English v. Continental Folding Paper Box Co.
English v. Continental Folding Paper Box Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This was a suit in the Supreme Court in which plaintiff sought to recover the contract price of excavating, filling, grading and rolling on a certain street in Ridgefield, in manner acceptable to the borough council as satisfactory for macadamizing or paving. The defence was that plaintiff failed, neglected and refused to perform the work and that defendant would be obliged to complete and pay for it.
The case came on for trial at the. Bergen Circuit and resulted in a verdict for plaintiff, who had judgment thereon, and defendant appeals to this court. The grounds of appeal are (1) the court erred in refusing to direct a verdict for defendant; (2) a certain question (stating it) was admitted; (3) the court refused to charge defendant’s first request, and '(4) refused to charge defendant’s second request. Both of these requests were for binding instructions to the .jury to find a verdict for defendant because plaintiff had not proved his case, having failed to show compliance with the terms of
First. As to the question to which objection was made. James English, a witness for plaintiff, who testified that he was always un the job and kept the time, was shown the time book and the following occurred: Question — “Just look at that and tell us the dates the steam roller was there.” Counsel — “I object to that.” The Court — “I will allow it.” Counsel — “Exception.” It will be observed that no ground of objection whatever was suggested as to why this question was inadmissible, and it is both a general rule of practice (Semkin v. Hollander, 82 N. J. L. 485) as well as a written rule of court (Supreme Court rule 144), that such an objection, to be available, must point out a precise and definite ground of objection. The question was properly admitted.
Second. As to direction of a verdict for defendant, both on the motion, and in the requests for binding instructions, therefor. Defendant contends that the work was not rolled, the excavation had not been made, the work had not been clone to the satisfaction of the borough council; and that this appeared by plaintiff’s evidence, the testimony of Eckerson, borough engineer, being relied on to show this. He testified that the council accepted the work as satisfactory for macadamizing, with exception as to excavating on the westerly end and rolling, about half the work being rolled. James English, however, testified the excavation was done and that all the street was rolled except fifty feet on the end, and that the fifty feet were not rolled because there were planks on it which defendant’s secretary told him to leave there as the ground was soft. There was also evidence that the engineer gave a certificate for pay for the work actually done by the plaintiff and that the borough had macadamized the street. Therefore there was evidence to go to the jury upon the question of plaintiff’s performance of the contract.
The case was properly submitted to the jury, and as there was evidence justifying its verdict, the judgment entered thereon should be affirmed.
For affirmance — The Chancellor, Chief Justice, SwayiZe, Trenchard, Parker, Bergen, Kalisch, Black, Katzenbach, White, Gardner, Ackerson, Van Buskirk, JJ. 13.
For reversal — None.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.