Hull v. Dannen
Hull v. Dannen
Opinion of the Court
On May 23, 1912, defendant sold to plaintiff a certain stallion at the agreed price of $350. As a part of that transaction, the parties entered into a written agreement as follows:
“GUARANTEE.
“I this day sold the stallion, Herperst, to J. E. Hull, and, guarantee that no spavin will develop on the left hind hock inside of 10 months. If said spavin or enlargement should enlarge to make him unsound, I agree to take the horse back and return the price paid for him, said horse to be returned to me in as good condition otherwise.
“R. C. Dannen.
“J. E. Hull.”
The defendant admits the sale of the horse to plaintiff as alleged and the execution of the writing sued upon, but denies that there has been any breach of the terms of the warranty-. There was a jury trial, and verdict and judgment for plaintiff for $510.
The only errors upon which appellant relies for a reversal are stated in his brief as follows:
The first and second of these specifications are not only too indefinite to call for any consideration by this court, but neither has been argued by counsel, and we pass them without further notice.
The instruction to which exception is taken is as follows-:
• Stating it in counsel’s own language, the objection to the instruction is this: That the court, instead of using the words “did make the horse unsound,” ought to have said, “should enlarge to- make the horse unsound, ’ ’ because that is the language employed in the writing.
But the quotation which counsel here makes from the warranty is not complete. Referring to the instrument mentioned, we find, first, an unequivocal guaranty that no spavin would develop within 10 months; and if a spavin did so develop within that time, it would follow, as a matter of law, that defendant became liable upon his guaranty.
The next sentence does not serve to narrow or detract from the effect of the guaranty. The writing is somewhat awkwardly worded, but, read in the light of the testimony, its meaning and effect are not doubtful. When the parties were negotiating, plaintiff appears to have thought that he discovered a slight enlargement of the animal’s left hock, but defendant insisted that there was none. Finally, defendant conceded that possibly there was an enlargement there, but that it was' nothing of a serious nature. The sale was finally effected upon the basis of the written agreement: First, that .no spavin should appear -within 10 months; second, that, even if not a spavin, yet if, as a mere unusual enlargement, it should progress in such manner as to make the horse unsound, the sale might be rescinded upon plaintiff’s demand. Upon breach of the guaranty against a spavin, plaintiff was entitled to rescind and return the horse, even though the writing had contained no reference whatever to the progress or increase of the enlargement to a condition of unsoundness. We do not think
The real thought was that plaintiff should be protected against the development of a spavin on the horse’s hock and from other unsoundness which might result from the enlargement if not a spavin. The right of rescission in either event (that is, if there was a breach of the warranty in either respect) would have existed, even if not mentioned in the writing, and the fact that it was mentioned did not serve to limit or change the nature of that right.
It was, therefore, proper for the court, after quoting the written guaranty in full of its statement of the issues, to proceed, and state to the jury what facts or occurrences would operate as a failure of such warranty, and this is what the court did* do in the instruction to which the exception is taken, and we think the form of its expression is not erroneous. That part of the agreement reading “if the spavin or enlargement should enlarge to make the horse unsound,” carries with it the clear implication on part of the defendant that the horse is not then unsound by reason of the enlargement, and that defendant would hold himself ready for a rescission of the sale, if it should result in unsoundness within the time named.
The substance of plaintiff’s claim is that a spavin did develop and unsoundness did result from the enlargement, and that he rescinded his purchase for that reason. The substance of the instruction was that, if the jury found these allegations to be true, then defendant was liable, and this we think is the law.
The action is at law, and no exception, save as to the one instruction above considered, has been preserved or argued upon any ruling made on the trial below. There is no claim or argument that the verdict is without ample support in the testimony.
It follows of necessity that the judgment of the district court must be, and it is — Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.