Lewis & Jackson v. Hubbard
Lewis & Jackson v. Hubbard
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This suit was commenced before á justice of the peace upon a note executed -for the purchase of a thrashing machine. The verdict and judgment in the Circuit Court were for the defendants.
The machine was sold by Lewis & Jackson, the
“Our machines are fully guaranteed to do superior work, as represented in our catalogue; to be made of good material, and durable, with proper care. If the machine does not bear the guarantee (after reasonable trial) we are to be notified of the same at once, and if we fail to make the machine work well, or do not furnish another that' will answer the guaranty, it may be returned.”
The sale was made about the 13th of July, 1873, and the machine delivered about that time. The note sued upon was of that date, and due at four months, for the first payment on the machine. Suit was brought upon the note the 28th of May, 1874, and judgment rendered by the justice, without objection, on the 3d of July, 1874, and execution stayed; but, on the 31st of December, 1874, the cause was taken up to the Circuit Court by certiorari.
In order to excuse this delay, the defendants and their witnesses testified that they threshed with the ■machine during the year 1873;. that it was defective and did not do good work, but they thought at the time that it might be owing to the fact that the horses used were too light. Hubbard, one of the defendants, testifies that in the winter of 1873-4 he met Mead and told him of the defects of the machine, but proposed, to keep it and try it during the threshing season of 1874, inasmuch as he supposed the defect might be in the horses, and that Mead agreed
As correctly charged by the Circuit Judge, both parties are bound by the terms of the written guaranty. One of the stipulations was, that “if the machine does not bear the guaranty (after reasonable trial), we are to be notified of the same at once, and if we fail to make the machine work well, or do not furnish another that will answer the guaranty, it may be returned.” The plaintiffs must be held to make good their warranty in the manner and upon the terms they agreed to do so. That is, if the machine did not give satisfaction they were, to be notified at once, and they were then to have the privilege of remedying any defect so as to make the machine in accordance with their guarantee, or to furnish another machine, and if they failed to do this the machine sold might be returned. One of the defendants testifies that he did notify the plaintiffs in the winter of 1873-4 that the machine had not done well, and proposed to return it, but that it was agreed that they
The only legitimate effect of this testimony would, at most, be to extend the time for the defendants to test the machine. But for this agreement, they should have tested it within a reasonable time during the year 1873, and, in the language of the contract, notified the plaintiffs “at once” if it failed to give satisfaction; but, by the alleged agreement, they were-allowed to give it a further trial during the season-of 1874. If, upon this further test, the machine still failed to give satisfaction, it was then the duty of the defendants to give the plaintiffs notice at once, to the end that the plaintiffs might then have the opportunity to cure the defect or supply a new machine, in accordance with the contract. But, according to the proof, after making some effort to run the machine in the year 1874, the defendants abandoned it and stored it away, but gave the plaintiffs no further notice and made no further offer to return it.
The Circuit Judge held that a failure to make an offer to return .the machine deprived the defendants of the right to return it, and amounted to an election to keep’ it at what it was reasonably worth; and in that view, if the proof showed the machine not to be as represented, the defendants were entitled to an abatement' to the extent of the difference between the contract price and the actual value of the machine. The jury have estimated this difference at the full price, as they have allowed nothing. The
We think the case was not submitted under a proper charge, and' beside, the testimony does not support a verdict for the defendants.
The judgment will be reversed and a new trial awarded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.