Pendleton v. Poland
Pendleton v. Poland
Opinion of the Court
This case comes to the Law Court upon motion and exceptions.
The facts show that on May 21, 1907, the plaintiff leased to the defendant a well drilling machine by written lease. The defendant agreed to pay as rental one dollar for each foot drilled by the machine, and to redeliver the machine to the plaintiff within five days after being notified to do so. At the same time the plaintiff gave to the defendant a written option to purchase the machine in the form of a letter, which offered to sell to the defendant the machine at any time while it was in his possession for the sum of nine hundred dollars, $300 in cash when the offer was accepted: the rentals paid to that time to be credited on the purchase price and the balance in monthly payments with interest; the machine to remain in the plaintiff until paid for.
On December 4th, 1909, the defendant made to the plaintiff a proposition for purchasing the machine on similar terms but with a variation in the conditions, and in that providing, “you will still own the machine till it is paid for.” The plaintiff declined this proposition, and replevied the machine in November, 1910, on the strength of the original lease, that the title remained in him. On the other hand, the defendant claims that in February, 1910, the plaintiff made him a new and distinct oral offer to sell the machine, which he accepted; that this offer was without condition; that pursuant to it the defendant paid the plaintiff on the 30th day of May, 1910, $300.00, and thereby became the absolute owner of the machine with a very small balance due the plaintiff.
The píaintiff denies the sale of the machine of February 10 and the payment of $300.00 on May 30, as claimed by the defendant, and asserts that the original contract of sale controls the title of the machine, and by that contract the title remained in him until it was paid for. The plaintiff does not contend that any agreement in writing to this effect, was signed by the' defendant. Accordingly,
While the exceptions are not necessarily involved in the decision of the case, it is nevertheless the opinion of the court that the ruling of the presiding Justice was correct. The clause in the letter, claimed as evidence of title in the plaintiff, was eliminated by R. S., chapter 113, section 5, as stated by the court.
But we think the verdict of the jury upon the facts determines the rights of these parties. From a careful reading of the evidence, we are unable to say that the jury erred in arriving at the conclusion, that in February, 1910, the plaintiff and defendant made a new oral agreement, which was consummated by the payment of $300.00 on May 10th following, and succeeded all previous contracts for the sale and purchase of this machine. While the evidence which is relied upon to' establish this transaction is capable of an analysis, in the light of all the facts and circumstances, that
Motion and exceptions overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Alpheus A. Pendleton v. O. W. Poland
- Status
- Published