Himes v. Kiehl
Himes v. Kiehl
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
We think the second assignment of error must be sustained. As the measure of damages in this action was the difference between the actual value of the engine as it was, at the time of the sale, and its value if it had been as warranted, it was scarcely competent to limit the inquiry as to what it was worth for the purposes of the plaintiffs. It might be worth nothing for their purposes, and nevertheless have a fair market value for other purposes. Its actual market value, no matter for what purpose, would indicate, at least approximately, how much money could have been had for it in the open market, and that sum, contrasted with what would have been its value as warranted, would be the true measure of the plaintiffs’ damage : Seigworth v. Leffel, 76 Pa. 476.
We think the first point of the defendants, in the very terms in which it was propounded, should have been affirmed. It was based upon the proposition that the guaranty in suit was “ that the engine would give sufficient power to run the separator, or that they would take it back, and the plaintiffs without complaint or offer to return the engine continued to use it and afterwards sold it without an offer to return it.” Of course, if the jury should find that these were the actual facts of the case, the defendants were entitled to notice of the alleged defect, and to an offer to return before suit brought, and therefore the point as presented should have been affirmed.
In reality the plaintiffs contend, and they gave evidence to prove, that they did give repeated notice of the defect of the engine and did offer to return it, but it is no answer to the point to saj”- that the facts were in accordance with their contention. In point of fact one of the plaintiffs, Gf. W. Himes, testified that the guaranty was practically the same as stated in the point, and hence the plaintiffs cannot say that there was no testimony to support the point. If the court had said to the jury the point was true in the abstract, but the plaintiffs claimed that they had given notice of the defects and had tendered back the engine, and if they found such to be the real facts of the case the point would be inapplicable, then the point would have been correctly answered. The flat refusal of the point we think was error.
The point was refused upon other and as we think insufficient grounds. If the answer had been qualified by presenting the facts above stated, and leaving their determination to the jury with the instruction that, if they found such to be the facts, the conclusion of the point that the plaintiffs were es-topped would not be true, the point would have been correctly answered. We think' a distinct refusal upon the grounds stated by the court was erroneous, because it included nothing but the fact that no depositions were taken, nor argument held under the rule, and as that would be entirely consistent with an absolute disposal of the rule on its merits for want of testimony, it would not constitute a sufficient response to the final proposition of the point. We sustain the eleventh assignment.
As to the twelfth assignment we are quite clear that it was erroneous to permit the statement submitted by the plaintiff to be sent out with the jury. It contained a claim for $100 as the value of the horse power which, of course, could not be recovered in this action. In addition to that the amount to be allowed for the difference between the market value of the engine as it was, and its value as guaranteed according to the plaintiffs’ contention, was altogether a matter of dispute and controversy under the testimony. That difference was not represented
We think the charge is fairly amenable to the criticism contained in the thirteenth assignment. There was no distinct statement as to what would be the true measure of damages anywhere in the charge. There was an approach to it, and in the right direction, in the answer to the plaintiffs’ first point. But it is not sufficiently definite, and is mingled with a supposed necessity for the plaintiffs to sell the engine, which is calculated to mislead the jury. We sustain the thirteenth assignment.
The remaining assignments are without merit and are not sustained.
Judgment reversed and new venire awarded.
Reference
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- Breach of warranty — Measure of damages — Evidence. The measure of damages in an action for a breach of warranty of a steam engine is the difference between the actual value of the engine as it was at the time of the sale and its value if it had been as warranted. It is error, therefore, to limit the evidence of its value to its value for the purpose for which it was purchased. Its actual value, no matter for what purpose, would indicate approximately its market value, and that sum, contrasted with its value as warranted, would be the true measure of the plaintiff’s damage for the breach of warranty. Terms of warranty — Construction—Offer to return. Where the warranty was that the engine would give sufficient power or if not the warrantors would take it back, the warrantors, defendants, were entitled to notice and an offer to return before suit against them for a breach of the warranty. Res adjudicata — What constitutes. The fact that the defects in the engine now set up had been set up on a rule to open judgment entered on a promissory note given for the engine, which rule was discharged, would not estop plaintiffs from now setting up the same defects, if it appeared that plaintiffs had abandoned the rule and paid the claim, under the compulsion of an execution, to prevent a sacrifice of their goods. But if the rule had been abandoned without such excuse, the mere fact that no depositions were taken or argument made would not prevent the discharge of the rule being an effectual estoppel on the doctrine of res adjudicata. Statement sent out to jury — Practice, C. P.‘ It is error to allow plaintiffs to send out with the jury a calculation of their damages, based on the value of the engine as warranted and upon its market value; these values were disputed questions to be determined only by the jury, no one having a right to say in advance that they were definite fixed sums. Measure of damages — Failure of court to instruct. It is error for the court to fail to make a distinct statement as to what would be the true measure of damages in such a case. Dispute as to record — Point and charge. Where there is a dispute as to the language of a point, the wording of the point as recited in the charge will be accepted as correct, where it is corroborated by a claim filed in the case.