Callaway v. Barmore

124 S.E. 382, 32 Ga. App. 665, 1924 Ga. App. LEXIS 587
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedSeptember 19, 1924
Docket15076
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 124 S.E. 382 (Callaway v. Barmore) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Callaway v. Barmore, 124 S.E. 382, 32 Ga. App. 665, 1924 Ga. App. LEXIS 587 (Ga. Ct. App. 1924).

Opinions

. Jenkins, P. J.

E. R. Barmore, a contractor and builder, brought suit in the city court of Atlanta against E. C. Callaway for the breach of an alleged contract whereby, it is averred, he was employed by the defendant, “acting through one H. K. Chapman, architect, to do certain construction work; namely, to underpin and support the east wall of what is knoAvn as the Clark property, situated at 23 E. Alabama street, Atlanta, Ga., for the purpose of safely holding said wall until the defective stone Avail should be removed and replaced. The portion of the said wall to be underpinned and supported was a section of tAventy-five feet, or such amount as to safely guard the division Avail during said removals ■ and replacements at this point. The price agreed upon for said work was $500.” The petition alleges that soon after the plaintiff entered upon the work the defendant stopped him and prevented his performance of the alleged contract, causing him the damage sued for. A verdict was found for the plaintiff, the defendant made a motion for a new trial, which the court refused, and he excepted.

It is vigorously maintained by the plaintiff in error that the verdict is without evidence to support it, because of the absence of any proof of authority in the architect Chapman to make the contract. The owners of the property in question were a Miss Clark and her sister, who lived in California. They were aunts of the defendant’s wife. He resided in Atlanta and, as a relative of the owners, was concerned in the protection of their interests, and while he would advise them, he Avas in no sense their agent. These facts are undisputed.

Chapman, the architect, sworn as a witness for the plaintiff, testified with reference to three separate conferences which he had with the defendant, Callaway, preceding his action in employing the plaintiff in the defendant’s name to do the work upon the wall. He said that at the first conference Callaway called his attention to the defective wall and asked him to go down and look at it, declaring to him at the time, however, that, while he, Calla-[667]*667way, was interested in the owners, he was not their agent, had no authority to act as such, and that any contract would have to be made by B. D. Watkins & Company, the owners’ representatives. The second conference was after the witness had examined the wall and found it, as he said, in a dangerous condition. He testified that he reported this fact to Mr. Callaway and advised that it was “hazardous to leave that wall to stand in that shape,” but that Mr. Callaway requested him to go down and look at it again, in order to verify his opinion; and that at that time he called the plaintiff, Barmore, to meet him there. With reference to the third conference, the witness testified: “I then [after the second visit to the wall] went back and reported to Mr. Callaway that I was still of the same opinion, that the wall should be made safe as soon as possible, and Mr. Callaway told me at that time to have the wall jacked up and made safe, and then they would see how much would have to be replaced and what other work would have to be done on it.” Thereafter, without further communication with Callaway, Chapman proceeded to make the contract in his behalf upon which the plaintiff relies.

Other evidence of this witness was as follows: “He stated that his wife was a niece of Miss Clark, and he was interested in Miss Clark, but that Watkins Company were her agents here, to collect rents and look after the building, and for me to go and look at it and make an estimate, but Watkins would have to make the contract with me; but he told me not to see the Watkins people until I saw him and let him know what it was going to be.” “After I had reported to him exactly the condition of it he said, ‘Have it jacked up and made safe, held in place, and then we will see what can be done with it.’” Q. “He didn’t tell you to go out and make a contract with anybody else did he?” A. “Well, no contract had been made at that time.” “No, sir, he didn’t tell me, ‘Mr. Chapman, you get a contractor, go there and fix that wall, and make a contract with him.’” Q. “He never did authorize you to make that?” A. “He never authorized me to have that wall jacked up.” “He told me to have that-wall jacked up and made safe. He didn’t tell me to make a contract, or have a contract for it, because he left that in my hands. No, sir, he didn’t authorize me to make a contract with any contractor to jack up that wall.” The jury might have concluded from this testimony [668]*668that while the defendant did not in terms authorize the witness to enter into a contract, he nevertheless instructed the witness to have the wall jacked up and made safe.

The defendant testified that he never instructed Mr. Chapman to make any contract about having the work done, and denied most positively that he directed him to have the wall jacked up and made safe. He claimed that Chapman solicited work and told him about the defective wall, and that he replied: “Mr. Chapman, I haven’t any authority to make any contract for the work. The agents are Watkins & Company, who have entire charge of Miss Clark’s' property, and they have asked me to look at the wall, and to advise with Miss Clark, so that I could advise Watkins & Company.” He testified that he promised merely to recommend Chapman for the job, and that he said to him: “You will have to make your ultimate contract with them [Watkins & Company], as I have no right or title in it, and have no right to make the contract;” that he tried “to make it plain,” and further said to Chapman: “If you will go down and look at the wall, you might see what you think it would cost, so that we can tell Miss Clark;” that thereupon Chapman went to examine the wall and reported its condition; that Chapman then asked if he should now go down and see Watkins & Company, to which the defendant replied: “No, you will lose time now, and might lose the job. I will tell you in ample time when to get in touch with them;” and that the most he ever said to Chapman was: “I am going to advise that that wall be jacked up if I never go any further with it. It is time for you to get busy.”

The defendant claims not to have had any further conversation with Chapman until the next day, when he found that Chapman had undertaken to contract with Barmore on his behalf. It appears that the contract was instantly repudiated, and that Barmore was required by the defendant to desist from its further execution.

The action is not founded upon the theory that the defendant undertook without authority to contract on behalf of the owners of the property. But the plaintiff is seeking to hold him to a contract which he is alleged to have made upon his own credit through his alleged agent Chapman. We think the evidence for the plaintiff was sufficient to authorize the inference that while Callaway at first did not intend to enter into any contractual rela[669]

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Bluebook (online)
124 S.E. 382, 32 Ga. App. 665, 1924 Ga. App. LEXIS 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/callaway-v-barmore-gactapp-1924.