Title: Forster v. Fink

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

195 Kan. 488 (1965)
407 P.2d 523
T.E. FORSTER, d/b/a Forster Manufacturing Co., Appellee,
v.
STEVEN FINK, d/b/a Steven Fink Grain Co., Appellant.
No. 44,196

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed November 6, 1965.
J.A. Dickinson, of Topeka, argued the cause, and Robert H. Cobean, of Wellington, was with him on the brief for the appellant.
George B. Powers, of Wichita, argued the cause, and Carl T. Smith, John F. Eberhardt, Stuart R. Carter, Robert C. Foulston, Malcolm Miller, Robert N. Partridge, Robert M. Siefkin, Richard C. Harris, Gerald Sawatzky, Donald L. Cordes, Robert L. Howard, Charles J. Woodin, Mikel L. Stout, Ronald K. Badger, and Benjamin C. Langel, all of Wichita, and Ford Harbaugh, of Wellington, were with him on the brief for the appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HARMAN, C.:
Defendant-cross petitioner appeals from an adverse judgment rendered in an action brought by plaintiff for monies due on contract, defendant's cross petition being one for damages for alleged breach of that contract.
The background of this controversy may be stated thus: Plaintiff *489 manufactures and installs elevator equipment; defendant purchased and commenced operating two elevator buildings at Milan, Kansas, about May 1, 1959. Desiring to enlarge his storage capacity substantially defendant arranged for construction of a new storage steel tank to be completed by June 1, 1959, which construction is not involved in this controversy. On May 18, 1959, plaintiff and defendant entered into a written contract whereby plaintiff undertook to furnish and install a twelve inch screw conveyor eighty-four feet long to extend from the headhouse of one of the old elevators to the top of the new steel tank, its purpose being to convey grain from the smaller to the much larger facility. The contract executed was on a printed form denominated "Purchase Agreement," with certain blanks filled in, salient parts of which were price, a description of component parts to be furnished by plaintiff with the notation, "No starter or elect. boxes," the further notation: "Installed except for wiring" and a provision stating "Delivery June 1, 1959." Rewiring of the elevator electrical system being necessary to handle the new equipment, defendant first attempted to get local third parties to do this but being unsuccessful, on May 28, 1965, entered into an oral contract with plaintiff for plaintiff to do the necessary electrical work. No time was expressly fixed for completion of this work. Plaintiff does not ordinarily do electrical work but accepted this under the circumstances with the understanding, according to plaintiff, that he would do the best he could.
In his petition plaintiff alleged execution of both contracts; that plaintiff furnished material and completed said work under the contracts, defendant thereby becoming indebted to him for $4,080.54, which defendant refused to pay, and plaintiff claimed judgment for that amount.
In his answer and cross-petition defendant admitted the execution of the written contract and the employment of plaintiff for additional labor and electrical material as alleged and further alleged that time was of the essence and that performance on the part of the plaintiff and installation of all equipment was promised by him by June 1, 1959; defendant further alleged the 1959 wheat harvest in the area of his elevator occurred primarily during the days of June 10 to June 15 but plaintiff failed to complete and deliver the installation to be made by him for use during said wheat harvest, by reason of which defendant was unable to receive and store grain which he otherwise could have, and his business reputation was damaged, all to his total damage of $28,852.96, for which he prayed judgment.
*490 Plaintiff's reply and answer to defendant's answer and cross petition, filed under our former code of civil procedure, consisted of a general denial. With issues thus joined trial was had to the court without a jury in July, 1964, at the conclusion of which the following findings of fact were made:
The trial court made general conclusions of law and rendered judgment for plaintiff in accordance with these findings. Thereafter defendant filed his motion for new trial, which was overruled. Defendant appeals from these adverse orders.
Defendant specifies several trial errors but they all relate to the general contention that the trial court erred in receiving plaintiff's evidence of an affirmative defense to defendant's cross petition, when plaintiff pleaded only a general denial thereto, and in considering such evidence in rendering its judgment. Defendant refers to certain testimony concerning a motor starter and switch. To better understand this contention it is necessary to go into the evidence. Plaintiff's evidence showed that after the execution of the written contract and the subsequent oral agreement, necessary work on the storage tank was not completed until the first or second day of June, 1959 and work on the tank had to be completed prior to work on the conveyor; that immediately after entering into the oral contract of May 28, 1959, he had ordered certain electrical equipment including a starter for the conveyor motor but that this starter was not received until June 20, 1959, and therefore it was not installed and the job was not finally completed until the next day, June 21, 1959, which was after the 1959 wheat harvest, said harvest having been completed at the earliest time on record; the conveyor equipment covered by the written contract could not be operated without the electrical equipment, including the starter, being