Steptoe v. Pollard
Steptoe v. Pollard
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This is an appeal from certain decrees and orders of the circuit court of Roanoke county. The facts of the case, and the pleadings and proceedings in it, so far as it is material tó state them, seem to be substantially as follows :
About the 26th of March, 1872, Shepherd Pollard contracted with John M. Brosius to purchase of the latter one steam saw-mill and fixtures, one wagon, one log carrier and one extra large saw; the first at $1,500, the second at $145, the third at $125, and the fourth at $20, all aggregated together, at $1,790 or thereabouts, all on time. The said pi’operty was to have been delivered on or before the 20th of April, 1872, but was not in fact delivered until the 11th of June, 1872, on which day the said Pollard executed his negotiable note at ninety days for $145, and his three bonds each, for $546.66, with interest thereon from the- date thereof till paid, and payable ■eight, sixteen and twenty-four months after date,- respec
The said Pollard having, as was alleged, made default in the payment of a part of said debt, the said trustee, Quarles, on the 23d of June, 1874, in pursuance of the said deed of trust, advertised for sale the property thereby conveyed; but before it was sold, and on the day on which the sale was advertised to have been made, to-wit: the 14th of July, 1874, the said Pollard applied for and ■obtained an injunction of said sale from the judge of the circuit court of Roanoke county.
In the bill on which said injunction was obtained, the said Pollard, the complainant, charged, among other things, that “ the said property was to be delivered on or before the 20th April, 1872, and to be delivered in good working order, all to be taken to pieces, overhauled, repaired, put in number one working order, and put up again so as to work in good condition on or before said 20th April, 1872, all whereof said Brosius guaranteed to complainant; that on the 11th June, 1872, the said property was all delivered, except a few parts of the wagons, which never were delivered; that the extra large saw never was put up and could not be got to work, but heated and bent and got warped and limber, and would not work and was perfectly worthless, whereby complainant was damaged $145; that complainant wrote to said Brosius three different times requesting
The said Steptoe, Quarles and Brosius were made defendants to the said bill and answered the same. The said Brosius in his answer, among other things, says: “ That in March, 1872, this respondent being indebted to his co-defendant, John R. Steptoe, and desiring to make an arrangement to pay the debt by appropriating the proceeds of the sale of the property specified in the bill, met the plaintiff and said Steptoe at Salem depot some few weeks after having bargained with the" plaintiff' for a sale of said property, and bn that day and at that place delivered the property to the plaintiff in the exact condition in which he had purchased it, and by agreement then and there between them the plaintiff executed his notes or bonds, not to this respondent, hut to the said Steptoe, and to secure their payment, the plaintiff that day, in pursuance of an agreement then made at the depot with said Steptoe, executed the deed of trust in the bill mentioned. This respondent was no party to that deed, and is in no way interested in it, the same being matter ■of arrangement and contract between Pollard and Step-toe to their mutual satisfaction. This respondent denies most positively that there was any warranty of the engine or any of the machinery, and affirms that he refused to warrant it, but left the plaintiff to judge of its value. He denies that there was any delay in its delivery, as charged in the bill, but that the property was delivered at Salem depot on the day the notes or bonds and deed of trust were executed, and was there and then received and hauled away by the plaintiff without objection or complaint of any kind,” &c., &c. “Respondent denies that any of this property was owned by bis co-defendant, Steptoe, when sold to the plaintiff, but was the bona fide property of this respondent, and Steptoe, as a creditor of
The answer of Quarles is not material to be stated.
In the answer of Steptoe he says, among other things, which need not be here repeated, “ that he has read the answer of his co-defendant, John M. Brosius, to the bill in this cause, and he hereby adopts the same as a part of this answer, so far as the statements thereof are applicable to his defence.”
Many depositions w’ere taken and hied in the cause on the side both of the plaintiff and defendants. They-are very conflicting in their statements; those of the plaintiff' tending strongly to sustain the allegations of his bill, while those of the defendants tend stroDgly to sustain the contrary. It is not material to repeat here the details of the testimony, which is all set out in the record.
On the 9th of October, 1875, the cause came on to be heard upon the bill and exhibits, answers, depositions and motion of defendants to dissolve the injunction, and was argued by counsel; on consideration whereof, the
The said issue was accordingly tried by a jury which, on the 7th day of October, 1876, found a verdict in these words: “ We, the jury, find for the plaintiff and assess his damages at six hundred dollars;” which verdict was ordered to bo certified to the chancery side of the court.
