Miller ex rel. Second National Bank v. Seaman
Miller ex rel. Second National Bank v. Seaman
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
In the spring of 1894 a quantity of sawed, hemlock lumber was swept from the yard, of the Dent Lumber Company at Du Boistown, near Williamsport, by flood and lost. The object of this action is to determine whether the plaintiff or the defendants must bear the loss so occasioned, and this must depend on which of them held the title at the time the flood came. The hemlock had been sawed by the Dent Lumber Company in 1898, and at that time belonged to it. On the 8th day of November of that year, the Dent Lumber Company sold to A. G. Miller, the legal plaintiff, eleven piles of hemlock lumber for the lump sum of $3,250. The piles were estimated to contain four hundred and six thousand feet, more or less. Possession was delivered to the purchaser in the pile, and he at once caused each pile to be distinctly marked with his initials. This was a present sale by the vendor, and as between it and the vendee it passed the title to all the lumber in the piles to the vendee absolutely. On the 21st day of February, 1894, Miller made a contract for the sale of the same eleven piles of lumber to the defendants, and it is under that contract that the question on which this case depends is raised. The provisions of the contract are quite unlike those of the contract under which Miller bought. They amount to an agreement to sell all the lumber in the eleven piles, not in a lump or for a gross price, but by the thousand feet at the price of $8.25 per thousand feet. The quantity is not to be estimated, or to be ascertained at once in any other manner, but is to be obtained by actual measurement when, and as often “ as, the lumber is loaded, measured and inspected by Mr. Sam Aurand, upon the order of the purchaser.” The actual delivery is not made when the lumber is loaded in the yard but the seller delivers it to the purchaser “ F. O. B. cars Williamsport.” The price is to be paid on the quantity contained in each shipment ordered, within thirty days after shipment, and shipments are to be made only as ordered by the purchaser until June 1, 1894. At that time all the lumber remaining on the yard belonging to these eleven piles was to be inspected and measured or estimated by Mr. S. V. Van Fleet and paid for in cash at the rate of $8.00 per thousand. Some shipments had been made and paid for according to the contract, but before the 1st day of June arrived, the flood came and
The judgment of nonsuit was properly entered. The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Albert G. Miller, now for use of Second National Bank of Elmira, N. Y. v. Sidney A. Seaman and Frank P. Snyder, now or lately trading under the firm name of S. A. Seaman & Co., and Julia A. Smyth
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Vendor and vendee — Contracts executory — 8ale uncompleted. An agreement for the sale of all the lumber in eleven piles on the in'operty of a third person, not for a gross price, but at a price per thousand feet, “ shipping count F. O. B. cars, Williamsport, to be loaded, inspected and measured as ordered by the purchasers by” a person agreed upon, same to be paid for within thirty days after dates of bills dated on day of loading; all lumber in yard June 1, 1894, not loaded on cars before that date to be inspected and measured by another person agreed upon and the same to be paid for in cash on that date at a less rate per thousand, was held to be an executory and not an executed contract of sale, and it was further held that the loss of said lumber by flood, prior to June 1st, fell upon the vendor. Qond/Wion precedent. The title of the vendees rested on delivery f. o. b. cars to them at Williamsport, and they were not liable for any lumber which was not inspected and actually delivered to them. Words and phrases — “ Inspected.” Where the parties have by their dealings construed the term “inspected ” to mean the sorting of good lumber from “ culls ” it is not error ' for the trial court to refuse to submit its interpretation to the jury.