Continental Jewelry Co. v. May

Citation162 Miss. 873,140 So. 525
Decision Date28 March 1932
Docket Number29914
CourtUnited States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
PartiesCONTINENTAL JEWELRY CO. v. MAY

Division B

APPEAL from circuit court of Newton county, HON. D. W ANDERSON Judge.

Action by the Continental Jewelry Company against J A. May. Judgment for defendant, and plaintiff appeals. Affirmed.

Affirmed.

O. B. Triplett, Jr., of Forest, for appellant.

The order form in itself is full, complete and definite in its description of the merchandise ordered.

Price v. Atkinson, 117 Mo.App. 52, 94 S.W. 816; Price v. Weisner, 83 Kan. 343, 111 P. 439; Price v. Stipek, 39 Mont. 426, 104 P. 195; 55 C. J. 195, 406 and 408.

If the number and quality of the article ordered are given, the law will supply a reasonable price.

55 C. J., p. 224, section 181.

If the quality find price are given, the law will not allow the contract to fail "unless it is impossible from the terms of the contract or means provided to ascertain what quantity the parties have contracted to buy or sell."

55 C. J., p. 195, sec. 149.

If the quantity and price of the goods or articles ordered is given, the quality will be implied by a reasonable construction.

The contract must also be definite and certain as to quality of the goods or articles, except where they are sold without agreement as to quality.

55 C. J., p. 195, section 148.

Where a purchaser signs a contract containing the statement that no outside representations have been made and that it contains all the agreements of the parties, such purchaser cannot show statements made by the agent with whom he was dealing which are not embraced in the written contract and his failure to read the contract will not change the rule.

J. B. Colt Co. v. Odom, 101 So. 853, 136 Miss. 651; J. B. Colt Co. v. McCullough, 105 So. 744, 141 Miss. 328; Stevens v. Stanley, 121 So. 814, 153 Miss. 801; Fresno Home Packing Co. v. A. J. Lyon & Co., 53 So. 585, 98 Miss. 228; Tropical Paint Co. v. Mangum, 125 So. 248, 155 Miss. 896; Orgill Bros. & Co. v. Polk, 124, So. 649, 155 Miss. 492; Perrault v. White Sewing Machine Co., 127 So. 271, 157 Miss. 167; Brenard Mfg. Co. v. Sumrall, 104 So. 160, 139, Miss. 507; 22 C. J., p. 1217.

R. H. Day and J. V. Carr, both of Decatur, for appellee.

The rule is well settled that the memorandum must contain the substantial terms of the contract expressed with such certainty that they may be understood from the contract iself, or some other writing to which it refers, without resorting to parol evidence.

Waul v. Kirkman, 27 Miss. 823.

The order is so vague and indefinite as to the description of the articles described therein that it would take parol testimony to explain just what kind and quality of goods were ordered, and what kind of goods were shipped.

The order does not contain sufficient descriptions of the goods to constitute a binding contract and avoid the statute of frauds.

Kerwin v. Biglane, 110 So. 232; Scherck v. Moyse, 94 Miss. 259, 48 So. 513; Willis v. Ellis, 98 Miss. 197, 53 So. 498; Fisher v. Kuhn, 54 Miss. 480; McGuire v. Stevens, 42 Miss. 724; Giglio v. Saia, 140 Miss. 769, 106 So. 513; Sturm v. Dent, 107 So. 277.

OPINION

Griffith, J.

Appellee gave a written order to appellant purporting to be for the purchase of an assortment of jewelry. When the jewelry, which appellant asserted to be that which conformed to the order, was shipped, appellee upon examination of the shipment refused to accept delivery, on the ground that the articles did not correspond to the samples which were exhibited at the time of the signing of the order. Appellant thereupon sued appellee on the written contract, that is to say, on the aforesaid written order, and the trial resulted in a judgment for the defendant therein.

Appellee, the defendant in the trial court, raised the point that the alleged order was not a contract, but was in effect only an order blank. To disclose the facts upon which the point is made, we will set forth some of the several items of the order. The only descriptions of the goods ordered are, for instance, as follows:

Brooeches 1/3 Doz. Fancy Assorted

Per Doz.

$ 3.60 Am't $ 1.20

Bracelets 1/4 Doz. Fancy Selected

Per Doz.

$ 13.20 Am't $ 3.30

Bar Pins 1/4 Doz. Assorted

Per Doz.

$ 1.80 Am't $ .45

Emblems 1/6 Doz. Charms

Per Doz.

$ 24.00 Am't $ 2.00

Men's Chains 1/4 Doz. Assorted

Per Doz.

$ 7.20 Am't $ 1.80

There are about twenty-five different classes of jewelry, but, so far as the particular descriptions were concerned, the five above mentioned are illustrative of the entire order. No catalogue numbers are given, nor were other descriptive references made. It at once appears, therefore, that the written order does not show either on its face or by means of any descriptive reference whether, for instance, the articles were to be of gold or of silver, or whether solid or plated. In fact, only the quantity and price are given, and the description of the articles, save that they are to be brooches, bracelets, bar pins, emblems, men's chains etc., is entirely wanting.

In a suit upon a written contract for the sale of goods, it is essential that...

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4 cases
  • McArthur v. Fillingame
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • March 6, 1939
    ......649, 155 Miss. 492;. Welford & Withers v. Arnold, 140 So. 220, 162 Miss. 786; Cox v. Timlake, 153 So. 794, 169 Miss. 568;. Continental Jewelry Co. v. May, 140 So. 525, 162. Miss. 873; State Highway Dept. v. Duckworth, 172 So. 148, 178 Miss. 35; Watkins v. Poag, 112 So. 473, 154. ......
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    • United States
    • Court of Appeals of Texas
    • April 7, 1948
    ...Price v. Atkinson, 117 Mo.App. 52, 94 S.W. 816; Durkee Famous Foods v. Selig Co., 48 Ga.App. 711, 172 S.E. 824; Continental Jewelry Co. v. May, 162 Miss. 873, 140 So. 525; Consolidated Flour Mills Co. v. Nunn, 122 Okl. 222, 254 P. Appellee did allege in his supplemental petition that he agr......
  • McCraney v. McLaurin
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • March 28, 1932
  • McCraney v. McLaurin
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • March 28, 1932
    ...in evidence. [162 Miss. 902] There was a verdict for the defendant, and judgment accordingly, from which this appeal is prosecuted. [140 So. 525] The action of replevin is founded on the right to possession at the time of the institution of the suit. At the time this suit was instituted, un......

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