Kerr v. Kurtz
Kerr v. Kurtz
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The contract as laid in the declaration is clearly proved. The plaintiff is consequently entitled to compensation. The only question is as to the amount.
The jury, in estimating what the plaintiff’s services were worth, were not restricted to the prices usually paid nurses for their attendance on the sick. Nursing was not the plaintiff’s business. He had a regular employment which paid much better than professional nursing at the usual rates and the rewards of which might probably be greatly enhanced
It was a matter properly for the consideration of the jury, whether that bequest was made to the plaintiff in consideration of his services, and in fulfillment of the defendant testator’s said promise. And whether it expresses the value or estimate which John Kerr put upon the plaintiff’s services to him. It was for the jury to determine for themselves in view of the bequest aforesaid, in connection with John Kerr’s opinion as to the value of the plaintiff’s services, as declared after his recovery, and the character of the services which the plaintiff rendered him and the circumstances under which the services were rendered. We.are of opinion, therefore, that there is no error in the instruction given by the court, on motion of the plaintiff, to the jury, that in estimating the value of the services rendered by the plaintiff, they may consider all the circumstances under which the services were rendered, and also any estimate placed upon them by John Kerr, the defendant’s testator — which instructions was given in connection with instructions Nos. 1, 2 and 3, which were given at the request of the defendant’s counsel.
The jury found that the plaintiff’s services were worth $1,000.00 and the court overruled the defendant’s motion for a new trial, and rendered judgment for the amount of the verdict, and the defendants excepted to the ruling of the court overruling the motion for a new trial.
We cannot say that the finding under the circumstances and under the instruction of the court, and upon the evidence which was ruled to be legal, and which we have held not to be error, was excessive, at least not so plainly and palpably excessive as to warrant the appellate court upon that ground to reverse the judgment and set aside the verdict. The value of the,services, of the character rendered, for which this suit was brought, is not to be limited by evidence of what similar services might have been procured by other persons, or ordinary nurses. The sick man, who was extremely ill, may have had a personal preference for the plaintiff, over professional nurses, or other persons. It may have been his earnest desire to have the plaintiff in constant attendance on his sick chamber and at his bedside on account of personal confidence and reliance on him and regard for him. It may have been soothing and comforting to him to know that he was at his bedside, near enough to reach his hand to him and to look him in the face. And knowing that the services that he had to perform were of an unpleasant nature, and were
He did make his will and bequeathed to pay the plaintiff §1,000.00. And to James P. Kreemer, to whom he had made a similar promise, and who had rendered the same services, under similar circumstances, he bequeathed the
Afterwards it seems that John Kerr became offended with the plaintiff and Kreemer; it does not appear from what cause, good or bad. It is certified that he was high tempered and capricious in his friendships, and he erased from his will the provision which he had made for each of them, and disregarding his repeated promises and in violation of them, made no provision for either of them.
It is in general true that a man has a right to change his will. But if he has made a contract with another to pay him well for his services and to provide by his will for its payment, and those services have been rendered to his satisfaction, and he has made his will providing for its payment, I deny that he has a right to change his will by erasing that provision and making no other for its payment. That is this case. He had enjoyed the benefit of their services, which at his request, they had rendered him at the sacrifice of their own interests, and which after they had been rendered, he regarded as so valuable to himself that money could not compensate them. He afterwards got mad with them, forgot the valuable services they had rendered to him and his solemn assurances whilst those services were being rendered that he would reward them liberally, and the obligation he felt and expressed to them after the services were rendered ; erased from his will the provision he had made
We are further of opinion that the court did not err in allowing the plaintiff to amend his declaration and to file a bill of particulars, and overruling the demurrer or in overruling the defendant’s motion to reject the bill of particulars which the plaintiff did file.
Nor do we think there is error in the refusal of the court to instruct the jury to find a special verdict or a verdict responsive to the questions of fact proposed by the defendant. Without deciding whether in any case the court can compel a jury to find a special verdict, we think in this case it was a question addressed to the discretion of the court whether to give such instruction or not, and we are of opinion that the court did not err in its dii'ection unduly in refusing to give the instruction.
We are also of opinion that there was no error in including the joint account of Kurtz and Kreemer with Kerr and their receipt for the balance on settlement, as evidence in this suit, which is a suit not between the same parties, but upon a several contract between Kurtz and Kerr’s executors. For the same reason we think that James P. Kreemer was a competent witness in this case for the plaintiff. Ho was no party to the suit, nor was he a party to the several contracts between John Kerr and the plaintiff, which is the subject of this suit. The fact that Kreemer’s interest is similar to the plaintiff’s would not render him incompetent at common law. The verdict in this case would not be evidence in a suit between Kreemer and the same defendants.
Reference
- Status
- Published