On the trial of the issue, the defendants excepted to an opinion of the. court given upon said trial, and tendered a bill of exceptions, which‘was accordingly signed and sealed by the court and made a part of the record; from which it appears “that on the trial of the issues in the cause, testimon3r having been introduced tending to show that the defendant, Brosius, sold to plaintiff, Pollard, the mill and engine in the proceedings mentioned; that the defendant, Steptoe, who was surety for defendant, Brosius, for the purchase money for the said steam saw-mill, and who was authorized (as well as was defendant, Brosius), to sell the same, and who was anxious to sell the same, and was looking around for a purchaser of the same, accompanied the complainant, Pollard, and the defendant, Brosius, from Liberty to the place where the steam saw-mill then was, a distance of eight miles, in order to effect the sale of the same, and was present pending part of the negotiations for the sale of the same, hut was not present at the conclusion of the said sale;
A verdict having been found for the plaintiff’ on the issue as aforesaid, the defendant, Steptoe, moved for a new trial of said issue, because:—•
1. The verdict was contrary to the law and the evidence.
2. The court admitted improper and illegal testimony to go to the jury, in this, that the admissions and statements of John M. Brosius as to the terms of sale, and his failure to comply with his part of the contract made after the execution of the bonds and deed of trust, were allowed to be given in evidence to affect the rights of said Steptoe.
3. The verdict is not responsive to the issues directed.
4. The damages are excessive.
On the 14th of October, 1876, the cause came on again to be heard upon the papers formei’ly read and the certified verdict of the juxy upon the issue aforesaid and the said motion for a new tidal of said issue, and was ai’gued by counsel; upon consideration whereof the court overruled said motion and decreed that one of the commissioners of the court should take an account of the payments made by the complainant, or any one for him, in discharge of his indebtedness for the steam saw-mill aforesaid, and the balance due upon said purchase, and make report, &c. And by consent of pai'ties the court further decreed that the sheriff of the county should be appointed receiver in the cause to take charge of the steam saw
Commissioner Palmer made a report in pursuance of said decree of the 14th of October, 1876, to which l’eport sundry exceptions were taken by the plain tilt'; and the receiver appointed by said decree also made his report in pursuance thereof, showing that after advertising the said steam saw-mill in the Salem Register for sixty days, and no bidders appearing to buy at the public sale- so advertised, lie sold the same to John Ii. Sicptoe privately, by and with the consent of Shepherd Pollard, for the sum of $850, of which sum $28 was paid in cash, and for the balance ($822) bond was taken from said Steptoe, with surety on twelve months’ time.
On the 20th of June, 1877, the cause came on to be heard upon the papers formerly read, the report of Commissioner Palmer and the exceptions thereto, on consideration whereof the court decreed that the said verdict be approved and confirmed, that the plaintiff’s first exception to said report be sustained, and his other exceptions thereto overruled. “And the court being of opinion that the damages found by the jury are for breach of warranty or misrepresentation at the time of the contract, the amount found by the jury should be
The appellant complains of being aggrieved by the orders and decrees made in this case, and especially the decree of the 20th day of June, 1877, and assigns the following errors in the same, which will be noticed in their order of assignment:
“1. The injunction should have been dissolved upon the motion first made, because it appeared that said complainant executed the bonds to your petitioner and the deed of trust to secure their payment, and thereby promised to pay said sums to your petitioner after said steam saw-mill had been received, and without informing your petitioner of any warranty or representation 'made by said JBrosius, and without making known to him any claim, .contingent or otherwise, against said Brosius, to be set off by said complainant against said bonds, and said complainant is thereby estopped from setting up any such claim against your petitioner.” 2 Rob. Prac. p. 267 (old ed.), and cases cited.
The court below did not err in this respect. The case is palpably different from the cases cited and relied on by counsel in support of this assignment of error. In those cases there was a manifest intention on the part of the debtor, in becoming bound to the third party, to waive any defences, legal or equitable, he may have had against the original creditor. The transaction with the new creditor, was, in effect, a novation of the debt, whereas in this case there was no intention of the parties to novate the debt, nor that any right of either of the original contracting parties, inter se, should be surrendered. Shepherd Pollard was willing, and he so declared, to pay any debt he might owe in the transaction to John M. Brosius, or any other person he might designate. It was immaterial to him to whom he paid it. He
The distinction between this case and the eases cited on this branch of the subject by the counsel for Steptoe is manifest. Those cases are Buckner, &c. v. Smith, 1 Wash. 296; Hoomes, ex'or of Elliott v. Smock, Id. 389; Davis'1 adm’r v. Thomas, &c., 5 Leigh, 1; Pettit v. Jennings, &c., 2 Rob. R. 676. But it is needless to state and review these cases, arid we will proceed to consider the next assignment of error, which is:
*702 “ 2. It was error to direct an issue in said cause, because it was clear from the evidence that the mill had been delivered in good order, and that the complainant was fully satisfied with it and made repeated promises to comply with his contract to pay off his bonds long after he received said mill.”
