Majority
Headnote
1. Action (§ 60[2] )—Joinder—Severance—Dismissal as to One.At the close of the plaintiff’s case on motion of counsel for the defendants, the court dismissed the complaint as against the defendant Seine Robinson. The plaintiff does not seek to review that dismissal on this appeal; but he contends that, if the judgment be reversed and a new trial be granted as against the other defendant, the judgment for costs in favor of the defendant Seine Robinson should also be reversed. It appears that the action is brought on a liability of the copartnership firm of G. Robinson & Son. It is alleged in the complaint that G. Robinson died, and that the defendant Seine Robinson is now a member of the firm. There is no allegation or proof that she was a member of the firm at the time the liability arose, or that she assumed the obligations of the firm, but it appears that she answered jointly with the other defendant, and therefore by the express provisions of section 3229 of the Code of Civil Procedure, if the plaintiff recovered in the action, she would not have been entitled to-costs. If the dismissal of the complaint as against her ipso facto constituted a severance of the action, or the true construction of said section 3229 be that it has reference to the rights of the parties as they appear at the time judgment is originally entered, then doubtless the judgment may be permitted to stand in her favor unaffected by subsequent proceedings. We have held that where the cause of action is severable and the parties might be severally liable and the complaint is dismissed as to one defendant, and there is a disagreement as to the others, the one in whose favor the complaint was dismissed may enter judgment on the theory that the motion of the court constitutes a severance of the action. Tanzer v. Breen, 131 App. Div. 654 , 116 N. Y. Supp. 110 . See, also, C. C. P. §§ 456-1204-1205, also Draper v. Interborough Rapid T. Co., 124 App. Div. 357 , 108 N. Y. Supp. 691 . Since, however, the parties answered jointly and the general rule is that only one judgment may be entered in an action at law, it would seem that the right of the respondent Seine Robinson to costs must ultimately depend on whether plaintiff succeeds in the action; but, of course, the dismis- ' sal as to her stands.
The action is on an assigned claim of the Kunst-Seide-Verkaufskon- .• tor, a limited liability corporation of Cologne, Germany, on a liability of the copartnership firm of G. Robinson & Son of New York City,
Prior to the 28th day of June, 1906, a verbal contract was made between the plaintiff’s assignor and defendants at the city of Cologne, by which the former agreed to sell, and the latter agreed to purchase, 5,000 kilos of artificial silk at the price of 15 marks per kilo, “to be delivered in part shipments as requested by the purchaser prior to the end of the year 1906,” and it was further agreed that, should the plaintiff’s assignor “reduce the price for artificial silk for America under similar conditions, such reduced price should be applied to the uncalled for balance of the order.” The sales agent of the plaintiff’s assignor also undertook to procure for said firm 1,500 kilos of meteor, which is artificial horsehair. There had been prior dealings between the parties. It is stated in the stipulated facts that on the 28th day of July, 1906— I presume the 28th day of June was intended-—the plaintiff’s assignor inclosed to defendants -by mail two sales memoranda with respect to the artificial silk and the meteor, in accordance with the parol agreement. These memoranda of sales and the stationery used by the plaintiff’s assignor in its correspondence with said firm contained a memorandum in German which in English is as follows:
“Cable address, Kimstseide. Lieber’s Code. ABC Code, Fifth Edition.”.
All cablegrams between the parties were in the cipher of the ABC Code, Fifth Edition. On the 13th day of July, 1906, the defendants cabled plaintiff’s assignor as follows:
“Majovquin can use ponsia each tubize blue la-bel piamater deepsome reeondes.”
This cablegram, when given the meaning of the code words, was as follows:
“The market appears to have collapsed. Can use 10 cases each tubize blue label. 13 marks. Immediate delivery. Reply immediately by A B C Code, 5th Edition.”
The word “piamater” meant, according to said code, 13 marks. On the day the cablegram was sent defendants wrote plaintiff’s assignor that the market appeared to have collapsed, and that they could “use 10 cases each tubize and blue label at M. 13. Immediate delivery. Reply immediately A B C Code, 5th Edition,” and expressed the hope that the offer would be accepted, inasmuch as the goods were being sold here for $2 per pound and had been offered lower, and that the cutting of prices was done by some of plaintiff’s assignor’s old customers. This letter was not delivered in Cologne until the 24th day of July, 1906. The cablegram was delivered to plaintiff’s assignor the next day after it was sent, and in it as delivered the word “pramater” was
“10 -cases blue label, 5 cases tubize to-day, 5 cases by steamer next week.”
On the 18th day of July plaintiff’s assignor wrote defendants with respect to the cablegram and this shipment, but did not refer to the riieaningless word in the cablegram. After receiving the cablegram of July 17th, and before the 35th of the same month, the defendants, relying thereon and expecting to receive, not only the 30 cases ordered by cable, but further consignments at 13 marks instead of 15 marks per kilo, contracted to sell 3,800 kilos of artificial silk. On July 35th the defendants cabled plaintiff’s assignor as follows:
“How and when were the goods shipped? Telegraph name of steamer. Repeat last order. You may ship by first steamer. Railing that by following."
