Edwards v. Brown
Edwards v. Brown
Opinion of the Court
The facts are these: Early in June plaintiff and defendant at plaintiff’s store made a verbal agreement that the plaintiff would buy the defendant’s hay in his barn, estimated to be between fifteen and twenty tons, for which plaintiff was to pay six dollars a ton, plaintiff to press the hay in defendant’s bam, all to be done before haying time; and after the hay was pressed defendant was to haul- the hay to the depot or to the store-house, plaintiff’s
In defense the statute of frauds is pleaded.
Giberson was employed and paid by plaintiff to press the hay. For that purpose he was the agent of the plaintiff. In pressing, he acted for the plaintiff and under his authority, and had actual physical possession of the hay while so engaged. The permission of defendant to this is evidence of a delivery by him. This was a' sufficient acceptance and receipt by the plaintiff to satisfy the statute of frauds, and it would seem sufficient to pass title to the hay, subject, of course, to plaintiff’s right to reject, if the hay was not-merchantable. This principle is recognized in Dyer v. Libby, 61 Maine, 45; White v. Harvey, 85 Maine, 212; Penley v. Bessey, 87 Maine, 533.
The hay was left in defendants barn after it was pressed by plaintiff’s agents, as plaintiff’s hay, to be hauled to the depot by defendant in accordance witli the agreement. That was the only purpose for its remaining there. When defendant refused to haul the hay to plaintiff’s store-house at the station, which he had agreed to do, he violated his legal contract, and became responsible to the plaintiff for his damages, for which this action is brought. By the terms of the report, Case to stand for trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Herbert A. Edwards v. Randolph C. Brown
- Status
- Published