The grounds of defence relied on in the injunction bill were palpable, if true. Had they been confessed by the answers, they would certainly have entitled Pollard to the relief which he claimed. They were denied by the answers of Brosius and Steptoe, to which the plaintiff replied generally. The evidence on each side was conflicting. The evidence of the plaintiff fully sustained the allegations of his bill, while that of the defendants, Brosius and Steptoe, was to the contrary. What, in such a state of doubt and difficulty, was the court to do but to direct, an issue to be tried by a jury? which was accordingly ordered. That it was proper so to order, is manifest, and such propriety is shown by the cases cited by the counsel for the appellees, if any citation of authority can be necessary on such a question. Those cases are Isler, &c. v. Grove, &c., 8 Gratt. 257; Mettert v. Hagan, 18 Id. 231; Hord’s ad’mr v. Colbert, 28 Id. 49. The complainant’s repeated promises to make payment, referred to in this assigment of error, no doubt had reference to what he actually owed after deducting all the discounts to which hq was entitled. But evqn if they referred to the whole original debt they would not estop him from making any defence to which he might otherwise have been entitled, as such promises were made without consideration. We think the court did not err in ordering an issue.
. “3. If an issue was proper, your petitioner should not have been made a party defendant, and required to defend the same for the reason that the issue to be tried was solely a matter between the said complainant and the*703 said Brosius, as by his contract the said Pollard, in effect, agreed to look-to said Brosius alone for reparation in case he was injured, and your petitioner agreed to look to said complainant alone for the amount of said bonds, and said Brosius was relieved from his indebtedness to your petitioner to the amount of said bonds.”
We think this assignment of error is wholly unfounded in fact, as plainly appears irom what we have already said in regard to the first and second assignments of error, and nothing more need therefore be said in regard to it. The next assignment of error is—
“4. If your petitioner was to be affected by said verdict found upon said trial, then it was error in said court to allow to go to the jury as evidence the declarations made by said Brosius after said contract was entered into, and in the absence of your petitioner.”
There are several reasons why we think this assignment of error is not well founded. In the first place, Brosius and Steptoe were both interested in the sale made by Brosius to Pollard. But Brosius was the vendor and made the contract of sale for the benefit of himself and Steptoe. Steptoe was sometimes present and sometimes absent, pending the negotiation between vendor and vendee, and before and at the execution of the bonds and deed of trust. The transaction was not concluded on the last-mentioned occasion; after the delivery of the property and the execution of the bonds, note and deed of trust, something still remained to be done by Brosius and Pollard in execution of the contract. The mill was to be set up and set in motion under the superintendence and direction of Brosius, who was a machinist and had full experience in the matter, while Pollard was ignorant and knew nothing on the subject, as' he declared to Brosius. Immediately after the delivery of the property and the execution of the bonds and deed of trust at Salem, Brosius and Pollard went together to Prautz’s
This court had occasion in Brockenbrough's ex'ors v. Spindle’s adm’rs, 17 Gratt. 21, 27, 28, and in Powell &
Ve are therefore of opinion that the court below did
“ 5. The court erred in overruling the motion of your petitioner for a new trial, for the reason assigned in the fourth assignment of error; and further, because the verdict was not responsive to the issue, being too general and indefinite, and because the damages were excessive. All the evidence as to damages was of so general and indefinite a nature that the jury could arrive at no sum but by guessing it, except as to damage arising from defects in the property, and the complainant himself does not claim in his bill on this account more than $350, nor is it anywhere proven to have been over $500; and moreover the issue by its terms confines the enquiry to damages arising from defects of the property.”
"We are of opinion that the court below did not err in this respect. The certificate is of evidence only, and not the facts proved. If the evidence in favor of the appellee when in conflict with that in favor of the appellant be credited in deciding the case in the appellate court, which is the true rule on the -subject, we think there can be no room for doubt on the question, and that though the evidence objected to on the issue be excluded, is as shown in considering the fourth assignment of error. We think the verdict was responsive to the issue, and was not too general or indefinite, and that according to the evidence, especially that in favor of Pollard, the damages were not excessive. And now in regard to the last assignment of error.
“ 6. It was error to allow the sum found by the jury to be set off against the demand of your petitioner, for the reason that it was admitted by the complainant and proven by other witnesses, that before he executed the bonds and deed he was told by said Brosius that he had not done all he promised as to repairing the said steam
"We have already fully shown that this assignment of error is groundless, by what we have said in regard to the other assignments of error, and therefore think the court below did not err in this respect. And upon the ■whole, we think there is no. error in any of the orders and decrees complained of, and that they ought to be affirmed.
Decree arrirmed.
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