McAllister v. Morgan
McAllister v. Morgan
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff selected a horse at the defendants’ sales stables through bargaining with one Burrows. The plaintiff’s testimony was as follows : “ I looked at the horse and asked him1 what he wanted for it, and he said $200. I said, ‘Is he.
In McFarland v. Newman, 9 Watts, 55, the rule is laid down by Judge Gibson, which has not been departed from, as follows : “To constitute a warranty requires no particular form of
On review of the whole evidence, the business methods of the defendant were, to put it in the mildest form, so very exceptional, that, without explanation, a reasonable inference to be deduced from the whole transaction, would be, that they were the owners of the horse, and that they stood ready to redeem the pledge and representation inducing the sale which had been made by Burrows, to wit: that the horse was sound and safe. On the one side, we have the facts that the horse was in their sales stable, the price was fixed by Burrows, its payment was made directly to the firm who gave their personal receipt on their prepared blank form for the price paid. While they were yet in the midst of the deal, the man who was placed by them in authority to receive and receipt for the purchase price stated, “ the horse has got to be as represented or you can return him; ” Sullivan’s statement, “ come out and he will give you another horse ” the proffer of a second and a third horse in substitution of the condemned one, all of which reasonably indicated a community of interest and concert of purpose in effecting the sale. On the other hand, the defendants offered a full explanation of the whole affair which they claimed relieved them of all liability. The evidence was conflicting in the inferences to be drawn from it, and whether the defendants’ theory should be accepted as satisfactory would depend upon the credence to be given to it. The intended meaning and effect of' the words used and the conduct of the parties was for a jury to determine and not for the court as a matter of law: Jackson v. Wetherill, 7 S. & R. 480; McFarland v. Newman, 9 Watts, 55; Maynes v. At-
The assignment of error is sustained, the judgment is reversed arid a venire facias de novo awarded.
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- Sale — Contract—Warranty. To constitute a warranty requires no particular form of words, the naked averment of a fact is neither a warranty itself, nor evidence of it. In con- ■ nection with other circumstances, it certainly may be taken into consideration; but the jury must be satisfied from the whole that the vendor actually, and not constructively, consented to be bound for the truth of his representation. Sale — Contract—Warranty—Principal and agent — Evidence—Question for jury. In an action to recover the price paid for a horse which had failed to fulfill a warranty, the plaintiff offered evidence which tended to show that he had bought the horse at a sales stable belonging to defendants, that the price was fixed by a person in apparent authority, and its payment was made directly to the defendant firm, who gave their personal receipt on their prepared blank form for the price paid. While they were yet in the midst of the deal, the man in apparent authority to receive and receipt for the purchasS>price, stated, “the horse has got to be as represented, or you can return him.” The horse proved to be unsound and plaintiff subsequently complained to one of the defendants that the horse was unsound, and the' latter said “come out and he will give you another horse.” Defendants offered testimony tending to show that the.person who sold the horse did not represent them; that the transaction was with him as an individual; that the acceptance of the check and giving the receipt were merely formal in their way of doing business; and that the defendant firm did not receive any share of the price paid, or any commission or profit from the sale. Held, that the case was for the jury.