Moulton v. O'Bryan
Moulton v. O'Bryan
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It seems to have been assumed throughout the entire charge of the court below that the defendant ordered directly from the plaintiff a carload of “ fancy seedling ” oranges. Had this been the fact, the instructions in regard to the difference between an executed and an executory contract for the sale of goods would have been perfectly correct. On the contrary, however, the defendant ordered through J. F. Edwards, Los Angeles, California, a carload of “ fancy seedling ” oranges. He had no knowledge as to the person from whom they were purchased, nor had the vendors, so far as appears by the evidence, any knowledge of him, except what they acquired through Edwards. Edwards was the defendant’s agent.' As to this all the testimony agrees. He says : “I purchased a car of oranges from the plaintiffs for the defendant, on telegraphic instructions from the defendant for me to do so. I was at the time acting as broker for the defendant.” The defendant testifies : “ Q. In the telegram that' you sent Edwards, ordering this car of oranges at 11.25 a box, did you made any specifications as to the quality ? A. ‘ Fancy seedlings,’ yes, sir. Q. That was the only requirement that you expressed in your telegram, was it ? A. Yes, sir. Q. And at that time all you knew about what a ‘ fancy seedling ’ was
It would appear from the evidence that the term “ fancy seedling ” has one meaning in California and a different meaning in Pittsburg. In California the term means the best quality of seedling oranges at any time during the season. In Pittsburg it would seem to mean a sound, smooth, high colored sweet orange, but it is admitted by other experienced dealers that it is impossible to secure a “ fancy seedling ” in December, for the reason that oranges of that class can be secured only when the season is farther advanced and the fruit has attained greater maturity than it ever reaches in December. This the defendant was bound to know, whether he be bound by the knowledge of Edwards in regard to the character of the fruit shipped or not. It was, therefore, error in the court to say: “ Now, unless the defendant knew that a fancy seedling orange, palatable and sweet, could not be obtained at that time, I take it that he was
The sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh specifications relate to the correspondence between the defendant and his agent, Edwards. There is no allegation that any part of this correspondence was ever submitted to the plaintiffs or that they had any knowlege of the contents thereof, except the information, after the fruit had been received by the defendant at Pittsburg, that he was dissatisfied with it and demanded a reduction of twenty-five cents per box. This testimony was clearly incompetent, and the offers embodying it should have been rejected, — that portion of it leading up to the sale, because it consisted of communications from the defendant to his own agent not communicated to the plaintiffs, and that which was subsequent to the receipt of the consignment in Pittsburg for the same reason and for the additional one that it would be nothing more than the declarations of the defendant in his own favor after the transaction was complete. These specifications of error are, therefore, also sustained.
Judgment reversed and a new venire awarded.
Reference
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Contract — Principal and agent — Sale. Where a dealer in Pittsburg orders his agent in California to buy a carload of “fancy seedling” oranges and it appears that the words “fancy seedling ” have one meaning in Pittsburg, and another meaning in California, and it also appears that at the time the agent executed the order no fancy seedling oranges could be had within the Pittsburg meaning of the term, although such oranges could be had in California within the meaning of the term there, and this latter fact is known to the agent in California, the knowledge of the agent must be imputed to the principal, and the latter cannot repudiate the contract on the ground that he did not get what he ordered. Contract — Principal and agent — Evidence—Letters between principal and agent. In an action on a contract made by an agent, correspondence between the principal and agent not communicated to the other party, is not admissible in evidence.