Associates Investment Company v. Cobb

386 S.W.2d 578, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2864
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 31, 1964
Docket6684
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 386 S.W.2d 578 (Associates Investment Company v. Cobb) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Associates Investment Company v. Cobb, 386 S.W.2d 578, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2864 (Tex. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

PARKER, Justice.

Niles B. Cobb purchased an F-700 Ford truck and an F-600 truck paying part cash for each, with notes for the remainder of the purchase price evidenced by separate contracts on each truck, financed by Associates Investment Company. Cobb became delinquent in his monthly payments on both trucks. Associates Investment-Company peacefully repossessed them. Suit was filed by Niles B. Cobb against Associates Investment Company alleging that he made tender of payment for both trucks before defendant, Associates Investment Company, had lost control or possession thereof; that Associates Investment Company refused the tender and converted the trucks to its own use. Plaintiff Cobb sued for the difference between the market value of the trucks at the time of conversion less the amount he owed Associates, for the actual damages by reason of loss of use of the trucks after their conversion and for exemplary damages. Cobb abandoned any cause of action as to the F-600 truck because evidence of tender was limited to the F-700. The jury answered all issues in favor of Cobb as to the F-700 truck. Associates Investment Company will be referred to as “Associates” or appellant, and Cobb will be referred to as appellee or as “Cobb”.

Appellant’s point of error No. 1 is there was no evidence to justify the submission of Special Issue No. 1. Special Issue No. 1 and the answer of the jury is as follows:

“SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 1
“Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff’s wife tendered to the defendant, Associates Investment Company on or about November 6, 1959, the amount of money due on the indebtedness on the F-700 Ford truck while said truck was still in defendant’s possession and control?
“An effective tender can be made without actually producing, exhibiting, and counting the money at the time of the offer to pay. When an offer of payment is made in good faith and the party making such offer has the money to make actual payment of the claim, and the party to whom it is offered declares that he will not accept such payment, the actual production and exhibition of the money is waived and a valid and effective tender is shown.
*580 “Answer YES or NO.
“Answer: YES .”

The payment on the F-700 truck was due the 15th of October. It was not paid. Thereafter, an employee with Associates talked to Cobb’s wife at the hospital. (Cobh had been injured in a hunting accident.) She learned that repossession of the truck was being considered by appellant. Mrs. Cobb’s testimony was:

“Q. I see. What action did you take after this man came there, Mrs. Cobb?
“A. Well, I went home that afternoon and called Associates in Beaumont, and, well, I told them the condition that Niles was in and that I would try to get over there and take care of the payments that were due on both of the trucks as soon as he was able for me to get away that long and take care of it.
“Q. What was his reply, Mrs. Cobb?
“A. He told me that they couldn’t accept the payment.”

She further testified, referring to a subsequent conversation with Associates: (This being the offer of tender.)

“Q. What else did you do, Mrs. Cobb?
“A. I called the Associates and told them that I would like to pay the F-700 off in full, and he told me that both trucks would have to be paid off in full, that they wouldn’t accept the payment of one truck.
“Q. With whom did you talk at this time?
“A. That was with Mr. Foster, and I told him that the trucks were under separate contracts, and he said that was all right, that they had to have payment in full on both of them.”

This offer was made before any attempt by Associates to foreclose by private sale or otherwise. On the ability to pay, Mr. Cobb, testified as follows:

“Q. Well, actually, 3'ou’ve heard your wife testify that she offered to pay off this F-700. Would you have had as much as thirty-nine hundred dollars in the bank at that time in order to pay off that amount of money?
“A. Well, I can tell you how she intended to pay it off if you want to know how she intended to pay it.
“Q. No, sir, my question was: ‘Would you have had the money to have done it?’
“A. Yes, sir, she had the money available if they would have accepted it, to pay it off.”

When Associates refused the offer, the actual production of the money was waived. Nevertheless, the ability to pay at the time of tender must be proved. This was done. The rule announced in the following cases controls the question of tender in this case: Texas Auto Co. v. Clark, 12 S.W.2d 655 (Tex.Civ.App.1928) ; White v. Dennis, 220 S.W. 161, 163 (Tex.Civ.App.1920); Great Plains Life Ins. Co. v. First Nat. Bank of Lubbock, 316 S.W.2d 98, 105 (Tex.Civ.App.1958), (err. ref. n. r. e.); Poff v. Miller, 235 S.W. 570 (Tex.Com.App.1921); Haney v. Clark, 65 Tex. 93 (Tex.S.Ct.1885). Appellant’s point of error No. 1 is overruled.

Appellant’s point of error No. 2 urges that the evidence was insufficient to justify the submission of Special Issue No. 1. Considering the entire record, the finding of the jury in answer to Special Issue No. 1 is not so contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence as to be manifestly wrong. Appellant’s point of error No. 2 is overruled.

*581 Appellant’s point of error No. 3 is as follows:

“The Trial Court committed error to Appellant’s prejudice is submitting and rendering judgment on Special Issue No. 1 and the accompanying instruction because said instruction is erroneous in that it actually rebuts or negatives those items which in law must be defined as a part of tender.”

Appellant’s point of error No. 4 is as follows:

“The Trial Court committed error to Appellant’s prejudice by overruling defendant’s objections to the instruction concerning ‘tender’ and refusing to submit the definition of tender requested by defendant, Associates Investment Company.”

Appellant tendered a definition of the word “tender”, to-wit:

“With respect to the term ‘tender’ as used in the charge, you are instructed that in order to make a valid tender, the thing to be tendered must be actually produced and offered to the party entitled thereto and that the tenderer must place the money or property in such position that his control over it is relinquished for a sufficient time to enable the tenderee, if he desires, to reduce it to possession by merely reaching out and laying hold of the money or thing.”

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Bluebook (online)
386 S.W.2d 578, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2864, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/associates-investment-company-v-cobb-texapp-1964.