Majority
two actions were brought by Harry Siskin, doing business as the Angeles Furniture Manufacturing Company, to recover the possession of certain furniture in the possession of defendant Dembroff in the one case, and certain other furniture in the possession of defendant Rosengarten in the other ease, or the value thereof, if recovery of the furniture could not be had. Discount Corporation of California, a Delaware corporation, intervened in each case, claiming ownership of the furniture. It was stipulated by ¿11 parties that, since the matters in both of the cases were handled as practically one transaction, testimony in one case will be taken as testimony in the other case, the eases, however, not being consolidated, and the eases were tried together on the same evidence. The cases were tried without a jury and the trial court gave judgment for plaintiff in each case, from which judgments the intervener appeals. The appeals are presented on a bill of exceptions. The following matters are undisputed: That plaintiff manufactured certain furniture and delivered some of it to an apartment house held by Dembroff and the remainder to an apartment house held by Rosengarten; that plaintiff sold the furniture to S. A. Baker, doing business under the name of Adams Furniture Company, who in turn sold part of it to Dembroff, and part of it to Rosengarten under conditional sales contracts in writing; that said conditional sales contracts were assigned by the Adams Furniture Company to the intervener and the intervener held them at the time of trial; that -there were no issues as to the value of the furniture or damage. Proof of other facts was received in evidence, some of which proof is conflicting and some of which appellant contends is too weak and unsatisfactory to be considered by the trial court. Such proof includes evidence of the following facts adduced through the testimony of plaintiff, his daughter, his son, and one W.
Appellant contends that the trial court erred in such decision in that, first, the trial court erroneously admitted in evidence certain testimony on which its decision was based; second, the findings of the trial court are not supported by the evidence; and third, the findings of the trial court, as a matter of law, do not support the court’s decision.
In support of its first contention appellant claims that the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of conversations relating to, and conversations constituting, the oral agreement between plaintiff and Baker as set forth in the statement of facts above, and particularly with reference to the reservation of title to the furniture by plaintiff. Appellant objected to the introduction of these conversations in evidence on the ground that they were “outside the
However, appellant contends that the trial court must have based its decision on this evidence. But we are of the opinion that there is ample other evidence upon which the trial court could have based its decision, so far - as it affects appellant. Isadore Siskin testified to the effect that, before any of the furniture was delivered by plaintiff, he went with Baker to appellant’s office to get a copy of a letter from appellant to Baker, which had been exhibited to the witness, which letter stated in part that appellant would purchase from Baker the conditional sales contracts between him and Dembroff and Rosengarten “after the furniture is delivered in the apartment houses, and evidence is presented to us that the merchandise bills have been paid”; that in appellant’s office on that occasion, Isadore Siskin obtained from & E. Powell, Jr., vice-president and general manager of appellant, a copy of said letter and talked with Powell about the transaction, stating to Powell, in substance, that plaintiff was selling the furniture to Baker on a conditional sales contract and plaintiff was retaining title until the furniture was paid for; that Powell answered that he knew that, and he said it was all right with him; that he would pay plaintiff when the goods were delivered and installed. This witness testified that, later, he telephoned to Powell, stating that plaintiff was ready to send the furniture and asked if he (Powell) remembered plaintiff’s arrangement that plaintiff expected to be paid before the title was turned over; and that Powell answered: “That is all right, that is the way it goes; it is perfectly all right, Mr. Siskin, send
At the trial plaintiff introduced his exhibit No. 2, consisting of a number of invoices containing certain printed matter to the effect that title remained in plaintiff until the full purchase price has been paid. These invoices were admitted over appellant’s objection that they were incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial and that no foundation for their admission had been made and no authority for them shown. The trial court admitted them for the limited purposes of “bringing home notice” to parties other than appellant, and in corroboration of the fact that arrangements had been made between plaintiff and such other parties to have title reserved in plaintiff. As stated above, some of the witnesses testified that a form of such special invoice was shown to Baker and Dembroff during the negotiations for the sale from plaintiff to Baker. It is not contended that such printed matter on said invoices is evidence of any reservation of title. Appellant contends that
In cross-examining witness Dembroff, counsel for plaintiff asked the following question: “Who are you holding title for?” The witness answered that he was holding title for Mr. Samuel P. Bard. Mr. Bard’s connection with the case does not clearly appear from the record. Counsel for appellant contends, however, that his general objection to the question should have been sustained because the facts sought to be elicited (the titles of Dembroff and Rosengartcn) were not within the issues, and the disclosure of such facts could only have been sought with the idea of creating in the mind of the court an impression that there was an attempt to withhold facts that should have been disclosed to the court. If this evidence was inadmissible it was harmless error and could not have affected the rights of appellant. The reviewing court cannot assume that the trial court allowed itself to be prejudiced against appellant by such a question and answer, and there is no showing of prejudice to the appellant’s rights.
Appellant contends that the oral contract between plaintiff and Baker, wherein it was claimed by respondent the reservation of title in plaintiff was provided for, is invalid under the statute of frauds. It is conceded the agreement was for the sale of personal property of the value of more than $200. Such an oral contract would be invalid unless it comes within at least one of the exceptions prescribed by law. In respondent’s brief on appeal, respondent takes the position that there was a sufficient memorandum in writing to take the contract out of the statute, and refers to plaintiff’s exhibit No. 3, which is a written order listing the furniture to be manufactured by plaintiff, and this document was signed “The Adams Furn. Shop, by S.
