Louis Werner Saw Mill Co. v. Ferree
Louis Werner Saw Mill Co. v. Ferree
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The appellants, defendants in the court below, residents of Allegheny county, in March, 1900, contracted with plaintiff, a corporation of the state of Missouri, for the delivery of all the yellow pine lumber needed for the construction of thirty-five houses for the Pittsburg Coal Company. The contract is based on correspondence between the parties. The first letter is from Ferree & Company to the sawmill company dated Pitts-burg, March 10, 1900. It begins by enumerating the kinds, sizes and quantity, points of delivery, and then makes this request: “Please quote us your lowest delivered prices on any or all of the stock, if you could ship at once.” On March 13, three days afterward, the sawmill company replied, quoting prices per M at points of delivery, and saying they “could make shipments with reasonable dispatch.” Ferree & Company on March 15 then replied, that as speedy shipment was much to be desired, they would wait a day or two before placing the whole order and then they might divide it by giving part to other lumber dealers; further, as they would have it shipped direct to the coal company, “ the freight would be paid by that company.” Three short letters then followed between the parties, but they have no bearing on this controversy. On March 20, Ferree & Company mailed an order for the full amount of the lumber at the delivered prices heretofore quoted by the sawmill company, which, on the 22d of the same month was accepted by the sawmill company, who March 31 commenced shipments. There were altogether thirteen cars shipped by the seller and received by the buyer, covering in time a period of about seven weeks. No complaint was made of the quality of the lumber at the time it was re
Appellant argues, that under the law as announced in Braddock Glass Co. v. Irwin & Co., 153 Pa. 440, and all our cases where goods are sold to he delivered by the vendor to the vendee at a certain place and are by the fault of the carrier not so delivered, the carrier being the agent of the vendor the latter is responsible for the neglect. The law is sound enough and we do not attempt to modify it. But this contract is in writing to be construed by the court. What within the meaning of the parties, was the undertaking of the vendor? We think the vendee only stipulated for a price delivered at certain points and that is all the vendor undertook to fix. The first letter of Ferree & Company says: “ Please quote us your lowest delivered prices ” at Jacobs Creek, Moon Run, and Whit-sett. It will be noted that the point of shipment was Missouri and the destination near Pittsburg, more than a thousand miles east. The consignee did not probably know and possibly could not ascertain the rate of freight; the shipper could easily know
But concede, as argued by appellant, that the railroad was alone answerable to the sawmill company, what duty was owing by the purchaser, Ferree & Company, to the sawmill company ? Clearly that of prompt notification, that the lumber was damaged. Now it is admitted that these cars as they arrived, during a period of seven weeks were unloaded by the purchaser; that he had full opportunity to inspect every piece of the lumber; nevertheless, he used it all in his contract and made no claim for damage until called upon by the sawmill company to pay; then the time for it to make claim on the carrier was gone; the lumber had been used; had been built into the houses. We hold that even if the railroad, under this contract was the agent of
But it seems to us, the evidence was in any view of it insufficient to defeat plaintiff’s claim. It was admitted the lumber had been received and used without objection; it was not denied that the quantity and grade were such as called for by the contract; the quality alone was disputed. But we have more than once decided, that where the price of goods is fixed by contract, and the quantity and grade are furnished and accepted Avithout complaint, the buyer must pay the price, even though the quality be inferior. See Fraley v. Bispham, 10 Pa. 320, Whitaker v. Eastwick, 75 Pa. 231, Shisler v. Baxter, 109 Pa. 447, and Whitehall v. Wise, 119 Pa. 484. Therefore, under the undisputed facts the law is clearly with the plaintiff.
We do not concur in the argument, that there was a violation of contract by plaintiff in failing to ship promptly. The plaintiff in reply to letter of March 20, says to appellant, “We could make shipments with reasonable dispatch.” The first lot was shipped within ten days thereafter, the whole thirteen cars rapidly followed, and no complaint was made during the interval, of negligence in delivery. We think under the evidence there was a substantial compliance with the contract, in prompt shipment.
In the view we take of the law of the contract, appellant’s assignment of error to the court’s rulings on evidence become immaterial.
All the assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Contract—Delivery— Carrier. Where a purchaser of lumber asks a seller to quote his “lowest delivered prices,” and it appears that the goods were to be delivered at a point 1000 miles away, and it also appears that the freight was to be paid by the consignee who would deduct it from the delivered price, the words “ lowest delivered prices ” are used by the parties merely to fix a price; and delivery to the railroad company is a delivery to the purchaser. Sucn a case does not come within the rule that “ where goods are sold to be delivered by the vendor to the vendee at a certain place, and are by the fault of the carrier not so delivered, the carrier being the agent of the vendor, the latter is responsible for neglect.” Contract—Sale—Acceptance of goods —Delay in making complaint. Where lumber is being delivered during the period of seven weeks and is unloaded by the purchaser, who has a full opportunity to inspect every piece of it, and the lumber is used by him in a building operation, without any complaint of its condition made either to the seller or the carrier, it is too late when the purchaser is called upon to pay for the lumber to allege its damaged condition as a defense. Contract—Sale—Quality. Where the price of goods is fixed by a contract and the quantity and grade are furnished and accepted without complaint, the buyer must pay the price, even though the quality be inferior. Contract—Sale—Delivery—Delay. Where the seller of lumber agrees to make shipments “ with reasonable dispatch,” and the first lot is shipped within ten days thereafter, and the remainder in thirteen cars rapidly follows and the whole is delivered within seven weeks, and no complaint is made during this time, of negligence in delivery, the seller will be deemed to have substantially complied with the contract in prompt shipment.