installed. It should be stated the evidence did indicate certain conveyor parts and the crane necessary to erect it were not at the elevator site by June 1, 1959, and until several days thereafter, twelve or thirteen days actual work being necessary to install the conveyor exclusive of the electrical work. Plaintiff further testified that defendant knew the missing electrical equipment was not there, *492 and that on June 13 while he was waiting on the electrical starter and a switch, he had a conversation with defendant in which it was conceded harvest was over and defendant said "take your time and get the job completed." In other words, defendant claims plaintiff should not have been permitted under his general denial in his reply to introduce evidence as to the missing electrical equipment as any reason for nonperformance of the contract, since this was in the nature of an affirmative defense, that of confession and avoidance, which must be specifically pleaded before evidence thereof can be received. Plaintiff refuses to concede that he relies on confession and avoidance, which assumes a breach of contract; rather he claims full performance of his contracts, both written and oral, contending that the only date fixed in the written contract referred to delivery of the equipment (which the trial court found) and there being no completion date specified in the subsequent oral contract, plaintiff had a reasonable time within which to perform it, and plaintiff denies there was any variance between his pleadings and proof.
Defendant raises these contentions for the first time in his motion for new trial, there having been no objection made to the evidence concerning the missing electrical equipment at the time it was received, or during or at the conclusion of the trial; there was no claim of variance made during the trial, there was no request for continuance at any time during the trial, and in fact no complaint of any kind by defendant until after judgment was rendered against him.
Under this state of the case it becomes unnecessary to determine whether or not there was any material variance between plaintiff's pleadings and proof and the effect thereof. It has long been the rule that any variance between pleading and proof is waived if the opposing party does not make timely objection. In Woodard v. Timms, 113 Kan. 413, 215 Pac. 456, it is stated:
It has also been the rule that where parties submit evidence on issues that are not strictly presented in the pleadings without objecting to the variance and the trier of fact determines such issues the pleadings will be treated as amended. In Blex v. Flack, 121 Kan. 431, 247 Pac. 640, this court said:
These rules have now become substantially embodied in our code of civil procedure (K.S.A. 60-215 [b], under which this case was tried, as follows:
A party impliedly consents to the introduction of issues not raised in the pleadings by his failure to make timely objection to the admission of evidence relating thereto (1A Barron and Holtzoff, Federal Practice and Procedure, Conforming to Evidence, § 449).
Thus we have this situation: Without objection the parties went to trial on certain disputed issues of fact. While there were others, mention of two will serve to illustrate: Defendant claimed that time was of the essence of the contract by necessary implication from the circumstances; plaintiff denied this. Defendant claimed the necessary wiring was all completed by June 4, 1959; plaintiff's evidence showed that certain equipment necessary for the wiring and the consequent operation of the conveyor did not actually arrive until June 20. 1959. Evidence pro and con was received by the court in a vigorously contested two day trial on these and other questions of fact, the case was submitted for determination and there was such determination on the merits. The court's findings were all substantiated by the evidence, and the judgment rendered necessarily followed.
Defendant's other claims of error relate to the court's refusal to order a new trial. In addition to what has already been discussed, defendant claimed surprise on the basis of the evidence concerning *494 the missing electrical equipment and its unavailability, and newly discovered evidence respecting availability of electrical equipment. It is difficult to see how defendant could claim surprise or that diligence is shown. The record reveals plaintiff's counsel in his opening statement at the beginning of the trial disclosed his position about the missing electrical equipment. As heretofore stated, no objection was made to this evidence or any issue raised based on surprise. The case proceeded to trial without any request for continuance or other relief.
In Thompson Co. v. Foster, 101 Kan. 14, 165 Pac. 841, plaintiff brought suit on a written contract. After an adverse judgment he claimed surprise when defendant introduced a letter purporting to modify the contract. No objection was made to the letter. This court said:
In Bank of Pleasanton v. Howard, 131 Kan. 616, 293 Pac. 407, being a suit for money loaned, appellee offered evidence as to erasures appearing on a bank deposit slip. On the question of new trial the court said:
In Wagon Co. v. Wilson, 79 Kan. 633, 101 Pac. 4, we find this:
*495 Lastly, defendant complains that the trial court refused to hear evidence and to receive his affidavit submitted in connection with his motion for new trial. Offers of proof were made on the material in question and the record seems clear the court was fully aware of everything proffered and did in fact consider it, and we see no error in its ruling on the motion for new trial. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
APPROVED BY THE COURT.