The next day plaintiff’s assignor cabled defendants, referring to the cablegram containing the meaningless word, as follows:
“Cannot clearly understand eighth word in your cablegram. If important, please repeat it. Lowest price is M. 15. Telegraph what we are to do.”
The same day the defendants received another cablegram from plaintiff’s assignor as follows:
“Waiting reply to our cablegram.”
After the receipt of these cablegrams, defendants cabled as follows:
“Our letter of July 13th explains everything. Yesterday’s order to be executed as speedily as possible. We can arrange everything with Schuller”
-4-meaning plaintiff, who represented plaintiff’s assignor in the United States. The next day the defendants received an answer by cable as follows:
“Cannot execute orders because we cannot accept offer. Lowest possible price is fifteen. Must have definite answer.”
Thereupon defendants cabled as follows:
• “Your telegram to hand. Ship new order by cheap steamer.”
The shipments and invoices by the plaintiff’s assignor to the defendant after the making of the contract were as follows: On the 16th day of July plaintiff’s assignor shipped 1,000 kilos of artificial silk to defendant, and transmitted an invoice showing that it was billed at 15 marks per kilo, and that the total charge therefor, less 3 per cent, discount for cash within a month as provided in the contract, was 14,-560.60 marks; on the 19th day of July 504 kilos invoiced in like manner at 7,343.80 marks; on the 26th, 504 kilos invoiced at 7,343.80 marks; on August 2d, first shipment that day, 504 kilos invoiced at 7,-343.80 marks, second shipment 999.30 kilos invoiced at 15,034.74 marks, and on August 17th, 1507.50 kilos invoiced at 21,944.75 marks. We do not deem it important to determine under which particular orders these respective shipments were made; for, while the plaintiff claims that in any event he is entitled to recover for 500 kilos ordered by letter on July 9th at the rate of 15 marks per kilo for the reason that that order was manifestly under the contract, the deduction claimed by the defendant is on account of 3,800 kilos which he claims to have sold in reliance upon the cablegram of the plaintiff’s assign- or, which, in view of his cablegrams to which it was an answer, he understood to be a consent to sell to him the artificial silk at 13 marks per kilo, instead of 15. All of these invoices have been paid with the exception that the defendant in remitting has deducted two marks per kilo on 3,800 kilos and 30 per cent, of this deduction for duty on the theory that, if they had been billed at 13 marks instead of at 15 marks, the customhouse officers would have accepted that valuation, and the duty-on the 2 marks per kilo would have been saved, and also a discount of 3 per cent., being the cash discount provided for in the contract. On the 7th day of September the defendant remitted to plaintiff’s assignor a draft for 10,000 marks on account. There was then owing by defendant to plaintiff’s assignor, in addition to his liability for artificial silk, 15,725.05 -marks for meteor shipped on the 18th day of June the same year. On October 15th the defendant made a like remittance of 10,000 marks on account. On November 2d the defendant inclosed to plaintiff’s assignor a draft for 7,244.95 marks, and inclosed with it a statement of account in which he charged himself with 15,725.05 marks for the meteor shipped on June 18th, and 14,560.60 marks being for the invoice of artificial silk July 16th, making a total of 30,285.65 marks, and he credited himself with 3,040.70 marks, therein stated to consist of 488.70 marks for an alleged overcharge of 1 mark per kilo on. the meteor and discount thereon, 30 marks for an alleged extra charge on short shipment, 1,940 marks being 2 marks per kilo on said invoice less the discount, and 582 marks being for the duty alleged to have been overpaid at the rate of 30 per cent, on 1,940
On the 21st of January plaintiff’s assignor wrote defendant, acknowledging the receipt of the draft- for 5,799 marks, and in its letter stated, “We regret that we cannot accede to your deduction of M. 3,248.70 and refer with respect to this to ours of December 12th, 1906,” in which it had asserted the correctness of its claim as already stated. On the 23d of January the defendant inclosed a draft to plaintiff’s assignor for 8,000 marks, and with it a letter as follows:
“We Inclose draft for M. 8,000 in full settlement to August 17th inclusive. Please acknowledge receipt and oblige.”
No statement of account appears to have been inclosed with this remittance, but it is manifest that it had reference to the 8,000 marks shown as a balance on the account inclosed with the remittance of January 9th, and which defendant had promised to send the next week. The draft itself contained no condition, and it does not appear when it was used by plaintiff’s assignor. It is important to note that this letter inclosing the draft in “full settlement to August 17th, inclusive,” is somewhat indefinite with respect to what it was intended to be in full settlement of, and it did not pointedly inform plaintiff’s assignor that it was only at liberty to accept and use the draft on condition that it waive all claims or any particular claim it had against the defendant. It is further important to note that the parties concededly had had considerable correspondence concerning this and two other claims to which reference will be made presently, and that at no time did the defendant assert a right or take a decided stand to the effect that he was entitled to these deductions and that he would not yield, otherwise than by making these countercharges, and it appears that for four months after this time there were negotiations between the parties personally or through their agents and by correspondence with respect to the balance claimed by plaintiff’s assignor to be due, and at no time until the service of an amended answer herein did the defendant claim that there had been an accord and satisfaction by this remittance and letter; but, on the contrary, he consented to confer with plaintiff’s assignor and to call at its place of business in Cologne with a view to negotiating a settlement of the controversy, which appointment, however, he appears to have been unable to keep, and, when the plaintiff’s assignor again wrote him with reference to its claim, he failed to answer the letter, and thereupon this action was brought.
