J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. v. Scott
J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. v. Scott
Opinion of the Court
This replevin action was commenced by the plaintiff threshing machine company in the superior court for Douglas county, seeking recovery of possession from the defendants Scott of a farm tractor engine. The plaintiff obtained the possession of the engine from the defendants pending the action by the usual proceedings in such cases. Trial was thereafter had before the court without a jury upon the issues of law and fact presented, and resulted in findings and judgment being made and rendered in favor of the defendants, adjudging them to have superior title to the engine and awarding to them a money judgment for $1,400 against the plaintiff, that being the admitted value of the engine. The judgment was rendered in this form because it was found "that the possession of the engine could not be restored to the defendants. Prom this disposition of the cause in the superior court, the plaintiff has appealed to this court.
Our problem is, in substance, as to whether or not there was legally effected by the acts of the parties such rescission of the contract of purchase of the engine by the respondents Scott from appellant threshing machine company as to reinvest title to the engine in appellant; and, if there was no rescission of the sale contract so effected, then as to whether or not rescission was, in legal effect, adjudicated by a prior judgment of the superior court for Douglas county, as modified by the judgment of this court, so as to reinvest title to the engine in appellant.
As we view the controversy, the controlling facts
After a trial of the engine and plow, respondents, conceiving that they did not come up to the warranty as to performance, so notified appellant, and the warranty not being made good by appellant, as respondents claimed, they demanded that appellant return to-them the notes given as the total purchase price,, together with a sum equal to the amount of freight, which they had paid upon receiving the engine and plow, and tendered to appellant the engine and plow upon condition that appellant surrender the notes and make reimbursement accordingly. Appellant refused to comply with this demand. Thereafter, in January,, 1914, appellant commenced an action in the superior court for Douglas county, seeking recovery upon all the notes and foreclosure of the chattel mortgage..
Thereafter respondents appealed from that judgment to this court. Thereafter this court modified that judgment only to the extent of reducing the amount of appellant’s recovery to $700, with interest thereon from the date of the sale contract, leaving the foreclosure provisions of the judgment in full force and effect as against both the engine and the plow. The opinion of this court, in pursuance of which its judgment modifying the judgment of the superior court was rendered, is found in 96 Wash. 566, 165 Pac. 485. Both the opinion and the judgment of this court are wholly silent upon the question of rescission. Thereafter respondents paid the judgment of $700 and interest, retaining both the engine and the plow, thus preventing sale of them under the foreclosure proceedings. Appellant, at all times up to the rendering of the judgment of this court modifying the judgment of the superior court, refused to recognize the claim of rescission made by respondents, and have at all times refused to pay to respondents any portion of the sum paid by them for freight. Manifestly the judgment of the superior court in the former action was modified by this court upon the theory that the engine failed to fulfill the warranty, and to that extent the consideration for the notes failed, though the plow did fulfill the warranty.
Was there an effectual rescission of the sale of the engine by respondents’ demand and offer made to appellant before the commencement of the action by ap
It seems to us that it cannot be rightfully held that respondents ever made any demand or offer looking to the rescission of the sale of the engine alone. They did not say to appellant, acknowledge satisfaction of so much of the indebtedness evidenced by the notes as represents the agreed price of the engine and pay to us the amount of freight we paid upon the engine and take the engine back. Had such ah offer been made, we think respondents would have had the right to have appellant not only satisfy such portion of the total purchase price evidenced by the notes as constituted the price of the engine, but also have appellant make reimbursement for the amount of freight paid by them upon the engine, before appellant would be entitled to return of the engine in pursuance of any such offer. But, as we have said, no such offer was ever
Was there, in legal effect, an adjudication of a rescission of the sale of the engine by the judgment rendered in the former action? We think not. The judgment of this court, while modifying that judgment by reducing the amount of recovery, left the foreclosure provisions thereof in full force and effect as against both the engine and the plowq thus plainly recognizing title to both the engine and the plow as being in respondents. The judgment of this court made no determination whatever touching the question of reimbursement of respondents by appellant for the amount paid by them for freight upon the engine, which manifestly respondents would be entitled to in some measure from appellant before it could rightfully reclaim from respondents possession of the engine. We are unable from any viewpoint to see in the judgment of this court modifying the judgment of
Main, C. J., Holcomb, Tolman, Bridges, Fullerton, Mitchell, and Pemberton, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.