188 Mo. App. 726 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1915
This action is on an account stated. The verdict was for plaintiff and a motion for new trial sustained. Plaintiff bought a carload of
There was evidence tending to prove that defendant became equally interested in the tobacco and that after its sale, he and plaintiff had a settlement in which, after deducting total 'purchases by plaintiff from net sale the total loss was found to be $999.12, and that that sum was divided into halves, leaving a balance against defendant of $499.56, being the amount for which this action was instituted.
The reason assigned by the trial court for sustaining defendant’s motion for new trial, was that error was committed in giving plaintiff’s second instruction, which reads as follows: ‘ ‘. . . . if the jury find from the evidence that plaintiff and defendant had a settlement and that by this settlement a balance was due plaintiff from defendant in the sum of $499.56, which was due and unpaid then the jury may find that there was an implied promise by defendant to pay plaintiff the amount found due Mm.”
The objection stated to the instruction is that it does not submit the hypothesis whether defendant assented to, or acknowledged the balance found to be against Mm. The first part of the instruction seems to recognize the necessity for an acknowledgment or assent to the balance found, but the latter part (quoted above) states, in terms, that the mere settlement and balance is proof of a promise. We think the trial court was right in concluding it was erroneous. It entirely omits the'fundamental requisite that, in addition to the balance being found, defendant should have agreed, or assented that it was correct. It is, however, said to be -supported by Koegel v. Givens, 79 Mo. 77, where the Supreme Court Commission say, that to
If there is a settlement and a balance found which is acknowledged, o.r assented to by the debtor, nothing-more appearing, “the law construes (this) into a promise that he would pay the balance so agreed to be due.” [Cape Girardeau R. R. v. Kimmel, supra.]
On retrial plaintiff’s instruction number one, should omit the words “as set out in the petition.” Otherwise it is quite liberal to defendant in its requirements and he has no cause of complaint.
The judgment is affirmed.