Court Opinion

ID: 9636581
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 14:33:51.357252+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:47.017536
License: Public Domain

HOOD, Associate Judge
(concurring).
While I agree with the opinion of the court that because of delay in asserting her rights we can give appellant no relief, I feel something should be said about the procedure in the trial court. The complaint alleged that the goods were purchased under a conditional bill of sale, which reserved title in the seller and provided that in event of default the seller could repossess the goods. It was further alleged that default had occurred and a balance of $277.40 was due. The complaint, after specifically describing the goods, concluded: “Wherefore, plaintiff claims either the return of said merchandise or chattels, or' the balance of $277.40.”
This action was to recover specific personal property and was in essence an action in detinue, because obviously it was not in replevin. In an action in detinue the judgment for a successful plaintiff must be for recovery of the articles or in the alternative for recovery of an amount found to be the value of the goods. The defendant has the option to pay the money and keep the goods. The complaint in the instant case was bad because it asked for the goods or the balance due under the contract and not the value of the goods. I know of no decision or statute authorizing a court to award the balance due on such a contract as an alternative for failure to return the goods. The trial court, for reasons not shown, reversed the order of relief asked and gave judgment for $257.50 or in the alternative for the return of the goods. The amount awarded was obviously the balance due on the contract and not the found value of the goods.
The seller argues that the forms of action, including detinue, have been abolished and it has the right under modern procedure to ask for and obtain such relief as it may be entitled to. This is true in a general sense, but the substantive rights of parties have not been changed by procedural rules. A conditional vendor, upon breach of condition, may elect either to treat the transaction as an absolute sale and sue for the purchase price, or to treat the sale as a nullity and retake the property. He cannot do both. Ballinger v. West Publishing Co., 44 App.D.C. 49, certiorari denied, 239 U.S. 646, 36 S.Ct. 167, 60 L.Ed. 484. If he wishes to treat the property as security for the debt, he may recover a deficiency judgment for the excess of the debt over the proceeds from the sale of the property. Ballinger v. West Publishing Co., supra. Cf. Owens Motor Co. v. Williford, 62 App.D.C. 319, 67 F.2d 691. Here the vendor asked and obtained judgment for the full purchase price, and therefore had no right to claim the property in the alternative or otherwise. In my opinion a conditional vendor who sues for the purchase price waives any claim to the goods, and certainly he cannot get a judgment for the purchase price and an alternative judgment for return of the goods. If such a practice exists in the trial court, it ought to be stopped.