Citation Numbers: 80 Fla. 531
Judges: Browne, Ellis, Taylor, West, Whitfield
Filed Date: 10/11/1920
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 11/7/2024
The defendant in error as plaintiff below brought an action against Adolph Steinhardt for damages for breach of an implied warranty in the sale of certain feeding stuff called Rice Bran. The first count was the common count for money received by the defendant for use of the plaintiff. The second count alleged that the defendant sold to the plaintiff 285 sacks of rice bran knowing that the plaintiff intended to resell it in the State of Florida, that the plaintiff paid for the same and after-wards it was discovered that the bran contained' rice hulls and was. under the law of Florida not salable in this State, and the bran was seized by the State and the plaintiff sustained the loss. The third count alleged that the plaintiff was engaged in the business of selling to merchants certain commercial feeding'stuffs which the defendant knew, but sold' and shipped to the plaintiff certain commercial feeding stuffs alleged to be rice bran; that plaintiff received it and paid for it, but later it was discovered to contain rice hulls, and at the time of the sale the law of Florida prohibited the sale of commercial feeding -s-tuffs containing rice hulls. That it was seized by the State of Florida and was lost to the plaintiff. That the plaintiff was neither an importer, manufacturer or manipulator' who mixed commercial feeding stuffs for sale.
The first plea to the second and third counts averred that the parties had agreed to settle by arbitration “any differences” arising from the transaction. Demurrer to this plea was sustained. --The plea was bad because “any differences” is a term broad enough to include a difference arising upon the question of right to maintain an action for breach of the contract. Such an agreement is invalid as attempting to oust the courts of their jurisdiction. See Hanover Fire Ins. Co. v. Lewis, 28 Fla. 209, 10 South. Rep. 297.
Pleas numbered from three to ten inclusive averred: That the plaintiff purchased a larger amount of the article than that mentioned in the declaration, accepted the full amount, and after full opportunity of inspection sold all of it except that mentioned in the declaration and paid for the entire amount purchased; that the plaintiff knew or could have known by the exercise of due diligence the ingredients of the feed stuff. The fifth plea is substantially the same as the third as to retaining and selling the goods after opportunity for inspection; that the goods were purchased under a complete description and specification, and met in every particular the description and specification named in the contract; that the goods were sold under a complete specification and express warranty which the “goods met in every particular.” The eighth
A demurrer to these pleas was sustained.
The defense presented by the pleas was that the plaintiff had full opportunity to examine the feeding stuff, could have by due diligence ascertained that it contained rice hulls, was notified by his contract with the defendant that it contained rice hulls, but accepted the same, paid for it and sold it in the State in violation of law.
The declaration specifically alleged that the mixture contained “Rice Hulls” which rendered it non-salable in Florida. The sixth and seventh pleas averred that the mixture was sold under a “complete specification and express warranty, which specification and express warranty the goods met in every particular.” The sixth plea uses the words “description and specification” in place of the words “specification and express warranty.”
The important central fact of the case as made by the declaration was that the mixture contained rice hulls. That one ingredient rendered the mixture unsalable in Florida. The pleas which must be taken to admit the material allegations not denied averred that the mixture was sold to the plaintiff under a “complete description and specification and that the goods met in every particular the 'description and specification set forth in the contract of sale.” The pleas could bear no other construction than that the plaintiff bought the feed stuff with full knowledge that, it contained rice hulls. ■ If the 'plaintiff had such knowledge, bought the: feed--stuff under such a
Treating the declaration as one upon an express warranty that the article sold was “Rice Bran” and not a mixture of “Rice Bran and Rice Hulls,” which latter is of no value as an article of merchandise, while the former is of much value, the issue tendered by other pleas, that the plaintiff had an opportunity to inspect the article and ascertain the fact of the presence of the ingredient rendering it of no value ás an article of merchandise in Florida, was immaterial and constituted no defense, as the purchaser had a right to rely upon the express warranty.
The demurrer to the sixth and seventh pleas should have been overruled.
The judgment is therefore reversed.