Reply: When goods are to be delivered in a number of instalments, as in this case, the buyer’s refusal to accept delivery of any one instalment is a breach of the whole contract; the seller may declare the contract at an end, from that moment, and may sue and recover any damage that the breach of contract may have caused him. The seller has the choice of three remedies. He may keep the goods as his own and sue for the damages; he may hold the goods as agent of the buyer, informing the buyer that they will be delivered to him upon his demand, and sue for the contract price of the goods; or he may sell the goods, for account of the buyer, giving the latter prior notice of the time and place of sale and then hold the buyer for any deficiency. A delivery of the goods upon the sidewalk in front of the buyer’s place of business would be of no advantage to the seller and it might make him liable for that part of the goods if the buyer neglected to take charge of them. The seller cannot sue for the price of each instalment, when it has been tendered and refused. This would be to put the buyer to the expense of defending a number of suits, all arising out of one contract, and this the law does not sanction. Though it calls for delivery at different times, the contract is one and not several, and it may be made the basis of only one action. Suit may be brought as soon as there is a breach of it, it is true, but that suit must be for all the loss arising by reason of the buyer’s unjustifiable act, not simply for the value of the single instalment tendered and refused. When any suit is brought the court will assume that it is for all the loss arising out of the contract and further suits upon the same cause of action will be barred.
INTERPRETATION OF “F. O. B.” SHIPPING POINT OR DESTINATION.
As there seem to be many opinions on the question of “ownership in transit,” or delivery of lumber F. O. B., and as the association has received numerous inquiries from members covering various phases of the subject, the question has been submitted by the association to Mr. Walter W. Ross, General Counsel to the Car Stake and Equipment Complaint Executive Committee, and an experienced railroad attorney, for opinion. While it must be conceded that such an opinion can cover only a specific case, it will probably be of value to many of our members when the question of ownership in transit arises, and if followed, if adopted as a practical solution, will help to bring about a better understanding between shipper and buyer, always keeping in mind however, that the laws differ in various States.