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25 Misc. 408

Brown v. Hirschberg

City of New York Municipal Court

Decided December 15, 1898

City of New York Municipal Court · decided 1898-12-15

<p>Contracts — Agreement to repurchase unsold goods.</p> <p>Where a contract provides that the defendants would, at the end of the year, repurchase, at cost, from the plaintiff all goods purchased by him from defendants, the plaintiff meanwhile to work for the best interest of defendants, and the jury have found a substantial compliance with the contract upon the part of plaintiff, he is entitled to recover the purchase price of all goods of the defendants held by him at the expiration of the contract term.</p>

Decided 1898-12-15

Schuchman, J.

¶1The action is brought on a written contract, whereby the defendants agree to give Blair & Boatwright (the plaintiff’s assignors) the sole right of the sale of Hirschberg’s spectacles and eye-glasses, in the town of Danville, for the period of one year, and the plaintiff’s assignors agree thereby “to work in the interest of the Hirschberg Optical Co., and do all they can to increase sales of the Hirschberg’s spectacles and eyeglasses.”

¶2The written contract contains the two following provisions:

¶3*4091. In the event of a breach of this contract by Blair & Boat-wright (plaintiff’s assignors) in any particular, this contract shall become void.

¶4“ 2. At the expiration of twelve months, the said Hirschberg Optical Co. will purchase any goods in good condition, at what said Blair & Boatwright paid for said goods.”

¶5Blair & Boatwright had paid defendants for said goods and at the end of the year tendered defendants the balance remaining unsold and demanded payment of the amount, what they had paid therefor; but defendants refused payment, claiming that Blair & Boatwright had broken their contract, in that they did not work in the interest of the defendants and did not do all they could to increase sales, and that, therefore, they were not obligated under the contract.

¶6The controversy, thus arisen, was submitted to the jury by a proper charge and they found for plaintiff. The motion to dismiss at the end of plaintiff’s case was properly denied.

¶7The evidence shows, that plaintiff’s assignors substantially fulfilled their part of the contract, and the trial judge in his charge told the jury “ It is for you to determine whether plaintiff’s assignors did their duty in attempting to handle the goods of the defendants,” etc.

¶8There is sufficient evidence in the case to sustain the verdict and the same is not against the weight of evidence.

¶9Judgment and order appealed from is affirmed, with costs.

¶10McCarthy, J., concurs.

¶11Judgment and order affirmed, with costs.

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