Burke Electric Co. v. Pennsylvania Light & Power Co.
Burke Electric Co. v. Pennsylvania Light & Power Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s claim was for payment of certain electrical machinery consigned by it from Erie, to the defendant at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. The defense was that this defendant had not ordered the machinery, that it did not receive or use it, but that it had been ordered by another party, an Oil Recovery Company, which received it, and subsequently sold it to the defendant in this action, and that full payment had been made by this defendant to the Oil Recovery Company.
The defendant is a Pennsylvania, and the Oil Recovery Company an Arizona corporation doing business in this State. When the machinery was delivered, the two corporations had joint offices, and the same persons acted as president, secretary, treasurer and superintendent of each. The office sign exhibited to the public, indicated that the place was solely the office of the defendant, and the proof clearly shows that the existence of the Oil Recovery Company was not known to the plaintiff until the affidavit of defense was filed, at which time the officers of the defendant company had been changed, and the stock was held by different persons from what it had been when the machinery was shipped.
There was no evidence adduced to show an express contract, and the plaintiff’s right to recover was based on the determination of the question of whether this defendant actually received the machinery and knowingly kept and used it. This question was summarized in the
It is well known that with the volume of business transacted by common carriers it is practically impossible, after the lapse of years to produce all the books, clerks, salesmen, teamsters and the like, who have contributed by their service in a special transaction. The rule is fairly stated in 2 Wigmore on Evidence, Section 1530. In such a case it would be sufficient if the books Verified on the stand by a superior officer who knew
The main question — Did the defendant knowingly receive the machinery? — was purely one of fact, and that has been resolved, on sufficient evidence by the jury, against the defendant. The rule announced in Indiana Mfg. Co. v. Hayes, 155 Pa. 160, is applicable: “Conceding that the defendant did not order the goods in question, yet, when they arrived and he was notified that they were upon the car, it was his duty to notify the plaintiff of the alleged mistake. Instead of so doing, he took the property out of the possession of the railroad company and had it hauled to his own place of business. After having been fully informed of the shipment and consignment to him, he sent a check to the plaintiff company for other merchandise purchased of it, without any reference to the goods in controversy. The case was submitted to the jury under proper instructions. As stated by the trial judge to the jury, “There is evidence given orally by one or more witnesses on behalf of the plaintiff company that there were dealings between these parties prior and subsequent to these transactions, and it is admitted by the defendant company that there was such dealing.” See also Farley v. Kline, 9 Pa. Superior Ct. 562.
The case was fairly tried and we find no reversible error in the record.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Burke Electric Company v. Pennsylvania Light and Power Company
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- Syllabus
- Contract — Sale—Parties—Corporation-^Case for jury. In an action against a corporation for machinery sold and delivered, where the defendant alleges that the machinery was ordered by another corporation from which the defendant had bought it, the case is for the jury, where the evidence tends to show that, although no express contract was proven, the machinery was consigned to the defendant, and received by it, that, at the time, the two corporations had joint offices, that the same persons acted as officers for both companies, that the sign on the office indicated that it was solely the office of the defendant, that the existence of the other company was not known to the plaintiff at the time, that the defendant did not notify the plaintiff of any mistake, and that there had been other transactions between the plaintiff and defendant both prior to and subsequent to the delivery of the machinery in question. Evidence — Boohs of account — Boohs of common carriers. In an action between individuals for goods sold and delivered, the books of a common carrier may be received in evidence if they are verified on the stand by a superior officer of the carrier company, who knew them to be the books of regular entries kept in the course of business.