Farmer Loses Court Case Over Unpaid Veterinary Supplies

A Jerusalem court has ordered a farmer from Moshav Even Sapir, near Jerusalem, to pay NIS 36,458 for veterinary supplies he claimed not to have ordered. The farmer, who operates a sheep and horse farm, argued that the delivery slips were unsigned and that he had thrown the goods away a week before the court hearing. The court, however, ruled against him, citing his own testimony as the deciding factor.

The supplier, Kalbo Vet, stated that the farmer habitually ordered goods by phone and had previously requested that deliveries be left outside the farm gate when he was unavailable, a practice that had continued for years. The company also noted that some of the farmer's checks had bounced due to insufficient funds. The farmer admitted to purchasing goods from the company over time but insisted he did not order the specific items listed in the invoices and delivery slips attached to the lawsuit, claiming he found them in his yard and asked the company to collect them.

Despite the farmer's claims and the court's acknowledgment that some delivery slips were unsigned or bore questionable signatures, the judge found the farmer's defense unconvincing. The court highlighted that the farmer's denial was general and did not address specific products. Crucially, the judge stated the farmer effectively admitted receiving the goods by acknowledging they were left on his property, making the unsigned delivery slips less relevant.

Furthermore, the farmer's claim that he asked an employee named Fanny to collect the goods was dismissed. The judge noted that the farmer did not provide reasonable justification for not calling Fanny as a witness, especially since the company stated she was no longer employed there. The court also rejected a new claim that the farmer had paid NIS 8,000 in cash to an unnamed representative, and a recorded conversation played during the hearing did not support his assertion that he had not ordered the goods.