Baker v. Anderson Tool Co.
Baker v. Anderson Tool Co.
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought by the Anderson Tool Company against Theodore Baker, Francis E. Kramer and William A. Pinch, in the Madison Circuit Court, from which it was taken on change of venue to the Henry Circuit Court and there tried without the intervention of a jury. Judgment was rendered in favor- of appellee against appellants and William A. Pinch in the sum of $1,973.23, from which judgment Theodore Baker and Francis E. Kramer appeal to this court. The action is based upon a written bond of suretyship or guaranty, which bond is as follows:
“Whereas, S. A. Baker individually and in connection with W. A. Hawley, known as the Baker-ITawley Company, No. 578 Mission street, San Francisco, California, is receiving shipments of merchandise from the*620 Anderson Tool Company of Anderson, Indiana, and whereas said shipments are made to said Baker and said Baker-Ilawley Company in trust for said Anderson Tool Company to be sold by said Baker or BakerHawley Company, and payment thereof to be remitted to said Anderson Tool Company, now therefore, we, the undersigned individually and collectively, bind ourselves to said Anderson Tool Company in the sum of $1,000 each as surety and guaranty for the faithful performance of the agreement and obligations agreed to and assumed by said Baker and Baker-Hawley Company, and guarantee the payment in full of any and all true accounts which may at any time be due to said Anderson Tool Company on account of merchandise shipped to said Baker or Baker-Hawley Company.
Signed this 28th day of April, 1905.
Theodore Baker,
W. A. Pinch,
Francis E. Kramer.”
To the complaint defendants filed their answer in two paragraphs: (1) A general denial, and (2) a plea of payment, to which second paragraph of answer plaintiff replied in general denial.
“Debits................................$7,134.65
Credits................................. 3,053.42
Balance ..............................$4,081.23
Credits by merchandise, allowance and claims on leases.....$1,958.00
Credits by cash, March 5, 1906... 50.00
Credits by cash, April 2,1906.... 50.00
- $2,058.00
Balance due ...........................$2,023.23 ’ ’
This, however, includes the debits and credits prior to April 28, 1905, when the bond sued on was executed to the Anderson Tool Company, and which were stricken out on motion of appellants. The debits for the amount of goods shipped to the Baker-Lynch Company prior to said date, which are included in this summary, were $2,913, and the credits prior to said date were $1,100.75, leaving a balance due from the Baker-Lynch Company to the Anderson Tool Company of $1,812.25, which this bond did not cover and for which these appellants are in nowise liable.
We have concluded, however, under the evidence and under the circumstances of all the transactions between the parties, the only way to arrive at the amount due, and for which these bondsmen are liable, is to take the net debits of the Baker-Lynch Company from the net sum total claimed by appellee in its itemized statement to be due.
Amount due from Baker-Hawley Company. .$2,023,23
Amount due from Baker-Lynch Company... 1,812.25
$ 210.98
In the addition of the credits of the Baker-Hawley Company, there was an error of sixty-seven cents. The total should be $3,052.75 instead of $3,053.42. This sixty-seven
The court erred in not sustaining appellants’ motion for a new trial. The judgment is reversed, with instructions to sustain the motion for a new trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Baker v. Anderson Tool Company
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- 1 case
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