Kvedar v. Shapiro
Kvedar v. Shapiro
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a judgment of $1,100 obtained against the appellant, Israel Shapiro, in the Hudson County Circuit Court. The plaintiff below, Prank Kvedar, and Shapiro, on September 18th, 1920, entered into a written agreement by which Shapiro sold to Kvedar for the sum.' of $2,543 one new one and one-half ton “Apex” automobile, truck, fully equipped and complete. Kvedar paid $1,225 upon the purchase price. The balance was to be paid in installments represented by promissory notes made- by Kvedar. The agreement provided that the title of the truck was to remain in Shapiro until the full amount of the purchase price was paid. Kvedar took possession of the truck and operated it under the belief that it was a one and one-half ton truck. About November 3d, 1920, the truck was damaged in an accident, and Kvedar found it necessary to procure from the Apex truck agency some new parts. These were obtained for a one and one-half ton truck, and when the mechanic engaged in making the repairs attempted to use the new parts in the repair of the truck they were found to be too large. This led to the discovery that the truck was not a one and one-half ton truck, but a one-ton truck. Kvedar continued to' use the truck until November 18th, 1920. On December 3d, 1920, he returned it to Shapiro, who then resold it. Kvedar commenced an action for fraud or deceit against Shapiro, alleging in the complaint that Shapiro had defrauded him by delivering to' him a truck different from that specified in the contract; that Shapiro falsely represented that the truck delivered was the truck specified in the contract; that the representations were known by Shapiro to be false and were made for the purpose of deceiving him, and actually did deceive him. To this complaint Shapiro filed an answer denying all the allegations of the complaint, except the purchase of the truck, and with the answer filed a counter-claim for the balance of the contract price. The case was tried with the result above mentioned.
The first ground'of appeal is the refusal of the trial judge to direct a nonsuit on the opening statement of plaintiff’s
We do not think either of these positions well taken in the present case. Assuming that the fact of disaffirmance by the plaintiff should have been stated in the complaint, the defendant had taken no action with reference to the sufficiency of the complaint, but had filed an answer thereto- and proceeded to trial with the knowledge that the truck had been returned by the plaintiff to the defendant. There was nothing in the nature of surprise in the position taken in the opening. Under these circumstances, it was proper for the trial court, in the exercise of its discretion, to refuse to- grant the motion to nonsuit on the opening. An action for deceit may be maintained where there has been no disaffirmance of the contract. An action for deceit may also be maintained where there has been a disaffirmance of the contract. The only difference in the two- actions is in the measure of damages.
“When a vendee ascertains- that he has been induced to make a contract of purchase by the fraudulent misrepresentations of his vendor, he has a choice of remedies. He may rescind the contract, restore what he has received and recover back what he has paid, or he may affirm the contract, and recover the damages he has- sustained by the fraud. He cannot, however, do- both. It is as difficult a feat to maintain a cause of action for ihe consideration paid for the purchase on the ground of rescission, and one for damages fox the fraud which induced it, and for a breach of the contract of purchase itself, in the same action, as it is to ride at the same time two horses that are traveling in opposite directions. Upon a rescission of a contract of purchase, the measure of damages is the consideration paid and the moneys naturally expended on account of the- purchase before the fraud was discovered. Upon an action for damages for the deceit and fraud which induced the purchase, the measure of damages is what the vendee has lost. It is the difference between that which he had before and that which he had after the contract of purchase was made.”
The second ground of appeal is that the trial judge erred in refusing to require and direct the plaintiff to elect between his remedy in tort for fraud and deceit and his remedy on contract for breach of warranty. We see no merit in this contention. The plaintiff could have instituted an action on the' contract for breach of warranty if he had so desired, but he preferred to- bring an action for fraud and deceit. When he instituted his action for fraud and deceit this was an election of remedies. It is difficult to see how the trial judge could have required the plaintiff to make an election he already had made.
The third ground of appeal is the refusal of the trial judge to grant the defendant’s motion to nonsuit made at the conclusion of the plaintiff’s case. The motion was based on five grounds. The first was absence of false representation
The fourth ground of appeal is the refusal of the trial court to direct a verdict for the defendant at the conclusion of the testimony. This brings up the same questions as on the refusal of the motion to nonsuit, all of which we have considered.
The fifth ground of appeal is an alleged error of the trial judge in his charge to the jury. The portion of the charge complained of is set forth at length in the grounds of appeal. It deals with the question of rescission and the return of the goods. After the delivery of the charge, the defendant’s counsel objected to this portion of the charge, not because of what the court had said, but because of what, in the opinion of counsel, the court had omitted to say. Counsel’s objeétion at the trial was made in these words: “In laying down the rule as to rescission, the only thing your honor referred to was the fact that he must act within a reasonable time. There was nothing said of the duty of the buyer to restore the goods.” In his brief appellant's counsel says, in speaking of this part of the court’s charge: “The objection to this portion of the charge is that it fails to instruct the jury that one of the conditions precedent to a rescission is a return of the goods in the same condition as when the goods were received, reasonable wear and tear excepted.” The complaint, therefore, is that the charge is not sufficiently comprehensive. The remedy in such a situation is for counsel to present to the trial court a distinct request to charge upon the subject he desires covered by the court’s charge. If the court refuses to charge the substance of the request an exception may be taken to the court’s refusal and, under this exception, a reviewing court will consider whether or not the court had erred in its refusal to charge as counsel has requested. A general objection on the ground of the insuffi
The other grounds of appeal are that the verdict is contrary to the evidence and the damages are excessive. These are matters not reviewable on an appeal.
The judgment will be affirmed, with costs.
For affirmance■ — The Chancellor, Chief Justice, Sivatze, Teenchard, Parker, Bergen, Mintubn, Kalisch, Black, Katzenbach, White, Williams, Gardner, Ackerson, Van Buskirk, JJ. 15.
For reversal — Kone.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRANK KVEDAR v. ISRAEL SHAPIRO
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published