Givens v. Seaboard Air Line Railway
Givens v. Seaboard Air Line Railway
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The evidence shows that the shipment was secondhand household and kitchen goods, shipped by plaintiff from Lemon Springs, N. C., to Waxhaw, N. C., on November 26, 1913, and from December 1 to December 17, 1913, he was advised by defendant that the shipment was lost. Plaintiff then moved to Rock Hill, S. C., and heard nothing further from the shipment until February 12, 1914. The goods are not such articles of merchandise that can readily find a market at same price. It was for the jury to say if it was of such value as to be worth handling at all, or if it could have been handled at any profit, or whether in handling it the value would have been practically dissipated by the expenses of marketing and disposing of the same. The evidence shows that all of the shipment was secondhand, and had been moved several times, and while of service and value to the plaintiff and served his purposes, it should be for the jury to say whether it is of such value, as when put on the market it could find a purchaser for any more than a nominal or trifling sum, and after deducting expenses of handling and sale it would leave any sum of money that would amount to anything. Wé think his Honor was in error in his rulings during the progress of the trial, but committed no error in granting a new trial.
Appeal dismissed.
Footnote.—As to goods lost, stolen, misplaced or otherwise beyond the carrier’s power to deliver, see note in 50 L. R. A. 1179; as to right of shipper or consignee, as against carrier, to refuse to accept goods delayed while in its hands, see notes in 12 L. R. A. (N. S.) 431, 42 lb. 782, and also case of Poore v. So. Express Go., 101 S. C. 504, 86 S. E. 21.
Reference
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- Carriers op Goods. Delay. Conversion. Estoppel. Damages. New Trial. Appeal and Error. 1. Appeal and Error—New Trial..—An order granting a new trial, when based on an error of law, is appealable. 2. Trial—New Trial.—The jury are bound by the rulings of the Judge, and are to take the law from him, whether his instructions are right or wrong; and unless there is sufficient evidence before the jury to sustain the verdict, it is the duty of the Court to set the verdict aside. 3. Trial—New Trial.—Where the trial Judge is satisfied that he committed error during the trial, in admitting or excluding evidence, which was prejudicial to either side, and calculated to influence the jury In arriving at the verdict rendered, it is his duty to set the verdict aside, and grant a new trial. 4. Carriers of Goods—Delay Amounting to Conversion—Estoppel— Evidence.—In an action against a carrier for loss of goods delivered to it, alleging a failure und refusal to deliver such goods, the defendant may show a tender and offer to deliver them, and testimony offered by plaintiff to show a statement to him by defendants that the goods had been lost, and coufd not be found, was improperly excluded, as it tended to show that defendaní was estopped from contending that the shipment was merely, delayed, 5. Carriers—Loss of Goods—Estoppel—Evidence.—Testimony that the carrier’s agent informed shipper that the goocfíy shipped were lost and could not be found, and that the shipper was'^hereby induced in reliance on, such statement to purchase other gooefe, was admissible as tending to show an estoppel against the carriel^ s^nd it was for the jury to determine, whether the shipper was damage^ under such circumstances. , 6. Carriers — Delay — Damages. — Where a shipment of second-hand household furniture had been delayed for nearly three months, ®nd carrier’s agent informed the shipper they were lost and could no\\t be found, it was for the jury to determine if they were of such value as to be handled when found and tendered to the consignee at a profit, or whether their value would not have been dissipated by the expense of marketing and disposing of same, so that a judgment against the carrier might be sustained.