Opinion ID: 2059709
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: errors in jury instructions

Text: Defendants challenge the trial court's instructions to the jury with regard to warranties and waste. They first assert that the trial court should have instructed the jury that prior knowledge by plaintiffs of defects in the silo was not essential to establish a breach of warranty. They also argue that the court erroneously told the jury that it needed to find that a warranty existed on the silo when that was not a jury question as plaintiffs admitted in response to defendants' counterclaim that they had made a warranty. The third claim of error in the charge was that, in defining waste and discussing evidence about the milking system, the court instructed the jury to find waste as to those items, and that prejudice resulted because the jury had no opportunity to decide if waste had in fact taken place. A party claiming error in jury instructions must establish not only that they were erroneous but that prejudice resulted. Corti v. Lussier, 140 Vt. 421, 424, 438 A.2d 1114, 1116 (1981). It is not error if the court does not make every conceivable comment that could be made on the issues and evidence. How far the court must elaborate lies within the sound exercise of its discretion. Currier v. Letourneau, 135 Vt. 196, 204, 373 A.2d 521, 527 (1977). Furthermore, the charges must be considered as a whole and not piecemeal. If, `as a whole, it breathes the true spirit and doctrine of the law, and there is no fair ground to say that the jury has been misled by it, it ought to stand.' Choiniere v. Sulikowski, 126 Vt. 274, 277, 229 A.2d 305, 307 (1967) (quoting In re Moxley's Will, 103 Vt. 100, 114, 152 A. 713, 718 (1930)). Examination of the charge in this case reveals that the court clearly and fully explained the law on both express and implied warranties and their application to defendants' claims of breach of warranties of the water system and the silo. As for the first issue raised by defendants that the court should have instructed the jury that prior knowledge by plaintiffs of defects in the silo was not essential to establish a breach of warranty, we find no error. The court did not tell the jury, nor imply, that knowledge of the claimed defects is required to establish a breach of warranty. Because the court correctly outlined the elements for both express and implied warranties, where any comment on knowledge of the alleged defects is not a part, see, e.g., 9A V.S.A. §§ 2-313 and 2-314(1), the court was not required to elaborate any further in its charge. See L'Ecuyer v. State Highway Board, 124 Vt. 462, 466-67, 207 A.2d 260, 263-64 (1965). With regard to the claim that the jury was required to find that a warranty was made on the silo, twice the court called the jury's attention to Mr. Turgeon's testimony that he had made express warranties, and described them. When viewed as a whole, the charge on warranties was well within the sound discretion of the court; neither error nor prejudice has been shown here. As to the instructions relating to waste, the part claimed to be erroneous is found in the middle of a discussion of all of the items claimed to have been damaged or missing. The court referred to Mr. Turgeon's testimony that when he returned to the farm soon after defendants vacated, he found the vacuum pump and lines were gone and he had to replace them. The court instructed the jury that while defendants were in lawful possession of the farm, they had a duty to take care of the farm and the equipment therein and return it to plaintiffs in substantially the same condition as when their occupancy began, reasonable wear and tear excepted. The court further instructed the jury that if it found damage, they must also, in order to find defendants liable, find that it was caused by defendants either by destruction, misuse, alteration or neglect. The definition of waste was correct, see generally 78 Am. Jur.2d Waste § 1, and, when viewed as a whole, we cannot say that the jury was not given the opportunity to decide whether defendants committed waste to the milking system. Therefore, defendants fail to demonstrate that the instructions were in error and prejudicial to their case. AFFIRMED. Defendants' writ of attachment on plaintiffs' property on the basis of their counterclaims is dissolved forthwith.