STORAGE OF GOODS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 140, 13 June 1919, Page 7

STORAGE OF GOODS.

COMPANY'S LIABILITY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The liability of storage companies for damage to goods in their possession, was the subject of a judgment delivered in the Magistrate's Court by Mr. McCarthy,, S.M., to-day. The case was that in which j George Gibson Buick sued J. M. lscy- [ wood and Company, Ltd., for £85 in respect to damages alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiff by reason of the defendant company having negligently carried out a contract for the storage of plaintiff's goods entered into by the defendant company with the plaintiff. The Magistrate said the conditions on the receipt absolved the company from liability in respect to many causes by which goods might be damaged, but damage by rats was not one of these. The defendant company was not an insurer of the plaintiff's goods, but was merely liable for negligence not relating to the exempted causes. A duty was cast on the company to prevent damage by rodents. No such steps were taken and as a result the activities of the rodents remained unchecked. It was also to be observed that when the plaintiff went to the defendant's store to get his eoods they-could not at first be found. These facts amounted in law to negligence, and he assessed damages on that head at £15. Judgment was given for plaintiff for £17, and for the defendant company for the balance of the claim. As the company had succeeded as to the greater part of the claim the judgment w-ould be silent as to costs. !