Claybaugh v. Goodchild

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Claybaugh v. Goodchild, 135 Pa. 421 (Pa. 1890)
19 A. 1015; 1890 Pa. LEXIS 1197
Clark, McCollum, Mitchell, Sterrbtt, Williams

Claybaugh v. Goodchild

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam:

The only question in this case was whether defendant had a right to appropriate to his own use all the subscription accounts he was able to collect between the 16th of January, 1885, the date of his agreement to sell, and the 1st of February ensuing. That question was fairly submitted to the jury in a clear and comprehensive charge, in which the learned judge rightly construed the written agreement of the parties, and correctly instructed them as to the kind of evidence and degree of proof necessary to reform such an instrument.

There was no error in refusing to affirm defendant’s point wherein he requested the learned judge to charge, in substance, that, under the terms of the written agreement of January 16, 1885, between plaintiff and defendant, the latter had a right to collect and appropriate to his own use the subscription accounts for which this suit is brought. The agreement, as written, gave him no such right, and the verdict of the jury settles the fact that nothing was omitted from the agreement, by mistake or otherwise, that would have given him the right he claimed. Nor was there any error in those portions of the charge recited in the three remaining specifications, respectively.

*426The case was well tried, and we find nothing in the record that would justify a reversal of the judgment.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
A. M. CLAYBAUGH v. E. V. GOODCHILD
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. On the sale, by a written contract, of a newspaper, including “the good-will, subscription list, and subscription accounts,” but with a reservation of the book accounts, possession to be delivered at a future date, the purchaser is entitled to the money collected on subscriptions, between the date of the contract and date of delivery of possession under it. 2. Where the defence is made, that the right of the seller to retain his interest in the subscription list till delivery was omitted from the contract by mutual mistake, it was not error to charge that that fact must be made to appear “ clearly and satisfactorily, by clear, full and definite testimony to the satisfaction of the jury.”