Buehler v. Staudenmayer
Buehler v. Staudenmayer
Opinion of the Court
A number of errors are assigned and argued ■on this appeal. But one of them warrants any discussion. The jury intended to permit the defendant to recover on his alleged counterclaim the sum of $90 as damages because of the failure of the plaintiff to do a good and workmanlike job •of cement work at the farm. It found that such sum represented the difference between the reasonable value of the cement work and what its reasonable value would have been had it been done in accordance with the contract. After the verdict the defendant moved to amend his counterclaim by stating the facts necessary to constitute a good cause of action and by increasing the ad daunnum clause from $50 to $97. 'The original pleading was defective in that it did not allege a contract and breach thereof or make any reference to or adopt the allegations of the defensive portion of the answer reciting such facts. The plaintiff opposed the granting of this motion an'd also made a motion to amend his reply to the counterclaim so as to plead acceptance of the work as a compliance with the contract and waiver of any right to claim damages because it was not done as agreed.
The court granted the motion of the plaintiff, and we assume that for this reason it refused to grant the motion of the defendant. If the court was correct in holding that the defendant had waived the right to recover the damages which .he was claiming, it would be futile to allow the amendment
There was sufficient evidence to warrant the jury in finding as it did in reference to tbe character of tbe work done at tbe farm and in reference to tbe amount of damages suffered by tbe defendant as a result of poor workmanship. Tbe question of acceptance or waiver was not submitted to tbe jury. Such a submission would~be proper under appropriate instructions if there was any dispute as to what tbe facts were which were relied up.on to constitute acceptance. In tbe absence of a finding by tbe jury we would be obliged to presume one by tbe court in support of tbe judgment, under sec. 2858m, Stats. (Laws of 1907,.cb. 316).
So tbe real question in tbe case is: Do tbe facts, construed as favorably to tbe defendant as they reasonably can be, justify tbe conclusion that there was an acceptance of tbe work and a waiver of tbe right to claim damages for tbe breach of tbe contract which provided what tbe character of tbe work should be? In support of tbe conclusion of tbe trial court it is urged that tbe defendant accepted tbe work (1) because be was present while tbe work was being done and knew bow it was being done; (2) because be used tbe concrete wall with knowledge of tbe defective work done; and (3) because be made payments after tbe work was completed and with knowledge of the defective work.
Tbe work consisted of building a foundation wall for a
The work was completed on November 7, 1907, and the first payment of $80 was made five days later. We do not find any proof that the defendant had actual knowledge of the defects when this payment was made. The evidence to show when the walks began to crack was very indefinite. 'The form or cribbing in which the cement wall was inclosed was not removed until November 15th, so that there was no ■opportunity to discover any defects in the sides of the walls prior to that time. It was easy enough to determine after the building was placed on the wall that either the wall or the building was not a rectangle, but the slight deviation could not have been very noticeable before, and there is no claim that defendant did know of it on November 12th. He had given the plaintiff the correct measurements and had a right to assume that they would be followed. In fact there was ■apparently very little discoverable in the way of defects on November 12th without making a critical examination of the work, and some of the defects were not discoverable on such ■an examination. The fact that the defendant was around while the work was being done we do not consider very significant. There is no pretense that he was an expert in the business of cement construction or that he had any knowledge that improper materials were being used or that the proper proportions of the different ingredients in the construction were not used or that there was an improper mixture of such ingredients. It would be unreasonable to say that, where an ordinary person makes a contract for the con
It seems apparent tbat tbe plaintiff was allowed to recover damages of four and one-balf cents per block on 2,000 cement blocks which tbe plaintiff manufactured for the defendant and which tbe latter refused to take. Tbe damages allowed to tbe defendant on tbe counterclaim were $90. So tbat tbe recovery of tbe plaintiff on bis second cause of action was offset by tbe recovery of tbe defendant for damages because of poor workmanship in doing tbe work in reference to which tbe first cause of action is brought. As to such cause of action tbe jury found tbat there was no express agreement covering tbe cost of the work. It found tbat tbe cement furnished was reasonably worth $115; tbat tbe labor of tbe plaintiff and bis men was reasonably worth $72.90, and tbat
Because of tbe fact that no findings are made by tbe jury on some disputed questions of fact, tbe court has bad some doubt whether tbe judgment should be modified and affirmed
The printed case contains 211 pages besides the index. One hundred and sixty-seven pages are devoted to the evidence. A large portion of it is given by question and answer. A very large portion of it relates to matters that were settled by the verdict of the jury and in reference to which no question has been raised in this court. The examination of the evidence as presented has imposed a great deal of unnecessary labor upon us. The case is not an abridgment of the record so far as necessary to present the questions raised for decision, as required by Rule 6 of this court. The penalty for violation of the rule is that no costs shall be taxed in favor of the offending party for printing the case. Rule 44. This rule has been enforced in numerous cases and would be enforced more frequently if those who disregarded it always prevailed so that they became entitled to costs. Reference is made to the cases of Griffiths v. Cretney, 143 Wis. 143, 126 N. W. 875; Gerbig v. Bell, 143 Wis. 157, 126 N. W. 871; and Hankwitz v. Barrett, 143 Wis. 639, 128 N. W. 430, and in those decisions will be found a reference to numerous other cases in which the- rules have been applied.
By the Court. — It is ordered and directed that the judgment be modified by reducing the amount of the plaintiff’s recovery to $17.90 damages, with interest thereon from November 7, 1907, together with such costs as the trial court shall in its discretion'allow pursuant to subd. 7, sec. 2918, Stats. (1898), and as so modified the judgment is affirmed. Costs are to be taxed in this court in appellant’s favor, but no costs are to be allowed for printing the case.
The appellant’s bill of -costs in this court contained an item of $97.50 paid the reporter for three copies of the reporter’s minutes. Objection was taken to its allowance, which was overruled, and the respondent moves for a re-taxation. The motion should be granted. . There is no warrant in law for such a charge. Sec. 2949, Stats. (1898), clearly contemplates that the cost of but one transcript of the reporter’s' minutes should be taxed. Bills of exceptions can only be taxed for in the circuit court under sec. 2921, Stats. (1898). Ch. 547, Laws of 1907 (see. 2873m, Stats.), was calculated to permit the court reporter to do most of the work of preparing a bill of exceptions, but it has not provided that his additional work in this regard shall be taxed against the losing party in this court.
The clerk of this court is directed to deduct from the bill of costs as taxed the sum of $65, and to allow the respondent $10 costs of motion.
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