“Since you have chosen the goods and we have not inspected them, we do not make or give any representation or undertaking (express or implied) about the condition, description, quality or performance of the goods about their fitness for any particular purpose. Such representations and undertakings are specifically excluded”
“Having decided that those terms applied I have no hesitation in finding that H R Owen was in breach of both of them. As to section 14(2) I find that the car delivered to Alpha did not meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory for a new Rolls Royce motor car costing£112,000 . The defects which manifested themselves and persisted during the period of six months following delivery of the vehicle, some of which were minor, but some of which were not (I have in mind in particular the intractable problems with the dashboard warning lights), combined to render the quality of the car far from satisfactory. Likewise, I accept the evidence of the Claimant’s witnesses to the effect that the defects, if they manifested themselves in the presence of clients of the kind that Alpha was seeking to and did attract, would give rise to embarrassment such that the car was not reasonably fit for the purpose of being used as a chauffeur hire car at the very top of the market; accordingly H R Owen was also in breach of the term implied by section 14(3).”
“It follows that in my judgment the only substantial claim upon which Alpha is entitled to succeed is its restitutionary claim against Lombard. Against H R Owen it is entitled only to nominal damages, which I assess at£2 .”
“The measure of damages is not, however, an indemnity in respect of Alpha’s claim. It is (ignoring litigation costs) the loss of the value of Lombard’s agreement with Alpha, valued on the assumption that the car had not been defective, less the value of the car when Alpha rescinded the hire purchase agreement.”
“As to costs, I have heard detailed submissions, and I have taken into account, I hope, all the points that have been urged upon me. The claimant has substantially succeeded and has had to come to court to recover a substantial sum of money. However, it has pursued heads of claim on which it has failed, and I am satisfied that the costs incurred in the pursuit and defence of those heads of claim have been substantial. Of course, the trial would need to have taken place anyway, so that the trial costs would have been incurred, but, in my judgment, considerable time would have been saved had those claims been pursued and considerable investigation costs would have been avoided. The first defendant [H R Owen] made a Part 36 payment into court of£15,000 on24 January 2002 , but made no offer or payment in respect of the second defendant’s Part 20 proceedings. The second defendant itself made no Part 36 payment or, so far as I am aware, offer to the claimant, defended and persisted in the defence of the claim and in its counterclaim.”
“6. The second defendant pay (i) 80% of the claimant’s costs of the action (there being excluded from the costs payable under this paragraph costs wholly attributable to the claimant’s claims against the first defendant and any costs payable by the claimant to the first defendant under paragraph 5 of this order) and (ii) the claimant’s costs of the second defendant’s counter-claim. 7. The first defendant pay the second defendant’s costs of the action and of the Part 20 proceedings (such costs to include the costs payable by the second defendant to the claimant under sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph 6 of this order but not those payable under sub-paragraph (ii) of that paragraph or the second defendant’s own costs of its counter claim).”