Burrus Mills, Inc. v. Phillips

260 S.W.2d 427, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 16, 1953
Docket3100
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 260 S.W.2d 427 (Burrus Mills, Inc. v. Phillips) 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
Burrus Mills, Inc. v. Phillips, 260 S.W.2d 427, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942 (Tex. Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

Burrus Mills, Inc., has appealed from an order overruling its plea of privilege to be sued in Dallas County, the county of its residence. M. M. Phillips and wife of Bosque County brought this suit in the District Court of Hamilton County against J. B. Woodard and D. E. Bullock, individually and as partners, both being resident citizens of Hamilton County, and Burrus Mills, Inc. The cause was tried without the aid of a jury and at the request of appellant the trial court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. We quote the pertinent parts:

“1. The court finds from the evidence that during the years 1951 and 1952, H. H. Weatherby was an employee and agent of defendant Burrus Mills, Inc. and was Supervisor of its Livestock and Poultry Program, conducted by it in the State of Texas, and that as such agent and representative, acting in the scope of his employment, in the latter part of the year 1951 negotiated with the plaintiffs, in conjunction with the defendants J. B. Woodard and D. E. Bullock, Jr., with reference to procuring a turkey raising agreement with the plaintiffs, Phillips and wife, for the year 1952; that in the early part of the year 1952 a turkey raising agreement was entered into between plaintiffs and the defendant Burrus Mills, Inc., for the joint and mutual benefit of said defendant and the defendants Woodard and Bullock; that the plaintiffs were induced and caused to enter into said agreement by the representation of said Weatherby, acting in the scope of his said employment, and the defendants Woodard and Bullock, acting for themselves and as agents for defendants Burrus Mills, Inc., that the defendants would deliver to the plaintiffs turkey poults for production by them free of contagious and infectious disease; that defendants did on or about the 20th of March 1952, ttnder said agreement deliver to plaintiffs’ ranch *428 in Bosque County 2200 poults; that said poults when delivered were not free of disease and not clean poults as represented by defendants but were then infected with a deadly and contagious poultry disease known as fowl typhoid; that as' a proximate result of the diseased condition of said poults 1034 of said poults died and the residue thereof being diseased required medication, which reduced their vitality and prevented normal growth of same and rendered said poults unfit for sale as breeding stock, thereby materially reducing their market value.

“2. That at the time said diseased poults were delivered to plaintiffs’ ranch said ranch and their facilities and the stock on hand were free of disease and their premises were clean and free of infections and contagious disease affecting the growth and production of poultry, of which defendants had full knowledge at the time said agreement was entered into and at the time said diseased poults were delivered; that by the delivery of said poults to plaintiffs’ ranch in said condition the defendants breached their express and implied warranties that the poults would be clean and free of disease and by the delivery of such diseased poults rendered plaintiffs’ premises and facilities unfit for production of poultry for the year 1952 and 1953.

“3. The court further finds from the evidence that the defendants were negligent in delivering to plaintiffs said poults in said diseased condition and that such negligence was1 a proximate cause of plaintiffs’ damages, as set out in their pleadings and that breach by defendants of their express and implied warranties was likewise a proximate cause of such damages.

“4. The court further finds that during 1951 and 1952, and at the time of the filing of this suit and the service of process upon the defendant Burrus Mills, Inc. and at the time of the filing of its plea of privilege herein, the defendants J. B. Woodard and D. E. Bullock, Jr., were partners doing business as J. B. Woodard Produce, were and are residents of Hamilton County, Texas and maintained and established a permanent place of business in Hamilton County, Texas and were agents of the defendant Burrus Mills, Inc., assisting it. carrying on its turkey raising plan and agreement with the plaintiffs and other persons residing in said County of Hamilton, said County of Bosque and other counties adjacent thereto, and that defendant Burrus Mills, Inc., in order to secure to itself the benefit of large sales of poultry feed manufactured by it induced the plaintiffs to enter into said contract with it by representation that the turkey poults when delivered would be free of disease. By indirection it thus secured for itself sales of its manufactured products as certainly and presumably and profitably as if a direct contract of sale of its feed had been made directly with the plaintiffs, and having secured the benefits it may not now avoid the burdens of the transaction, having made said warranties and representations and having secured the benefit of the sale of its products through J. B. Woodard Produce, it was required to speak the truth and cannot now avoid the burdens of the transaction.

“5. The court further finds that the defendant Burrus Mills, Inc., is and was at all times involved in this suit a foreign corporation and acted solely through its authorized agents.

“6. The court finds that the plaintiffs in their pleading alleged a joint cause of action against the defendants Woodard and Bullock, d'ba J. B. Woodard Produce and the defendant Burrus Mills, Inc. and that their cause of action against the resident defendants is so intimately connected with the cause of action against the nonresident defendant that the two may and should be joined under the rule intended to avoid a multiplicity of suits.

“7. That in the years 1951 and 1952 and at all times therein and up to and on the date of the hearing on their plea, Burrus Mills, Inc., has maintained a fixed and permanent agency and representative in Hamilton County, Texas, the same being J. B. Woodard and D. E. Bullock Jr., doing business as J. B. Woodard Produce.

“8. That plaintiffs have reasonably incurred reasonable expenses for medication to minimize and halt the death of their *429 turkeys from fowl typhoid in the sum of $1300.00.

“9. That said expense of $1300.00 for medication was incurred as a direct and proximate result of the delivery to plaintiff of the diseased turkey poults on March 20, 1952.

“10. That the poults delivered on March 20, 1952 were bought by M. M. Phillips for breeding purposes.

“11. The court further finds that J. B. Woodard knew that plaintiffs were purchasing the poults delivered on March 20, 1952 for breeding purposes.

“12. The court further finds that H. H. Weatherby knew that plaintiffs were purchasing the poults delivered on March; 20, 1952 for breeding purposes.

“13. The court further finds that some of the poults when delivered to M. M. Phillips on March 20, 1952 were infected with fowl typhoid.

“14. The court further finds that such infection with fowl typhoid rendered said poults delivered on March 20, 1952 unfit for breeding purposes.

“15. The court further finds that plaintiffs did not know that some of the poults delivered on March 20, 1952 were, infected with fowl typhoid until after said poults were delivered on March 20, 1952.

“16.

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Bluebook (online)
260 S.W.2d 427, 1953 Tex. App. LEXIS 1942, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burrus-mills-inc-v-phillips-texapp-1953.