v.
MARSHBURN
Castlen sued Marsbburn in the citjr court of La-Grange, for $209.28, the alleged value of 1,308 peách crates sold and shipped to the defendant by the plaintiff. The jury found a [*401] verdict for the plaintiff, and the defendant’s motion for a new trial was granted. The plaintiff assigns error in the judgment granting this new trial. There was little conflict in the evidence, and the following are substantially the facts: The defendant, at Stone Mountain, Georgia, called up by telephone Haygood Brothers at Culloden, Georgia, and one of the firm answered the call. Marshburn wanted to buy from the firm some peach crates, and Haygood told him that he had none to sell, but that Castlen did have peach crates to sell and Marshburn could speak to him. Marshburn then asked Haygood to call Castlen to the telephone; which Haygood did, putting into Castlen’s hand the receiver. Marshburn told Castlen over the telephone that he was’N. E. Marshburn, at Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Castlen told Marsh-burn who he was. They had some difficulty in making each other understand the conversation over the telephone, and they both requested the opérator to repeat to each what was said by the other. The operator thereupon repeated to Castlen at Culloden the exact message that Marshburn told her to repeat, to wit, that he, Marshburn, wanted some peach crates, and wanted them shipped over the Southern Railway; and'the operator then repeated to Marshburn the statement of Castlen that he had the peach crates that Marshburn wanted, and would ship them according to his directions. The operator thought that she was repeating a conversation between Marshburn and one of the Haygood Brothers, but the evidence shows that the conversation which she did repeat was between Marshburn and Castlen, whom Haygood had called to the telephone to receive the message from Marshburn. In compliance with this parol contract Castlen immediately shipped by the first train the peach crates which Marshburn had ordered. Hpon their arrival at Stone Mountain in due course of transportation, Marshburn refused to accept them. Tn further proof of the parol contract made between Marshburn and Castlen, there was evidence thaj Marshburn, or some one acting in his name, confirmed the oiler from Marshburn to Castlen, through the medium of the opera'pr, and there was also evidence that Marshburn admitted giving the order for the peach crates, and their reception at Stone Mountain. The evidence further shows that Castlen was directed by Marshburn to attach a sight draft for the value of the peach crates to the bill of lading and forward it for collection. [*402] This was done by Castlen, and Marshburn refused to pay the sight draft. Castlen thereupon went to Stone Mountain and made an effort to collect the amount for the crates. ’ Failing to collect it, he brought suit against Marshburn for the value of the crates. These facts (which, in view of the verdict, must be accepted as the truth of the transaction) would seem clearly to prove that the verdict was right, unless it contravenes some principle of law. Ivo complaint was made by Marshburn as to the quality or quantity of the peach crates, or that they were received too late. lie sets up the following three defenses: (1) He denies that he ever made any contract with Castlen for the purchase of the peach crates. He states that he never ordered them from him, did not agree to order them from him, and in fact did not know Castlen at all in the transaction. (2) He sets up that the alleged contract which was the basis of the suit was not in writing, and was therefore obnoxious to section 2693 of the Civil Code of 1895, which says that “to make the following obligations binding on the promisor, the promise must be in writing, signed by the party to be charged therewith, or by some person by him lawfully authorized: . . 7. Any contract for the sale of goods, wares and merchandise in existence, or no't in esse, to the amount of fifty dollars or more.” (B) He sets up that there was never any delivery of the crates to him, nor any acceptance of any of the crates by himself or by any one for him.
Here the property bought by the defendant from the plaintiff was delivered by the plaintiff to the railroad, according to defendant’s directions, addressed to the defendant. The defendant refused to accept the crates or to pay for them. Tinder these circumstances what was the seller to do? What did he have a right to do? What did the law authorize him to d.o? What remedy would give him just and adequate compensation for. his performance of his part of the contract? If he was required under the law, as contended by counsel for defendant, to retain the [*406] goods and recover the difference between the contract price and the market price, he would have lost the amount of the freight from Culloden to Stone Mountain and return and all expenses, which, according to tlie evidence, amounted to $90. Had he resold the property and recovered the difference between the contract price and the price of resale, he would still have lost the freight and expenses, amounting to $90. And if he had reshipped the property to Culloden and held it and sued for the contract price, he would have lost the freight and expenses, amounting to $90. And if he had paid .the freight and stored the propertjr at Stone Mountain and sued for- the contract price, he would have lost the freight for loading and reloading and transporting to the house of storage.
The learned trial judge, in his order granting a new trial, states that under his “view of the law, the evidence does not show any such storage or retention of tlie crates by the vendor for the vendee as would authorize the recovery of the full purchase price of the crates.” We do not agree with this view of the law, under the evidence. We think that the course adopted by the plaintiff, upon the failure of the defendant to comply with his contract and accept and pay for the crates, was fully authorized by law, and was the onty remedy under which he could recover adequate compensation for the damages which he had incurred by the breach of the contract on the part of the defendant. He left the goods with the railroad compan}»". This is not a case where the goods ordered remained in the hands of the seller unshipped, with, no expense incurred, and where the order was countermanded. In that case the seller can be fairly compensated by either of the remedies provided by § 3551 of the Civil Code. Here the goods had been shipped and had arrived at their destination before they were refused. Expenses of shipping and freight charges had been incurred, and it seems to us clear that any remedy which would require the seller, under these facts, to bear ,the loss of freight and expenses which, under the contract, he was not to bear, would have been inadequate and unjust. In our opinion; tlie last remedy given to the seller under § 3551, supra, fully authorizes this suit in form and substance. As very pertinently and strongly suggested by the learned counsel for the plaintiff in error in his most excellent brief: “The seller had complied with every agree- [*407] meat by him made; the goods were at their destination, the depot of the buyer,! in the hands of responsible parties. Under these facts, why is not the seller entitled to pay for his goods? What principle of law or- justice requires that the seller do more than comply with every provision of his contract ? Who has defaulted ? Not the seller. If any further burden or expense is to be incurred, upon whom should it fall, upon the one strictly keeping, or the one breaking his contract-?” We conclude that under every principle of law, of equity and justice, under the evidence in this case, practically undisputed on material points, the plaintiff is entitled 'to payment for his crates. No complaint was made either as to 'the quantity or quality of the goods, nor as to any delay in their delivery. The plaintiff complied with the letter of his contract. The defendant broke the letter and the spirit of his contract. Two juries of the defendant’s neighbors have found that the plaintiff, was entitled to be paid, although he was a stranger, and this court is of the opinion that this just verdict should be allowed to stand, and that the trial court erred in setting aside the verdict and granting another trial to the defendant.
Judgment reversed.