Bates County Bank v. Anderson

1. Sale of Jack: WRITTEN GUARANTEE: CONSTRUCTION. A bill of sale with warranty in the following words: “I have this day sold to C. J. Anderson, one black jack, Clarkson, fifteen hands high, four years old last fall. This jack is guaranteed to perform only, and this guarantee is null and void when jack serves a reasonable number of mares.” Held: that this writing warranted the jack to serve a reasonable number of mares. It did not warrant that he was capable of serving one mare only. Neither did it warrant that he was a good breeder. 2. -: PEDIGREE: EXPRESSION OE OPINION: WARRANTY. The pedigree furnished with the jack, after describing him, added, “and from his breeding is bound to be an extra breeder.” Held: that this was merely an expression of opinion and not a warranty.

Appeal from the Oass Oircu.it Court. — Non. W. L. Jarrott, Judge. (1) Under the proof made by defendant that the jack had served nine mares, the court should have instructed the jury to find for plaintiff as the only guarantee given by Oolyer was that the jack was “guaranteed to perform only.” Defendant purchased and accepted the jack under this guarantee. Weaver v. Railroad, 60 Mo. App. 207; Bank v. Hainline, 67 Mo. App. 483; Wolff v. Campbell, 110 Mo. 114; Mfg. Oo. v. Lumber & Hardware Oo., 81 Mo. App. 255. (2) The written note, pedigree and guarantee, introduced in evidence contained the entire contract between Oolyer and defendant, and the manner of its performance, and all anterior and contemporaneous stipulations and representations are merged in them. State ex rel. v. Hoshaw, 98 Mo. 358; Gooch v. Conner, 8 Mo. 391; Sexton v. Anderson, 95 Mo. 373; Houck v. Erisbee, 66 Mo. App. 16. (3) The court may construe contracts, but neither the court nor the jury have power to vary or add to the agreement, nor to make a different agreement from that made by the parties. Thornton'v. Royce, 56 Mo. App. 179; Beatie v. Coal Oo., 56 Mo. App. 222; Wood v. Bobbst, 56 Mo. App. 427. (4) The instructions given by the court are inconsistent, contradictory, repugnant, in conflict with each other, and so irreconcilable as to fail to direct the jury in their verdict, or to enable them to reach a correct-conclusion. Martinowsky v. Hannibal, 35 Mo. App. 70; Stone v. Hunt, 94 Mo. 475; Erank v. Railroad, 57 Mo. App. 181; Evers v. Shumaker, 57 Mo. App. 454; State v. Herrel, 97 Mo. 106. (5) The court erred, in admitting parol evideuce which, tended to contradict, add to, subtract from, control or vary the written guarantee admitted in evidence, at the instance of defendant. Tracy v. Iron Works, 104 Mo. 193; Johnson Co. v. Wood, 84 Mo. 489. And in admitting parol evidence of prior statements or representations made in conversations antecedent to or contemporaneous with the written guarantee and pedigree. Tracy v. Iron Works, supra; Bignall v. Mfg. Co., 59 Mo. App. 673; Walker v. Engler, 30 Mo. 130; Bank v. Cushman, 66 Mo. App. 102. The writings, being free from uncertainty as to the object and extent of their respective engagements, all antecedent and contemporaneous declarations by either party are conclusively presumed to have been merged in the written guarantee. Broughton v. Null, 56 Mo.. App. 231; Hagar v. Hagar, 71 Mo. 610; Chrisman v. Hodges, 75 Mo. 413; Bank v. Cushman, supra; Mfg. Co. v. Lumber & Hardware Co., 81 Mo. App. 255. (1) The uncontradicted evidence showed the jack was worthless for any purpose and the consideration for note had entirely failed. R. S. 1899, sec. 645; Brown