It is to be noted, also, that the letter inclosing the draft, the use of which by plaintiff’s assignor is now claimed to have been an accord and satisfaction,, requested an acknowledgment of its receipt. It appears that plaintiff’s assignor pursuant to this request for an acknowledgment of the receipt promptly on receiving the draft wrote the defendant on February 4th, acknowledging the receipt of the draft, and in its letter, referring to the receipt of the draft, said, “which we have credited to your account.” There is some room for argument under the decisions of the Court of Appeals in Nassoiy v. Tomlinson, 148 N. Y. 326 , 42 N. E. 715 , 51 Am. St. Rep. 695 , and Fuller v. Kemp, 138 N. Y. 231 , 33 N. E. 1034 , 20 L. R. A. 785 , that the acceptance and use of the draft constituted an accord and satisfaction with respect to the claim of plaintiff’s assignor to recover 2 marks per kilo on the 1,288 kilos of the invoices in payment for which that remittance was made, but upon no theory can it be even plausibly contended that it constituted an accord and satisfaction with respect to the plaintiff’s claim concerning the remaining 2,512 kilos, and we are of opinion that it did not constitute an accord and satisfaction at all, at least not as matter of law, and that, at most, a question concerning the claim with reference to the 1,288 kilos was presented as to the intention and under
In view of these facts and the way the matter was regarded by both parties after the alleged accord and satisfaction, it cannot be maintained that as matter of law there was any accord and satisfaction, and I am inclined to the opinion that it should be declared as matter’of law that there was none; but it is possible that with respect to the claim concerning the 1,288 kilos there may be a question for the jury as to whether the minds of the parties met on an agreement that the acceptance and use of the draft should constitute a settlement of that
Concurrence
Another question arises with respect to the right of the plaintiff to recover for the 2,000 kilos ordered by the cablegram in the transmission of which a mistake was made, and with respect to the defendant’s claim that he was justified not only in selling 2,000- kilos of artificial silk on the expectation that he would receive it at 13 marks per kilo, but that he was entitled to the reduction on the 3,800 kilos which he had sold before he learned that the plaintiff’s assignor would not ship at 13 marks per kilo. We are of opinion that as matter of law the plaintiff can only recover on the basis of 13 marks per kilo for the 2,-000 kilos, for his assignor should have discovered the full meaning of the cablegram before notifying the defendant that it would make the shipments. It should have been put upon its guard by the reference in the cablegram to the fact that the market was falling. The fact that the defendant had contracted to take 5,000 kilos of the artificial silk at 15 marks per kilo during the remainder of the year does not affect the question. The defendant was not obliged to order any goods at that particular time, and, when he made sales relying upon its cablegram in answer to his, he had a right to assume that it received the cablegram in an intelligible form, or that it would have asked to have it repeated or have communicated with him. He was therefore justified in assuming that the plaintiff’s assignor consented to make the shipments on the terms of his order. The claim of the defendant, however; to the effect that he was justified in selling more than the 2,000 kilos on the strength of the cablegram from the plaintiff’s assignor that it woul4 ship the 2,000 kilos, is untenable as matter of law, and therefore the plaintiff was entitled to recover on account of the 1,800 kilos.
It follows that the exceptions should be sustained and a new trial-granted, with costs to plaintiff to abide the event.
McLAUGHLIN and SCOTT, JJ„ concur.
I concur in the opinion of Mr. Justice LAUGHLIN, except in so far as he holds that the transaction as stated
' I also differ from him with respect to the right of the plaintiff to recover- for the 2,000 kilos ordered by -the cablegram. I think the plaintiff was entitled to recover the full 15 marks per kilo for all the merchandise delivered. The defendants adopted this method of giving their order. The price- fixed by the contract between the parties was 15- marks per kilo; and the telegram as delivered to the plaintiff’s assignor contained no limitation as to price.
The views I entertain, however, require a reversal of the judgment, and I therefore concur.
Cases cited
- Nassoiy v. Tomlinson 148 N. Y. 326 p. 887
- Fuller v. Kemp 138 N. Y. 231 p. 887
- Bolen v. Crosby 49 N. Y. 183 p. 888
- Bloomington Mining Co. v. Brooklyn Hygienic Ice Co. 58 App. Div. 66 at 68 p. 888
- Eames Vacuum Brake Co. v. Prosser 157 N. Y. 289 p. 889
- Laroe v. Sugar Loaf Dairy Co. 180 N. Y. 367 p. 889
- Komp v. Raymond 175 N. Y. 102 p. 889
- Strock v. Brigantine Transp. Co. 23 Misc. Rep. 358 p. 889