Field v. Runk
Field v. Runk
Opinion of the Court
The defendant in error brought this action in the court below against the plaintiffs in error, for a breach of contract, in not delivering a quantity of corn sold by them. The declaration contains two counts. The first charges that the defendants, on or about the 20th January, 1847, sold to the plaintiff 800 bushels of white corn, at 62J cents per bushel, and 120 bushels of yellow corn, at 60 cents per bushel, to be delivered at the plaintiff’s mills in the month of March following, to be paid for on delivery ; and which the plaintiff agreed to accept and receive, and pay for, when delivered, at the prices aforesaid. That the defendants neglected and refused to deliver, &c., although he, the plaintiff, was ready and willing to receive and pay for, &c.
The second count charges the like contract, but for 800 bushels of white corn only, and damages are claimed for the breach of these contracts.
Another witness testified that, on the 4th of March, 1847, the defendant, Gabriel, told him he had engaged his corn to the plaintiff, but was not going to take it; that he had also engaged his father’s, or that his father had engaged his own; both were engaged. He said he would not take the price for it at which it had been engaged ; that it was a verbal bargain, and would not stand law; that he had signed no writing, but believed the plaintiff had booked it. Other witnesses, as appears by the bill of exceptions, testified to a recognition of a contract, by both the defendants, with the plaintiff for the sale and delivery of corn ; but I deem it unimportant to recite their testimony, as it is merely corroborative of that already referred to.
Upon this evidence two questions are very distinctly presented :
1st. Hoes it prove any contract at all, for the sale and delivery of com between the plaintiff and either or both of the defendants? And
2d, If there was a contract, was it a joint or several contract by the defendants ?
To the first of these questions, it seems to me, but one answer can be given, and that is in the affirmative. We have, in the testimony above recited, a clear acknowledgment, by each of the defendants, that there was a sale to the plaintiff of 920 bushels of corn, to bo delivered in March, at a stipulated price. The defendant, Gabriel, said he had engaged his corn to the plaintiff’ and also his father’s, but would not take the price at which it was engaged, that the bargain was verbal, and not binding. Richard said he had told G. to engage it. Both defendants recognised a verbal contract. Was it a joint contract by them ? or was the evidence sufficient to warrant the jury
The next ground of variance, it is said, is in the time of delivery. It is insisted that the time proved is not the time laid in the declaration. According to the memorandum in the book, the delivery was to be in March, and so the declaration alleges. Although the time for the delivery of the yellow corn is not fixed by direct and express words, yet, by fair construction, it was to be at the same time that the white corn was to be delivered : “ 800 bushels of white corn to be delivered in March, also 120 of yellow corn/'’ When to be delivered? Surely at the same time. But it is said that the latter was actually delivered in February. Be it so, the parties had a right, by mutual agreement, to change the time of delivery, and if they did so, either as to the whole ot* part, it would not avoid the contract. If the contract was joint, as has, I think, been shown, the agreement of one of the defendants to deliver a part, and actually delivering a part before March, was binding on both, as it may be esteemed the act of both. And as the suit was brought not for that which had been delivered, but for what had not been delivered, I think the time properly stated in the declaration, and proved as laid.
Again, it is alleged that there was no proof that the delivery was to be made at the plaintiff’s mills, as stated in the declaration. There is, indeed, no direct proof that the corn was to be delivered there; but the facts proved abundantly show that such must have been, and in truth was, the understanding of the parties. The plaintiff was a miller; his business was to buy grain, and manufacture it at his mills; the bargain was made there; it was there that gi’ain bought by the plaintiff was usually delivered, and weighed or measured; a part of the grain bargained for was actually delivered there by one of the defendants; and the other defendant, when he had resolved to violated the contract, declared he would not take it. Take it where? Why, by fair inference, where he had already taken the 98 bushels — to the plaintiff’s mills. There can be no reasonable doubt as to the place of delivery contemplated by the
The fifteenth section of the statute provides “ that no contract for the sale of goods for the price of $30 and upwards shall be allowed good, except the buyer shall accept part of the goods so sold, and actually receive the same, or give something in earnest to bind the bargain, or in part payment, or -that some note or memorandum in writing of the bargain be made, and signed by the parties to be charged, &c.”
In this case there was no note or memorandum in writing signed by the parties; there was nothing given in earnest to bind the bargain, or in part payment. We are, therefore, to inquire whether any. part of the property sold was actually accepted and received by the plaintiff, who was the buyer, so as to take the case out of the operation of the statute.
The case shows that, shortly after the contract was entered into, a part of the corn sold, to wit, 98 bushels, was delivered by the defendants below, and actually accepted and received by the plaintiff, ahd a part of the whole purchase money or price paid by him upon such delivery. But it is objected that this was not done at the time the contract was made; and, as it was void in its inception, such delivery afterwards did not render it valid for the whole quantity of 920 bushels. The answer to this objection is, that the quantity delivered was in pursuance of, and in direct reference to the contract, and was in itself a reaffirmance of the contract by the defendants. It can make no difference whether the delivery, acceptance, and receipt were a few hours or a few days after the bargain and sale, if made in pursuance of such sale. A parol sale of goods exceeding $30 in value is good, though no part was accepted
I think the contract a legal and valid one, and that the judgment below ought to be affirmed.
Judgment affirmed,
Reference
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- FIELD AND FIELD v. RUNK
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