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121 Mass. 278

Swift v. Hall

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided November 21, 1876

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1876-11-21

Contract, against John W. Hall and Joseph S. Hubbard, as owners of the schooner J. E. Comegys, on an account annexed, for materials and supplies furnished and services rendered to said schooner. Hubbard was defaulted. Trial in the Superior Court, before WilMnson, J., without a jury, who allowed a bill of exceptions, in substance as follows: The defendant Hall owned fifteen sixteenths of the schooner and Hubbard the other sixteenth.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1897

1 state decisions

Relies on Reynolds v. Toppan

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1876-11-21

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Gray, C. J.

¶1The only difficulty in this case arises from the way in which the bill of exceptions states the terms of the agreement between Hubbard, the master and the owner of one sixteenth of the vessel, and Hall, the other part-owner. It clearly appears that Hubbard was to have the vessel for an indefinite period and to employ her as he chose, and was to victual and man her and to pay the port charges, and that the net earnings were to be equally divided between himself and Hall. The charter being oral, Hall’s testimony was competent to prove its terms, and to show that necessary repairs of the vessel, either in hull, anchors or sails, were to be paid for “ out of the owners’ part of the earnings; ” and the bill of exceptions, by the manner in which it states the testimony, and afterwards refers to “ the aforesaid facts,” shows that this fact was assumed by the judge to be proved as testified to by Hall.

¶2The necessary conclusion of law is, that, while the owners would not be responsible upon the master’s contracts with shippers of goods, nor for provisions or supplies required to enable the vessel to prosecute her voyage, they were liable for necessary repairs upon the vessel herself. Reynolds v. Toppan, 15 Mass. 370. Urann v. Fletcher, 1 Gray, 125. Baker v. Huckins, 5 Gray, 596. The ruling of the court, which allowed the plaintiffs to recover, without proof of special authority, only for the materials and services which were necessary to relieve the vessel from her peril, was therefore correct. Exceptions overruled.

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