Appellant next contends that the findings of the trial court are not supported by the evidence. The first
Appellant urges that, if there was a reservation of title, we may be sure that plaintiff would have provided for it in the usual way by making a written agreement to that effect. There is no such legal requirement. A verbal contract for the sale of personal property, when the seller retains the legal title conditional upon full payment of the purchase price, is valid, if not otherwise in contravention of the statute of frauds (Shook v. Levi, 240 Fed. 121 ; Wise v. Collins, 121 Cal. 147 [ 53 Pac. 640 ]).
Another finding of the trial court which is objected to is one to the effect that, at different times before appellant purchased the contracts from Baker, plaintiff notified appellant of the conditions under which the furniture was being manufactured and sold and that title was to remain in plaintiff until the full amount of the purchase price had been paid to him and that the title of said
The trial court further found in substance that appellant never was at any time the owner of said furniture or any part thereof, or any right, title or interest therein or “right to the title thereof’’, and appellant contends such finding is not supported by the evidence. Appellant argues that the authorization by plaintiff of a resale by Baker of the furniture and a sale of the resale contracts was in effect a waiver by plaintiff of his reservation of title and of his notice to appellant of such reservation of title. Section 1142 of the Civil Code of California, which
Appellant cites in support of his contention last mentioned the following language from California Jurisprudence, volume 22, page 1118: “Although the parties to the contract agreed that title should remain in the seller, a reference to elemental principles leads to the conclusion that rights may be acquired by third persons who have extended credit to or dealt with the buyer relying upon the latter’s possession and apparent ownership, and without knowledge or notice as to the state of the title.” This correctly states the rule therein discussed, but it does not apply to the facts of the instant case because, as stated above, appellant was not “without knowledge or notice as to the state of the
Appellant cites section 3543 of the Civil Code of California, which provides that “Where one of two innocent persons must suffer by the act of a third, he, by whose negligence it happened, must be the sufferer”; and reasons that appellant has suffered through plaintiff’s negligence in extending to Baker the limited authority above mentioned. However, under the evidence in the case, the trial court might well have found, and no doubt did conclude, that the loss occurred through the negligence of Powell, vice-president and manager of appellant, in paying the money for the furniture to Baker instead of to plaintiff, with full knowledge of the reservation of title in plaintiff. Where the person claiming under the buyer had full knowledge as to the state of title the question of estoppel of the owner by reason of his negligence is not presented (Lowe v. Woods, 100 Cal. 408 [ 38 Am. St. Rep. 301 , 34 Pac. 959 ]; Pacific Finance Corp. v. Hendley, 103 Cal. App. 335 , 339 [ 284 Pac. 736 ]).
Under appellant’s third main contention, namely, that the findings of the trial court as a matter of law do not support the court’s decision, appellant advances the argument that, even if the evidence objected to was validly admitted and the findings objected to were amply sustained, still plaintiff is not entitled to recover, for the reason that, ° where the original seller gives his purchaser actual authority to resell the goods and to sell the resale contracts, the purchaser of
We know of no California cases, and none has been cited by appellant or respondent, which directly support or refute appellant’s contention last above mentioned, and apparently the exact question has never been determined in any California authority. Appellant cites a note found in 47 American Law Beports, page 86, wherein the author of said note does conclude from the cases previously cited therein (none of them being from this jurisdiction) that “it is not necessary that he (the subvendee) be a bona fide purchaser for value any more than if he had purchased directly from the conditional seller. In other words, the sale having taken place within the actual authority conferred upon the conditional buyer, title passes to the subvendee.” The author of the
In the view we take of this case, it is not necessary to determine appellant’s contention last above mentioned, because all of the numerous authorities cited in support of that contention indicate that such resale must have taken place within the actual authority conferred upon the conditional buyer, or title will not pass to the subvendee. From the evidence in this case it is apparent that the sale of the resale contracts to appellant by Baker was not within the actual authority conferred by plaintiff upon Baker. The authority conferred upon Baker by plaintiff was a very limited and restricted authority and it did not authorize Baker to actually transfer any title until the balance of the purchase price had been paid to plaintiff. The trial court evidently concluded, and, we believe, had ample evidence to conclude, that it was contemplated and agreed by all of the parties to the transaction, including Powell (acting for appellant) that, under no circumstances would any title pass from plaintiff until the balance of the purchase price had been paid to plaintiff. The evidence showed that plaintiff took every reasonable means to prevent the situation that arose. He and his son repeatedly notified Powell that plaintiff would not surrender title until he had received the balance of the purchase price, and the court found that Powell knew title was reserved in plaintiff. It would have been an easy matter for Powell to have paid the
We have failed to comment on other points and authorities cited in appellant’s briefs, as we think the principles contained therein have been covered under other points in the opinion.
Por the foregoing reasons we are of the opinion that the trial court did not commit any prejudicial errors in the admission of evidence, that the findings are supported by the evidence, and that the findings fully support the judgment.
Judgment affirmed.
Barnard, P. J., and Marks, J., concurred.
Cases cited
- Lampton v. Davis Standard Bread Co. 48 Cal. App. 116 at 119 p. 735
- Voorman v. Voight 46 Cal. 392 at 397 p. 735
- Olsen v. J. J. Jacobs Motor Co. 99 Cal. App. 423 at 433 p. 735
- Bancroft-Whitney Co. v. McHugh 166 Cal. 140 at 142 p. 740
- Wise v. Collins 121 Cal. 147 p. 740
- Marker v. Williams 39 Cal. App. 674 at 678, 679 p. 741
- Lowe v. Woods 100 Cal. 408 p. 743
- Pacific Finance Corp. v. Hendley 103 Cal. App. 335 at 339, at 338 p. 743, p. 744
- Rapp v. Fred W. Hauger Motors Co. 77 Cal. App. 417 at 421 p. 744
- Western States Acceptance Corp. v. Bank of Italy 104 Cal. App. 19 at 23 p. 744