Court Opinion

ID: 9703793
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 00:07:55.148542+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:51.733089
License: Public Domain

STOUDER, J. I concur in the result reached by the majority of the court and agree substantially with the reasoning employed in such opinion. Plaintiff-Appellee’s position in this court is at best ambiguous. He attempts to sustain the judgment of the trial court by asserting that the court properly applied damage rules relating to contracts and by cross-appeal asserts the trial court erred in not applying the tort rule of damages applicable to conversion. In my view of this case plaintiff’s claim was a tort claim based on conversion. Once having concluded as the majority opinion does, that plaintiff has sufficient interest to bring the action against a third-party tortfeasor, I believe it should follow that not only did plaintiff fail to introduce evidence in accord with section 2-712, chapter 26, Ill Rev Stats 1965, but additionally that such section was inapplicable. In my opinion section 2-712, supra, applies only to actions for breach of contract and has no application to damages where the action is based on tort. I believe that the general rule respecting damages for conversion is applicable namely, the fair cash market value of the property converted at the time and place of conversion. I concur with the result reached by the majority of the court because I believe there is a total failure of evidence in regard to such damage. Although plaintiff argues to the contrary the sales contract cannot be regarded as evidence of such value. As indicated in the majority opinion the contract is a “trade-in” or an exchange contract. It can be characterized essentially as a “cash difference” contract. So long as the same cash difference is maintained, prices and credits may be varied arbitrarily in a variety of ways. No inferences of value can be supported by such allocations. Accordingly I agree with the majority of the court that there is a failure of evidence on the damage issue.