Lange v. Interstate Sales Co.
Lange v. Interstate Sales Co.
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit instituted by ap-pellee to recover the value of an automobile sold by it to appellant, a feme sole. The defense to the suit was that the automobile was never delivered to appellant. The cause was tried by jury and resulted in a verdict and judgment for appellee in the sum of $3,420.
The facts showed that appellant had, in the autumn of 1912, placed an order with ap-pellee for a National, seven-passenger, touring automobile. Appellee did not have the automobile in stock, but it was to be ordered from the factory and was to be fully equipped as stated in the catalogue, besides additional equipment, to be a certain color, and to be guaranteed for a year, at the price of $3,520 in Galveston. Appellant went to New York, and while she was gone the automobile arrived in Galveston, and, according to the testimony of Toebelman, the general manager of appellee, Willie Lange, a minor son of appellant, assisted in unloading the car and went in it to the garage of appellee. The car was driven by an employe of ap-pellee, and Willie requested that it be sent out to his mother’s house on the next day. On the next day, which was Friday, the daughters of appellant telephoned that they wanted the automobile and it was sent out by appellee. Toebelman testified that he telephoned to Alvin Lange, an adult son of appellant, about delivering the car, and that he told the witness to deliver the car to the other children of appellant, as he had been informed that his mother had written to his sisters that they could use the car during her absence. Alvin Lange also promised to give a cheek for the car as soon as his mother arrived from New York. Toebelman stated that after this conversation he ordered Billié Mather, a chauffeur, to take the ear out and deliver it to the children of appellant. The children rode in the car, the chauffeur driving, or sitting by instructing a member of the family to drive. At night the car was carried back to the garage of appellee. On Saturday the automobile was again taken out by Billie Mather. There were three Lange young ladies and two minor boys living with their mother. The youngest boy was 14 years old. Mather, under instructions from appellee, on Saturday afternoon took the car out, and Oscar, the youngest boy, was permitted to drive the ear, and while on the boulevard he lost control and the machine went over the seawall and was wrecked. Appellant and the young ladies denied that appellant had written a letter to them such as Toebelman swore that Alvin told him about, and the latter swore that he never told Toebelman that such a letter had been written, or that he had authorized a delivery of the car to his sisters and brothers. The young ladies *and Willie Lange denied the delivery of the car to them.
Appellant had ordered a certain kind of automobile, of a certain color, with certain equipment, and initials inscribed on it, and she had the undoubted right, the contract being executory, to inspect the car and see if it met the contract specifications. She could not be compelled to accept the car without the right of inspection being given her, or her duly constituted agent. The right of inspection carried with it a reasonable time in which to make such inspection, but under the charge of the court,.the car could have been left at the residence of appellant, without notice to her, within an hour after its arrival in Galveston, and she would become absolutely responsible for its purchase price. The facts of this case create an ex-ecutory sale, and it was so treated by ap-pellee. It did not consider the car the property of appellant, as soon as it reached Galveston, but treated it as its property until, as it claims, it had been satisfied by Alvin Lange as to the purchase price and the agency of the members of the family. “Where, under a contract of salé, the property in the goods is transferred from the seller to the buyer, the contract is called a sale; but, where the transfer of the property in the *902 goods is to take effect at a future time or .subject to some condition thereafter to be fulfilled, the contract is called an agreement to sell. An agreement to sell, becomes a sale when the time elapses or the conditions are fulfilled subject to which the property in the goods is to be transferred.” Mechem, Sales, § 6. The title of the car did not pass to appellant until she had inspected it. Railway v. Ogburn, 26 Tex. Civ. App. 217, 63 S. W. 1072. “When the contract is executory, as it always is when a particular article is ordered, without being seen, from one who undertakes it shall be of a given quality or description, and the thing sent as such is never completely accepted, the buyer is not bound to keep it, or pay for the article on any terms, though no fraud was intended by the vendor.” Fogel v. Brubaker, 122 Pa. 7, 15 Atl. 692.
Appellee did not consider that the title to the ear had passed to appellant, because he refused to allow the sons and daughters of appellant to have possession of the car until another brother had agreed to pay for it. This refusal was made although appellee attempts to show that the children were the agents of appellant.
Appellant swore that under the terms of the contract she was to have the machine demonstrated to her and exhibited for approval before she was under any obligation to accept or pay for it, and yet in the face of that testimpny the jury was informed that appellee could have delivered the car at her house, without her knowledge and she would be liable. The charge was clearly erroneous.
The judgment is reversed and the caues remanded.
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