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19 Johns. 77

Vibbard & Abbott v. Johnson

New York Supreme Court

Decided May 15, 1821

New York Supreme Court · decided 1821-05-15

An action was brought by Johnson, in the Court below, against Vibbard <£• Abbott, for a chest of tea sold and delivered. At the trial, it was proved, that in April. 1815, Abbott applied to Johnson for a chest of tea, and desired /« to let him have it, and account to Noah Vibbard for it. J. refused, tellihg A. that if he took it, he must pay him for it. A. then agreed to take the tea.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1821-05-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 7 later decisions — most recently April 1884

6 state decisions

401821183018401850186018701880decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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Spencer, Ch. J.

¶1delivered the opinion of the Court.

¶2There is no doubt that in every sale of a chattel for a sound price, there is a tacit and implied warranty that the vendor is the owner and has a right to sell. If, therefore, after the sale by Johnson N. Vibbard had asserted his right to the chest of tea, by suing the defendants and recovering, this would have been a good defence to the action: and if the recovery was subsequent to the trial of the cause between these parties, it would have furnished a good cause of, action on the implied warranty.

¶3The defendants have seen fit to satisfy JY. Vibbard for the tea, and now to set up his title in this action ; but this they have no right to do. The plaintiff below being in possession of the tea, sold it, as his property, to the defendants. (Kennedy v. Strong, 14 Johns. Rep. 15.) They cannot, in this way, draw the plaintiff’s title in question, by their own voluntary act of payment. It. is not competent to them to dispute the title of their vendor, unless they have been charged at the suit of another person, who has, after contestation, shown a better title. The principle is analogous to a demise of a house by A., who is in possession, claiming title, to B. The latter receives the possession, and enjoys the premises by the permission, and on the letting of A. In an action for the rent, B. cannot set up that A. has nothing in the premises, and that he has paid the rent to C. voluntarily. If C. had recovered the rent, and substantiated his title, then it would be a good defence¿ otherwise, not.

¶4Judgment affirmed.

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