Grand Lodge of Masons v. Knox
Grand Lodge of Masons v. Knox
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This judgment must be reversed because the first instruction left to the jury to find whether the book-cases were fixtures or not, without giving them any explanation of this term by which they could have been guided to an intelligent determination of the question.
There was evidence in this case tending to show that the defendant, on his way to examine the premises which he proposed to buy, was apprised by the agent of the Grand Lodge that they had removed or were about to remove these book-cases to Lexington. If the defendant attached any importance to the book-cases in his contemplated purchase and was unwilling that they should be removed, it would seem natural that he would have made known his objections at that time. It is uncertain from the testimony whether the defendant ever looked into the chapel building at all during the examination of the premises which resulted in his proposition of the 21st of September. If he did and saw the book-cases still there and considered them of importance in his trade, would he not have come to a distinct understanding about this matter, after the communication made to him by Mr. Draper ? If he did not see the book-cases, might not his previous silence, when informed of their removal, be construed as an acquiescence ? These questions were of course for the jury; and, although it is true that they were submitted to the jury which tried this case and decided against the
If the removal of the book-cases was attended with unnecessary injury to the building, that would be a distinct ground of • damages independent of the defendant’s assent.
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded ;
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Grand Lodge of Masons, in Error v. Knox, in Error
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published