Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co. v. Tacony Iron Co.
Sloss-Sheffield Steel & Iron Co. v. Tacony Iron Co.
Opinion of the Court
In the court below the SlossSheffield Steel & Iron Company, a corporation of Alabama, herein
When suit was brought, the Iron Company filed an affidavit of defense, setting forth, in addition to the above facts, that the Steel Company could not maintain the suit, because the contract in question was made in Pennsylvania, and the Steel Company had not registered as provided by statute. Thereupon the Steel Company, in accordance with the Pennsylvania practice, moved for judgment for want of a sufficient affidavit of defense. On hearing this motion the court held the contract was, so far as the pleadings showed, an Alabama one, and entered judgment for the conceded liability of $12 per ton, being the current market price for the iron delivered. Its action in so doing was affirmed by this court in an opinion reported at 188 Fed. 898, 110 C. C. A. 530. On return of the mandate the case went to trial for the balance of the claim, and resulted in a verdict assessing the Steel Company’s damage at $677.27. On entry of judgment thereon the plaintiff sued out this writ, and assigned for error the refusal of the court to give binding instructions to the jury to liquidate its damages and return a verdict based on $14 per ton for all iron accepted.
The correctness of the court’s action turns on the question whether it was warranted in submitting the question of rescission to "the jury. The facts were that, when the controversy arose as to the plaintiff's demand for a financial statement and an indorsement not provided for by the contract, the only evidence of rescission and acceptance thereof was what occurred between the Iron Company 'and Dimmick & Co., a firm of brokers who had negotiated this contract for the Steel Company. There being no express proof that such facts were communicated to the Steel Company, and the broker having no authority in the premises, it was contended the contract continued in force, and there was no evidence on which the question of rescission could be
Finding no error in the court’s mode of submission, the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SLOSS-SHEFFIELD STEEL & IRON CO. v. TACONY IRON CO.
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Sales (§ 363*) — Action fob Breach oe Contract — Questions fob Jubt. In an action to recover the price of iron delivered under a contract, in which defendant pleaded a rescission after part performance and that the deliveries thereafter were under a new contract at a reduced price, the evidence in support of such defense held sufficient to justify the submission of the issue to the jury. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Sales, Cent. Dig. § 1064; Dec. Dig. § 363.*]