v. Welden & Lankford, 27 Mo. App. 251; Brown v. Weldon, 99 Mo. 564; AYerner v. O’Brien, 40 Mo. App. 483; Lee v. Saddlery Co., 38 Mo. App. 201; Water Co. v. Bathe, 41 Mo. App. 285; Grisby v. Stapleton, 94 Mo. 423; Compton v. Parsons, 76 Mo. 455; Danforth & Co. v. Orookshanks, 68 Mo. App. 311; Miller & Go. v. Hunter, 3 Mo. App. Rep. No. 4, p. 174; Moomaw v. Emerson, 80 Mo. App. 320. (2) The uncontradicted evidence was that Colyer had been compelled to take the jack back in the fall of 1896 from the party to whom he sold because of failure to breed properly, which was concealed from defendant when he purchased, that before defendant purchased Colyer represented the jack to be a good breeder on which defendant relied. So the note being obtained by fraud was void and without consideration. Wannell v. Kem, 57 Mo. 478; Brown v. North, 21 Mo. 528; Comings v. Leedy, 114 Mo. 454; Cahn v. Reid & Bungardt, 18 Mo. App. 115; Saunders v. McOlintock, 46 Mo. App. 216; Becraft v. Grist, 52 Mo. App. 586; Bank v. Crandall, 87 Mo. 208; Brooking v. Shinn, 25 Mo. App. 277; Burnham & Co. v. Ellmore, 66 Mo. App. 617. And it was sufficient if the false representations of Colyer was one of the moving causes to induce Anderson to purchase the jack. Burnham & Co-, v. Ellmore, 66 Mo. App. 617; Saunders v. McOlintock, 46 Mo. App. 216; Becraft, v. Grist, 52 Mo. App. 586. (3) In action on written contract where defense is fraud or failure of consideration, parol evidence is always admissible to establish such defense. Hacker v. Brown, 81 Me. 68; Squier v. Evans, 127 Mo. 515; Brown v. Emerson, 66 Mo. App. 63; Liebke v. Methudy, 14 Mo. App. 65; Phelps v. Whitaker, 37 Mich. 72; Richards v. Puller, 37 Mich. 161; Gooch v. Conner, 8 Mo. 391. (4) The court did not err in refusing instructions 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as asked by plaintiff, as they plainly ignored the defense that defendant set up and the uncontradicted evidence in the case. (5) Instruction 3 given for plaintiff even as modified by the court was more than plaintiff was entitled to. The exclusion of evidence by said instructions 2 and 3 leaves plaintiff no ground to complain. The jury could not have been misled by evidence of witnesses- as to what would be a reasonable number of mares to serve. Durant v. Mining Co., 97 Mo. 62; Griffith v. Hanks, 91 Mo. 109; Stephens v. Railway, 96 Mo. 207; Wright v. Gillespie & Co., 43 Mo. App. 244. (6) Even if the instructions were erroneous or conflicting — which is not admitted — the verdict being based on ample evidence, the judgment was for the right party and should be affirmed; no material error against plaintiff affecting the merits was committed. R. S. 1899, sec. 865; Sawyers v. Drake, 34 Mo. App. 472; Imp. Co. v. Ritchie, 143 Mo. 587, 609; Otto v. Bent, 48 Mo. 23; Keen v. Schnedler, 92 Mo. 516; Eitzgerald v. Barker, 96 Mo. 661; Bushey v. Glenn, 107 Mo. 331; Macfarland v. Heim, 127 Mo. 327; Greer v. Bank, 128 Mo. 575; Tower v. Panley, 76 Mo. App. 289. (7) The written statement signed by Colyer and given defendant at the time of the purchase amounted to a warranty that the jack was suitable and fit for the purpose intended. Smithers v. Bircher, 2 Mo. App. 499; Long Bros. v. Armsby & Co., 43 Mo. App. 253, 268; Johnson v. Sproull, 50 Mo. App. 121; Zinn v. Hyatt, 60 Mo. App. 627; Anthony v. Potts, 63 Mo. App. 517; Danforth v. Orookshanks, 68 Mo. App. 316; Comings v. Leedy, 114 Mo. 478; Carter v. Black, 46 Mo. 384; Barker v. Scudder, 56 Mo. 272; Williams v. Railway, 153 Mo. 534.