the point, that where a person buys the vendor is not bound to deliver except on the receipt of the price. This would be of significance and force if the facts warranted its application. It is true as a general proposition, and is the law applicable to the sale of personal property. The suit presents no such case. There is nothing to show that the brokers were the purchasers of the stock. If they were not buyers, but simply brokers, the principle contended for has no application. The appellant next insists that the instructions which the court gave were erroneous because they failed to leave it to the jury to determine whether there was any modification of the contract after the employment. There are several answers to the contention ; the first is that the appellant offered no such instruc
Conceding, however, the brokers did agree to send the cash to the bank, or conceding that Baily so understood the agreement after the sale and that the brokers failed, yet, that did not relieve the principal from his liability. We may concede Baily had the right to reject the brokers’ check and refuse then to deliver the stock, if as he claims it was understood after the sale the money ivas to be sent to the First National Bank of Denver. If this be true there was no limit of time within which that was done. Baily insists the money was to come on Saturday because he wanted it, but there was no agreement between the brokers and the principal that the money was to be sent on that day as a condition precedent to the delivery or to a valid sale. There is nothing in the testimony warranting this conclusion. When he refused to deliver the stock and receive the brokers’ check, the broker came to Denver on Monday and demanded the stock. At this time, under the proof, the vendor Baily was bound to deliver. He might doubtless have then insisted the money should be paid before he would surrender his certificate, but this was not his statement. He simply repudiated the sale and refused absolutely to deliver. Under these circum
We are unable to discover any error in the record which warrants a reversal of the judgment; we believe the verdict was right and that the judgment is sustained not only by the facts but by the law, and it will accordingly be affirmed.
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.