Kansas City Tile & Gravel Co. v. Neiswanger Bros.
Kansas City Tile & Gravel Co. v. Neiswanger Bros.
Opinion of the Court
— The plaintiff sued the defendants for the alleged reasonable value of labor and materials used in constructing an artificial stone sidewalk in front of the defendants’ property at the southwest corner of Eighth and Walnut streets, Kansas City. The petition was accompanied with an itemized account, showing the defendants indebted in the gross sum of $506.85. In addition to a general denial, the answer sets up that plaintiff, in November, 1889, made a written contract
I. The first assignment of error relates to the court’s action i'n giving the plaintiff’s instructions, numbered 1 and 2. These read as follows: “1. If the jury believe from the evidence that the plaintiff entered into contract or agreement with the defendant to build the walk mentioned in the plaintiff’s petition subsequent to making the written proposition or contract offerel in evidence by defendant, then you are instructed that, although you may believe from the evidence that said written contract was executed by both the plaintiff and the defendant,. still the same is abrogated and annulled by the verbal contract, if subsequently made.
“2. If you believe from the evidence that the plaintiff constructed for defendant, and at defendant’s request, the sidewalk mentioned in evidence and in plaintiff’s petition, and that no specific sum was agreed upon therefor, and that such sidewalk was constructed substantially according to agreement, then you will find for the plaintiff in this action in such sum as you may believe from the evidence the furnishing of the labor and material therefor were reasonably worth, not exceeding the amount sued for with interest on what
We discover no substantial objection to these Instructions. Number 1 was made necessary by the following testimony not set out in the above statement •of facts: Negotiations for this work were begun in the fall of 1889 (before the ordinance providing for the walk had1 been passed). It was then that a writing was signed by the parties looking to the doing of the work when ordered. Owing to the delay in passing the ordinance as well as the character of the weather, work was postponed until the following spring (1890). The plaintiff, however, in November, 1889, did put in that portion of the walk included between a line •extended east from the northeast corner of defendant’s building, bounded west by the east line of the building, •extended north to curb, and north by the curb line on Eighth street, but the main portion of the work was not done until the following April. Now, plaintiff’s witnesses testified that, before the work was entered upon in the spring of 1890, the written proposition or contract was abandoned, and plaintiff and defendants orally agreed that the walk should be constructed for the cost of the labor and material used therefor. The defendants testified that no such change of contract was made. Be that as it may, however, the jury found this issue for the plaintiff, and, as the jury’s finding is supported by substantial testimony, we cannot assume to contradict the verdict. It was unnecessary, under the facts of this case, to. tell the jury that before they could find an abandonment of the former written contract they should find such was the intention, etc.; for clearly, if a new and different arrangement was made as testified to, it was intended unquestionably as a substitution for the original agreement. Neither is there .reason to complain of either of these instructions that
II. Plaintiff’s action is all in one count, alleging “that the defendants are indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of $506.85 for labor and material furnished and used by plaintiff in constructing a sidewalk at the defendants’ special instance and request. That a correct statement of said materials and labor, and the date when the same were furnished, is hereto annexed, and made a part hereof; and said sum of $506.85 is a reasonable value-of said material and labor, and is now due from the defendants to the plaintiff, has been demanded, and remains unpaid,” etc.
Now, among the items in the account this is found: “To old work last fall, twelve and three-tenths multiplied by sixteen is equal to one hundred and ninety-six feet, at thirty cents, equal to $58.80.” At the trial the defendants objected to the introduction of any evidence touching this item for the alleged reason “that it is not referred to in the petition at all,” and again, that it was not sufficiently itemized, since it only says, “To old work last fall,” etc. The court overruled the objection, stating to counsel that it was too late to object, and that the objection should have been raised bv a motion in due season to make more specific. In
We have read and considered other points relating to the remittitw, and the claim of more materials charged for than could have gone into the walk, refused instructions, etc., and see in them nothing to warrant reversal.
The judgment, therefore, will be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.