SEQUEL TO A TIMBER SALE: Action Against Lichfield Auctioneers: At Birmingham Assizes, last week, before Mr. Justice Bairhache, an action recover damages for professional negligence was brought by Arthur Whitehouse Greatrex, tanner and currier, of Walsall, against Winterton and Sons, valuers, estate agents, and auctioneers, of Lichfield. Mr. Maddocks, K.C., M.P., and Mr. Lewis (instructed by Lewis and Sons, Walsall), appeared for the plaintiff, and the defendants were represented by Mr. Hollis Walker, K.C., and Mr. R. A. Willes (instructed by Pinsent and Co., Birmingham). Mr. Maddocks said the plaintiff was the owner in 1916 of a considerable area of woodland near Sutton Coldfield, and owing to the fact that the prices of timber were rising rapidly at the time, was desirous of disposing of the timber on 50 to 60 acres of land to the best advantage. Accordingly, he communicated with the defendants, and having visited the woods, Mr. Winterton expressed the opinion that the best way of dealing with the timber was to sell at so much per acre. No inspection was made by him of the trees, and the evidence of experts would be called to show that, the proper course to adopt with such an estate, with its various kinds of timber, was for the valuer to go carefully over the whole of the area and to secure the cubic space of the timber trees contained thereon. … … the Judge held there was no negligence on the part of the defendants, and the action, therefore, failed. …
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.