Smith v. Levy
Smith v. Levy
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff brought this action to recover for a lot of tobacco, which he alleged in his statement had been delivered to the defendant under the- following contract: “Copy of C. I. L. No. 1:1672. No Fillers to be stripped in the Wrappers.
“Lancaster County, Oct. 15th, 1906.
.“This is to certify that I have bought of Mr. R. C. Smith his present crop of tobacco; amounting to two acres,--pounds.
Best Wrappers at 15| Cents per pound
Short Wrappers at — “ “ “
Seconds at — “ “ “
Fillers at 5 “ “ “ '
“The same to be well assorted, free from frost, pole sweat and white veins, or any other damage, and to be delivered in good merchantable order, at our warehouse, 544 Charlotte St., Lancaster, Pa., on or before —--.
“M-. Levy. ■
“Will not.receive Watered Tobacco.
“Per Brubaicer.”
On the back of the contract was indorsed the words: “Trash
The contract upon which the plaintiff relies fixed the price of wrappers at fifteen and one-fourth cents per pound and the price of fillers at less than one-third that amount, or only five cents per pound, and in the printed heading of the com tract was the express provision that no fillers were to be stripped in the wrappers. The purpose of this provision was manifest. To place fillers in the same bale with wrappers and then mark the whole bale “Wrappers,” would be to require the purchaser to pay for the fillers more than three times the price which had been agreed upon for that class of tobacco by the parties. The evidence established that at the time the contract was made the tobacco was hanging on the poles in plaintiff’s bam, in the process of drying, before it could be ready for delivery under the provisions of the contract it had to be completely cured, the leaf stripped from the stem, properly assorted and baled; all these things the plaintiff was required to do under the terms of his contract. The defendant did not covenant to pay for any specific quantity of tobacco nor for the entire crop at a fixed rate per pound. What he did agree to pay for was the wrappers and fillers in the entire crop, at the rates specified in the contract, when well assorted, free from damage
The question of fact upon which the jury was required to pass was the condition of the tobacco at the time the plaintiff tendered it to the defendant. It was, therefore, competent for the defendant to establish by the testimony of witnesses, who had experience in such matters and had actually examined the tobacco, what its condition was at or about the time of the alleged delivery, and it was not necessary that the plaintiff should have had notice that such witnesses were
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Contract — Sale—Executory contract — Goods sold and delivered — Tobacco. In an action to recover for tobacco sold and delivered, it appeared that the defendant agreed in writing to purchase the plaintiff’s present crop of tobacco, wrappers to be paid for at fifteen and one-fourth cents per pound and fillers at five cents per pound, “no fillers to be stripped in the wrappers.” It was also provided that the tobacco should be well assorted and in good merchantable order, and delivered at defendant’s warehouse. Plaintiff delivered one lot, which was received and paid for. Shortly thereafter he delivered the remainder, which the defendant rejected on the ground that it had not been properly assorted, but that fillers had been mixed with wrappers, and that the tobacco was not in good merchantable condition. At the time of the written contract, the tobacco was hanging in plaintiff’s barn, and before it could be delivered it had to be cured, stripped and assorted. The evidence was conflicting as to the condition of the second lot of tobacco when it was delivered. Held, (1) That the burden was on the plaintiff to show that the tobacco tendered and rejected was well assorted, and in good merchantable order. (2) That the acceptance of one lot of tobacco did not relieve the plaintiff of the covenants of the contract as to the toba.cco which he subsequently tendered. (3) That the contract was executory and title to the tobacco did not pass at the time the contract was made. (4) That it was competent for the defendant to establish by the testimony of witnesses expert in such matters what was the condition of the tobacco at the time of the alleged delivery, and it was not necessary that the plaintiff should have-had notice that such witnesses were to make such examination. (5) That it was proper for the defendant to show that the plaintiff had been notified to remove the tobacco from defendant’s warehouse after it had been rejected. (6) That evidence of the market value of the tobacco actually tendered, but which was not what the defendant had agreed to buy, was not admissible; and (7) That the whole case was for the jury and that a judgment and verdict for defendant should be sustained.