Beckner v. Barrett

81 S.W.2d 719, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 387
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 9, 1935
DocketNo. 11584.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 81 S.W.2d 719 (Beckner v. Barrett) 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
Beckner v. Barrett, 81 S.W.2d 719, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 387 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

LOONEY, Justice.

W. F. Barrett sued Al C. and A. S. Beck-ner to recover $2,988.30, the amount alleged to be due for drilling a water well in the city of Sherman, on a lot under lease to A. S. Beckner, and to foreclose an alleged constitutional and statutory lien on the leasehold and the ice plant located thereon.

The nature of plaintiff’s cause of action and defenses urged thereto will appear during the course of the discussion. On answers of the jury to special issues and findings made by the court, judgment was rendered for plaintiff for the sum of $2,131.25, foreclosing the alleged lien on said leasehold interest, and directing sale of same to satisfy the judgment. In due time, defendants moved to set aside the findings, to set aside and reform the judgment, to retax costs, and for a new trial, all of which were overruled and defendants excepted, gave notice of, and perfected, appeal.

The record discloses that, on April 11, 1932, the parties entered into the original contract, supplemented or amended on May 28, 1932, the provisions of same brought under review are these: The original contract recites: “Whereas, A. S. Beckner now has leased Lot No. 11, in Block No. X of the Alexander and Allen Addition to the City of Sherman, Texas, from C. C. Mayhew and J. A. Ladd for the purpose of building and installing an ice plant; and Whereás, Al C. Beckner has an interest in the operation of said ice plant and desires to have a well dug on said lot and premises to be used in connection with the operation of said ice plant. Now, therefore, the said Al C. Beckner, with the permission of the said A. S. Beckner, lessee of said lot, party of the first part, and W. F. Barrett, party of the second part, make and enter into the following contract and agreement, to-wit ⅜ * * ” The contract proceeded, obligating Barrett to drill and complete in a good and workmanlike manner the well to a depth of 850 feet, if necessary, to reach the second Woodbine sand, the well to be cased to a depth of at least 400 feet with 6%-inch casing, and the rest of the well to be cased with 5%e-inch casing; providing that, “after said well is completed and the casing set, said second party agrees to drill and complete said well in a good and workmanlike manner and to-cut off all water above the said Woodbine or producing sand, and drill a straight hole. It is also understood and agreed by and between said parties that the said second par *722 ty shall furnish all work and labor and supplies and machinery for the drilling and completion of said well, and the setting of the ■casing and pump, and in the bailing of said well. In consideration of the above the said first party agrees to pay to said second party for the drilling of said well at the rate of One and Fifty One Hundredths ($1.50) Dollars per foot; said payment to be made at the times and in the manner herein specified.” The contract then provides the manner and time of payments, and proceeds: “It is further understood and agreed by and between the said parties that the first party shall furnish, at his own expense, all the .six & % inch casing which is to be used in said well; and also the five & ¾6 inch casing to be used in said well; and also said first party shall furnish, at his own expense, nil necessary supplies for the installing of the pump in said well. * * * As a part of this contract the said A. S. Beckner guarantees to the said second party the full and faithful performance of this contract by the said Al G. Beckner, and agrees to and guar-, antees the payment of the cash payable to the second party, as per the terms of this contract, and also agrees and binds himself to sign and execute the promissory notes payable to the said second party by the terms of this contract.”

After reciting the necessity for the purchase of a new drilling cable, the supplemental contract of May 28, 1932, reads: “(2) It is now agreed between both parties that party of first part purchase a new cable at a cost of $174.50 plus telephone calls and other expenses incurred in the purchase and transportation of said cable from Fort Worth to Sherman, Texas,” providing for the payment of the cost of the cable out of the contract price for the well, after its completion, and contains the following additional provisions: “(4) That this contract become an amendment to the contract of April 11, 1932. (5) And the party of the second part agrees to complete said well through what is commonly called the second Woodbine sand containing water, and guarantees said well to furnish twenty gallons of water per minute. Second party agrees to complete well, and the installation of first party’s pump and pipe within 10 days from May 28, 1932. The time that is required for second party to under ream and carry casing to a deeper depth than was agreed will not be included in the above mentioned 10 days. Second party agrees to employ and work a day and night crew on said well, and complete well in less than 10 days, if possible. (6) Second party agrees to bail well until well becomes clear and satisfy first party after drilling through the first Woodbine sand that the water from the said first Woodbine sand is properly cut off from entering into casing and mixing with water of the second Woodbine sand.”

On or about July 1, 1932, appellee moved his drilling rig from the premises, contending that he had drilled the well to a depth of 771 feet into the second Woodbine sand, and had completed same according to contract., Appellants denied this contention, and demanded that appellee return and resume drilling. There is a serious controversy at this point as to the terms and conditions on which appellee resumed drilling, but the fact remains that he did return and resume. During the second operation, the well was drilled to a depth of approximately 854 feet, but appellants contend that the well failed to produce water from (he second Woodbine sand, and was therefore worthless.

The propositions urged for reversal will be considered in the order presented in appellants’ brief.

The court submitted issue No. 17, as follows: “What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence to be the reasonable value of the work done by plaintiff during the second drilling operation,” to which the jury answered: “$750.00.”

Appellants assign error on the action of the court in overruling their objection to this issue and their motion to set aside the finding of the jury in answer thereto, the contention being that the amount found was in excess of the sum sued for; that, as the suit was based on a contract providing for the payment of $1.50 per foot for each foot drilled, the amount of recovery was limited by the contract; that it was error for the court to submit an issue as to the reasonable value of the work done during the second drilling operation; and, furthermore, that the issue was authorized by neither pleading nor evidence.

We cannot accept appellants’ view that the issue was not properly raised by pleading and proof. As before stated, appellee’s insistence was that he had finished the, well according to contract, and, while the parties differ as to the terms and conditions on which drilling was resumed, appellee’s contention is that appellants requested him to resume drilling, agreeing to pay $1.50 per foot for such extra drilling, and, in the alternative, alleged that appellants agreed to. pay the reasonable value of such work and *723

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Anthony Barnes v. State
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001
Marshall v. Marshall
735 S.W.2d 587 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1987)
Swinney v. Winters
532 S.W.2d 396 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1975)
Sullivan v. Barnett
471 S.W.2d 39 (Texas Supreme Court, 1971)
Werdell v. Turzynski
262 N.E.2d 833 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1970)
Moore v. Neyland
180 S.W.2d 658 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1944)
Parks v. Kelley
147 S.W.2d 821 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1941)
Pound v. Popular Dry Goods Co.
139 S.W.2d 341 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1940)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
81 S.W.2d 719, 1935 Tex. App. LEXIS 387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beckner-v-barrett-texapp-1935.