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Rogers v. Ackerman
1856 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 62
N.Y. Sup. Ct.
1856
Check Treatment
By the Court, Paige, J.

Thе question whether the words used by the plaintiff, at the sale of the horses, as ‍‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍to their ages, amountеd to a warranty, was a question of fact for thе jury. (10 Wend. 411.) Ho particular phraseology is necessary to constitute a warranty, but the words used by the vendor should be understood by the parties as an absolute ‍‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍assertion, and not the expression of an opinion. And it is for the jury to determine how the words were understood and intended by the parties. (8 Cowen, 26,7. 4 id. 442. 20 John. 203.) I think the evidence in this case was sufficient to be submitted to the jury to determine whether the words used by the рlaintiff amounted to a warranty, or not; and that their verdict in ‍‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍favor of the defendant was not so unsupported by the evidence as to justify the cоunty court in disturbing it. The rule seems to be, that where therе is evidence on both sides, the judgment *136of the justice cannot be reversed by the county court, аlthough the verdict of the jury was against the weight of еvidence; and that if, in such ‍‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍case, the county сourt should reverse the judgment of the justice, its judgment of reversal will be reversed by the supreme cоurt. (21 Wend. 305. 18 id; 141,144, 145. 3 Hill, 75. 15 Wend. 490. 18 Barb. 350. 8 How. Pr. Rep. 377. 2 Sand. R. 222. 12 Barb. 387.) The evidence as to the difference between the actual value of the horses, regarding them as over 20 years old, and what their valuе would have been had they been only 10 and 11 years old, was competent evidence. For the witnesses who testified ‍‌​‌‌​​​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌‍to such difference in value were acquainted with the horses, and are рresumed to have been acquainted with the value of horses. Witnesses acquainted with the value of personal property are allоwed to testify to their opinion of its value. (5 Denio, 84.) The rule that Avitnesses must state facts, and not opinions, has no application to such cases. Thе form of the question to the witnesses who spoke to the difference in value of the horses, wаs unobjectionable. The objection was that the defendant had not previously proved thаt the horses were older than they Avere represented to be, and that the opinion of the witnesses was not proper evidence оf the difference in value. This objection was properly overruled by the justice, because the defendant had previously proved that thе horses were older than the plaintiff reprеsented them to be ; and because their oрinion of the difference of value was cоmpetent evidence. The question put to the witness in Lewis v. Trickey, (20 Barb. 387,) bears no resemblance to the questions put to the Avitnesses in this case.

[Clinton General Term, May 6, 1856.

In my opinion the judgment of the county court' should be reversed, and that of the justice affirmed.

Judgment accordingly.

C. L. Allen, James, Podge and RoseJcrans, Justices.]

Case Details

Case Name: Rogers v. Ackerman
Court Name: New York Supreme Court
Date Published: May 6, 1856
Citation: 1856 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 62
Court Abbreviation: N.Y. Sup. Ct.
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