Kidder v. Kinsman
Kidder v. Kinsman
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The facts found by the auditor show that the judgment should be for the defendants, unless they have made themselves chargeable for one or more of the mowing-machines which remained unsold a.t the termination of their agency. None of these machines have been sold and converted into money. The plaintiff claims that the defendants have rendered themselves liable for two of the machines in this form of action, from their refusal to deliver them when demanded by him. Assuming for the present that the facts found by the auditor establish a demand by the plaintiff, and a refusal to deliver the machines by the defendants, could the plaintiff nharge and recover for such machines in this form of action ? If the defendants, after the termination of their agency, refused to deliver the machines when reasonably demanded, they committed such a breach of their contract as would render them liable in an action upon the contract, and probably for the conversion of the machines in an action of trover. If the facts found render the defendants liable to pay for the machines in an action of trover, can the plaintiff waive the tort, and charge the defendants with the price of the machines on book ? We think not. It has been repeatedly decided by this court that a party cannot recover in the action of book account for items for which he could not recover under the common counts in general assumpsit. The plaintiff’s right to recover in such an action would be limited to the counts for goods sold and delivered, and for money had and received. He could not recover for the machines under the count for goods sold and delivered, as the facts
The plaintiff relies upon the case, Hall v. Chase v. J. &. H. Peck Co., 10 Vt., 474, and insists that it is an authority showing that the two machines are properly chargeable and recoverable in this form of action. We think that the principles announced in the decision of that case are not at variance with the conclusion we have arrived at. In that case the goods left by the plaintiffs with the defendants to be sold, before the action was commenced, had been mostly sold and converted into money. The defendants resisted the plaintiff’s right to recover, upon the ground, first, that the action should have been account and not book account; and secondly, because the right to charge the defendants for the goods did not exist at the time the plaintiffs delivered the goods. The county court sustained these objections. The supreme cojirt reversed the judgment of the county court, and gave judgment for the plaintiffs, but whether for the small balance of goods unsold at the commencement of the- suit does not appear. The court ■ rest their decision in answer to the defendants first objection, upon the ground that an action for money had and received would lie for the avails of the property in •question. Every illustration used by the learned judge, in support of the decision against this objection, assumes that the property had been converted into money. The views expressed would seem to forbid a recovery for the goods which had not been sold. In regard to the second objection, the court held that the right to charge for the goods for accountability existed at the time of the delivery of the goods, and that that was sufficient, if before the
The judgment of the county court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George M. Kidder v. Sowles & Kinsman
- Status
- Published