Bourne v. Leathers

1959 OK 104, 340 P.2d 238, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 285
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 2, 1959
Docket37783
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1959 OK 104 (Bourne v. Leathers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bourne v. Leathers, 1959 OK 104, 340 P.2d 238, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 285 (Okla. 1959).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from a jury verdict and judgment for $4,500. rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Mary Helen Leathers, for damages for personal injuries allegedly sustained by her in a collision of two cars in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. The one in which she was riding was driven by her brother. The other car was driven by the defendant, Alba Fountain Bourne.

Plaintiff in her petition alleged negligence in the operation of the car driven by the defendant, and that such negligence resulted in damages to her which included permanent personal injuries and pain and suffering in the sum of $4,500.00; loss of earnings in the sum of $1,220.00 and hospital and medical bills, present and future, in the sum of $250.00, or a total of $5,-970.00.

When defendant’s general demurrer to plaintiff’s petition was overruled, he filed an answer in which he denied negligence, pleaded unavoidable accident, and in general denied all material allegations, and alleged that since plaintiff was riding in an automobile driven by her brother, Roy D. Leathers, who at the time of the accident was acting as her agent, servant and employee and was engaged in a joint mission for the mutual benefit of plaintiff and her brother, by reason of which the defendant alleged that the negligence or contributory negligence of (her brother) Roy D. Leathers, (which alleged negligence is set out in the answer) should be attributed and charged to plaintiff and, for further defense, it was alleged that the plaintiff and defendant by and through his duly appointed agent entered into a lawful “settlement agreement,” made a part of the answer by reference, and introduced in evidence and reads as follows:

“Release
“Read Carefully Before Signing
“Be It Remembered That Mary Helen Leathers
[240]*240“Address 1147 N. Iriquois — Tulsa for and in consideration of the sum of One Hundred & No/100 Dollars ($100.00), the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, do hereby
“Remise, Release and Forever Discharge
A. F. Bourne
(Insert here full name of Persons, Corporations, or Partnerships to be released)
his agents, and servants and all other persons, firms, and corporations whomsoever of and from any and all actions, claims and demands whatsoever which I/we now have or may have, whether known or unknown, developed or undeveloped, on account of or arising out of the accident, casualty or event which happened on or about the 30th day of August, 1954.
“As a further consideration for said sum I/we warrant that no promise or agreement not herein expressed has been made to me/us; that in executing this Release I/we am not relying upon any statement or representation made by the party or parties hereby released or said party’s or parties’ agents, servants or physicians concerning the nature, extent or duration of the injuries and/or damages, or concerning any other thing or matter, but am relying solely upon my own judgment; that the above mentioned sum is received by me/us in full settlement and satisfaction of all the aforesaid claims and demands whatsoever; that I/we am over twenty-one years of age and legally competent to execute this Release ; and that before signing and sealing this Release, I/we have fully informed (myself/ourselves) of its contents and meaning and have executed it with full knowledge thereof. It is further understood and agreed that the payment of said amount is not to be construed as an admission of liability, but is a compromise of a disputed claim.
“In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 9 day of Sept. 1954, at Tulsa, Okla.
“(Sgd) Mary Helen Leathers (Seal)
“Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of
“(Sgd) Robert E. Dumont
“Address Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

And defendant further alleged “that at the time the agreement was made that his agent (Robert E. Dumont) did not have the sum of $100.00 on his person, nor did he have check writing privilege, but that it was mutually agreed by and between the parties at the time said agreement was made, said defendant would forward a check forthwith, which was done and mailed to plaintiff on the same date and received by her the next day, but that plaintiff failed and refused to cash the same despite the fact that it was not objected to as a check, but that in fact plaintiff endeavored to back out of the settlement agreement.”

Plaintiff filed a verified reply denying generally all the allegations of defendant’s answer, which were contrary to, inconsistent with, or opposed to the allegations of her petition. She specifically denied that her brother, Roy D. Leathers, was acting as her agent, servant and employee, or that he was engaged in a joint mission for the mutual benefit of the plaintiff and himself.

The substance of the above pleadings constituted the issues upon which evidence was adduced and upon which the cause was submitted to the jury resulting in the verdict and judgment hereinbefore noted.

Defendant, on appeal, interposes a single proposition, to-wit:

“Error of the Court in refusing to sustain the demurrer and various motions for judgment by reason of the settlement.”

The gravamen of defendant’s contention and argument is that the parties to this action had settled the lawsuit before it was filed by the release; and that due to plain[241]*241tiff’s failure to plead and prove fraud, duress, overreaching, mutual mistake, or non est factum, that that release was conclusive evidence of the alleged “settlement agreement.”

In support of this contention the defendant cites and relies upon Darby Petroleum Co. v. Bowers, 185 Okl. 285, 91 P.2d 663; Wray v. Sumerset Oil Co., 89 Okl. 71, 213 P. 836, and other cases of similar import, together with a quotation from 76 C.J.S. Release § 63, page 703.

The above authorities are inapplicable to the factual situation existing in the case at bar. Under the defendant’s pleadings relating to the instrument, it is referred to as the “settlement agreement” but the defendant in its brief now refers to the instrument as a release. Obviously, defendant’s pleadings and evidence do not show that he considered the instrument as a completed contract. There was admittedly an additional oral agreement as to further transactions not contained in the written instrument. The instrument standing alone as a release is admittedly void for lack of consideration unless the alleged additional oral contract is considered with the written release.

An allegation that one party released another from liability is a mere conclusion of law, and a plea or answer relying on a release is not good unless acts or facts are pleaded showing a release. Defendant’s plea or answer must show that the release relied on was founded on a consideration, and must set out the consideration fully and with certainty. 76 C.J.S. Release § 60, page 702.

Clearly, the defendant did not rely upon the defense of release, and, in fact, did not plead such defense in his answer. The defendant, knowing that the release was without consideration, judiciously avoided basing his defense on a plea of written release and relied upon a “settlement agreement.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1959 OK 104, 340 P.2d 238, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bourne-v-leathers-okla-1959.