Bradley v. PHELPS

260 N.E.2d 894, 147 Ind. App. 349, 1970 Ind. App. LEXIS 387
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 6, 1970
Docket469A74
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 260 N.E.2d 894 (Bradley v. PHELPS) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bradley v. PHELPS, 260 N.E.2d 894, 147 Ind. App. 349, 1970 Ind. App. LEXIS 387 (Ind. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

CARSON, J.

This is an. action commenced by plaintiffappellee, Merle Phelps, doing business as Phelps Heating, against appellant Goldie Conlin Bradley and nominal appellees, Norman R. Conlin and Sharon Conlin, to recover the value of a furnace and the cost of installation of same.

Appellee-Phelps’ complaint is framed in two paragraphs. The first paragraph seeks to forelose on a mechanic’s lien, *351 but as the court found for appellant thereon, said first paragraph is not involved in this appeal. The pertinent allegations of appellee’s second paragraph of complaint may be summarized as follows:

1. That appellee-Phelps is a sole proprietor doing business as Phelps Heating.
2. That appellant was the record owner of certain real estate in Posey County, Indiana.
3. That appellee-Norman E. Conlin occupied this real estate and claimed to own an interest therein.
4. That at the request of appellee-Norman E. Conlin, and with the consent of appellant, appellee-Phelps furnished and installed a furnace, the total value being $668.94, in a house situated on the abovementioned real estate.
5. That said amount remained unpaid, and a reasonable fee for appellee-Phelps’ attorney is $100.

To appellee’s second paragraph appellant filed an answer in two paragraphs, the first paragraph being an admission and denial under Eule 1-3, Eules of the Supreme Court of Indiana, which, in substance, appellant admitted ownership of land and denied all of the remaining allegations of said second paragraph. Such paragraph of appellant’s answer is in the form of a set-off and alleges that the furnace installed by appellee-Phelps was defective.

Trial was to court, without jury, and subsequent thereto the court entered judgment in favor of appellee-Phelps on said second paragraph of complaint, which judgment reads as follows:

“Comes now the parties by their respective attorneys and this cause having been heretofore submitted to the court for trial on October 1, 1968, and the Court having heard the evidence and the arguments of counsel, whereupon the Court took the case under advisement, and now the court being advised in the premises finds against the plaintiff on the first paragraph of the complaint and finds for the plaintiff on the second paragraph of the complaint; that the defendants Goldie Conlin Bradley and Norman E. Conlin are jointly and severally indebted to the plaintiff in the principal sum of Six Hundred Sixty Dollars and *352 Ninety-Four Cents ($660.94) to which interest should be added in the sum of Thirty Nine Dollars and Sixty-Five Cents ($39.65), making a total indebtedness of Seven Hundred Dollars and Fifty-Nine Cents ($700.59).
“IT IS, THEREFORE, CONSIDERED AND ADJUDGED by the Court that, on his first paragraph of complaint, the plaintiff take nothing, and that, on his second paragraph of complaint, the plaintiff recover of the defendants, or either of them, said sum of Seven Hundred Dollars and Fifty-Nine Cents ($700.59), together with his costs and damages herein laid .out and expended.”

Appellant timely filed a motion for a new trial which sets out the following specification of errors:

“1. The decision of the Court is not sustained by sufficient evidence.
“2. The decision of the Court is contrary to law.
“3. Error in the assessment of the amount of recovery, in this, that the amount is too large.
“4. Error of law occurring at the trial, as follows:
“The Court erred in overruling the objection of the defendant Goldie Conlin Bradley, to the following question propounded by the plaintiff during the direct examination of Merle Phelps, a witness called on behalf of the plaintiff, and in admitting Exhibit No. 3 in evidence, which question, objection, ruling of the Court and Exhibit are in the following words:
“ ‘Q. O.K. We still submit this.
“ ‘By MR. CLOUSE: To which the defendant Goldie Conlin Bradley objects for several reasons. First, there is now [no] showing that it is a business record which is entitled to be admitted into evidence. The testimony of the witness is that it is prepared specifically for this lawsuit. He does not have the original, that is understandable, he has a carbon copy which would be very interesting, particularly with reference to whom it was addressed to. This is not a business record that is admissible into evidence, having been prepared for this lawsuit. Secondly, I note that on three occasions this man testified, even this last time, that he prepared a statement for Norman Conlin. And he said again, when Mr. Allyn questioned him just a fes [few] minutes ago, that he gave it to Norman Conlin. That’s a crucial matter as far as this defendant is concerned, to whom the *353 bill was made. This is not to Norman Conlin. We object to the introduction of Plaintiff’s Exhibit #3.
“ ‘BY THE COURT: Well, I think this might have some weight. I am going to order it introduced into evidence.’
“PHELPS EX. #3 No.-
PHELPS HEATING
Sales-Heating and Sheet Metal-Service Victor Oil Furnaces — Air Conditioners
North Main and Dereham Drive — Ph. 838-3752
Mt. Vernon, Ind. 47620 Oct. 13,1966
M. Goldie Conlin
Duplicate Statement
Article and Description Tax Merchdse Quan Labor
FGL — 1252—2 Space Cond. Gas Furnace 295.00 One
Humidifier 22.44 Registers, galv. steel Pipe and other Material 51.50 Make duct and Install Furnace One 300.00
TOTAL $668.94
/s/ John D. Clouse_ Attorney for Defendant Goldie Conlin Bradley”

Appellant’s sole assignment of error is the overruling of her motion for a new trial.

The third specification of error in appellant’s motion for a new trial presents no question for our consideration in that it is not supported by cogent argument and, therefore, is deemed waived under the provisions of Rule 2-17 (h) , 1 Rules of the Supreme Court of Indiana. Mays v. Wadel (1968), 142 Ind. App. 565, 236 N. E. 2d 180, 14 Ind. Dec. 178.

Appellant has chosen to group the first two specifications of error and supports same by argument under one heading in her brief.

*354

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Bluebook (online)
260 N.E.2d 894, 147 Ind. App. 349, 1970 Ind. App. LEXIS 387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bradley-v-phelps-indctapp-1970.