Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

3 ND 220

Fahey v. Esterley Machine Co.

North Dakota Supreme Court

Decided March 21, 1893

North Dakota Supreme Court · decided 1893-03-21

Action by Patrick Fahey against the Esterley Harvesting Machine Company for a rescission of contract. Plaintiff had judgment, and from an order denying a new trial, defendant appeals. Where the warranty under which machinery is sold requires wi'itten notice to be given the vendor or its agents in case of breach, no action based on such breach is maintainable unless such notice has been given. Nicholas v. Wyman, 32 N. W. Rep. 258; Furneaux v. Esterly, 13 Pac.

Reversed · Decided 1893-03-21

¶1ON REHEARING.

¶2We have carefully considered the petition for rehearing, but are unable to agree to the view therein stated, and which appears -to have been the view of the learned trial judge. The contention in the petition is that sending out these experts was a waiver of the provision requiring notice to the company at the home office; or that a reasonable man would be justified in construing it as a waiver. They were sent out to remedy such defects as the company should decide to remedy, and not to make that decision for the company in any particular case. It was convenient and even necessary to have them so near their field of labor that they could readily do the work which the company might decide to do. But so placing them that they would be reasonably close to whatever work they might be called upon to perform was no evidence of a purpose to do away with the provision requiring notice at headquarters. Nor could it be construed by any reasonable man as a waiver of such notice. They were not sent out as business managers to decide whether in a given case an alleged defect should be remedied, — whether the company in case of breach of warranty would furnish another machine, as it might under the contract, or remedy the defects in the one sold; they *229were sent out as mere experts in the performance of the kind of work involved in making a defective machine a good one. On what principle, then, can it be said that the company intended to waive this provision touching notice, and, in effect, intrust these important business questions to the decision of those who were not employed or sent out for that purpose. The petition for a rehearing is denied.

(55 N. W. Rep. 580.)
/3/nd/220 · .json · Public domain