Castille v. Folck

338 So. 2d 328
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 22, 1976
Docket5634
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 338 So. 2d 328 (Castille v. Folck) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Castille v. Folck, 338 So. 2d 328 (La. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

338 So.2d 328 (1976)

Charles A. CASTILLE, Jr., Plaintiff,
v.
Blair FOLCK d/b/a Quarter Racing Congress Co., Defendant-Third-Party Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
C. Wade NAVARRE, Third-Party Defendant-Appellant.

No. 5634.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

September 22, 1976.
Rehearing Denied November 4, 1976.

*330 Ware & Bertrand by Ronald J. Bertrand, Rayne, for third-party defendant-appellant.

Marshall J. Stockstill, Jumonville, Hartley, Plauche & Broadhurst by Oscar E. Reed, Jr., Lafayette, for plaintiff-appellee.

Before CULPEPPER, DOMENGEAUX and GUIDRY, JJ.

GUIDRY, Judge.

Plaintiff, Charles A. Castille, Jr., filed suit seeking rescission of a contract of sale of a broodmare named "Flying Cobre" purchased by him at an auction sale conducted by Blair Folck d/b/a Quarter Racing Congress Company (hereinafter referred to as Folck) in the City of Lafayette, Louisiana, on August 18, 1973. Castille alleged his entitlement to a rescission of the sale and a return of the price paid because of error of fact as to a principal motive brought about by certain misrepresentations made by defendant and/or his employees prior to and at the time of sale. In the alternative, plaintiff asked that the sale be rescinded for redhibition. Plaintiff in addition to seeking a rescission of sale and restoration of the purchase price, i. e., $4000.00, alleged his entitlement to certain itemized damages.

Defendant, Folck, filed answer admitting that he conducted a broodmare sale as alleged and that plaintiff tendered payment to him in the amount of $4000.00 in connection with his purchase of "Flying Cobre". Defendant further alleged, however, that in conducting said sale he did so only as agent for the owners of the horses consigned to said sale and that the owner/consignor of "Flying Cobre", i. e., C. Wade Navarre, was the proper party against whom redress should be sought. Together with the filing of his answer Folck deposited the sum of $4000.00 in the registry of court to be disbursed pursuant to a final decision rendered in this proceeding. Finally, in his answer, Folck assumed the role of third party plaintiff and sought judgment over against the consignor of "Flying Cobre", Mr. C. Wade Navarre, for all damages which might be incurred by third party plaintiff as a result of the principal demand of plaintiff. C. Wade Navarre filed answer generally denying the allegations of the third party petition. Plaintiff, Charles A. Castille, Jr., did not join C. Wade Navarre as a principal defendant.

The trial court determined that a principal-agent relationship existed between Folck and Navarre; that Folck, who conducted the sale of "Flying Cobre", as agent of Navarre, knowingly misrepresented prior to and at the time of sale that the named broodmare had been "Coggins Tested" and that a Coggins certificate would be furnished *331 to the purchaser;[1] that in fact the said mare had not been so tested and plaintiff has never been furnished with a Coggins certificate; that such misrepresentation concerned a principal cause of the agreement; and, that plaintiff's consent to the contract of sale was vitiated by error of fact. R.C.C. Articles 1819, 1820, and 1846. Having so found the trial court ordered the sale rescinded and the purchase price deposited in the registry of court returned to plaintiff. The trial judge further determined that plaintiff was entitled to damages and fixed the amount thereof at the sum of $3726.00. Finally, the trial court granted judgment over in favor of third party plaintiff and against the third party defendant, C. Wade Navarre, assigning as his reasons therefor the following:

"Considering the third party demand by Mr. Folck against Mr. Navarre, I feel that the latter is liable.
As above stated, a principal-agent relationship existed between Mr. Navarre and Mr. Folck, or his company. Under such a working relationship, the law states that the principal, in this case Mr. Navarre, will be responsible for all actions of the agent which were approved by the principal. LSA-C.C. Art. 3021. Such was certainly the case here. Mr. Navarre continuously represented to Mr. Folck that the horse had been Coggins tested and he continued to represent this even after the sale was completed. By his own testimony, he was present at the auction and heard the auctioneer repeatedly state that all of the horses had been Coggins tested. He, no doubt, approved of this representation for he made no outward attempt to halt it, nor any attempt to inform anyone of any misrepresentation. Even if there had been no previous misrepresentation by Mr. Navarre and he was never requested to have the horse Coggins tested, his acquiescence in the representations made by the auctioneer was an adoption or a ratification of the agent's action. LSA-C.C. Art. 3010; Ledoux vs. Old Republic Life Insurance Company, 233 So.2d 731 ([La. App.] 1970), writs refused; Gill Truck & Trail. Rent., Inc. vs. Hunter Truck L., Inc., 283 So.2d 509 ([La.App.] 1973)."

Following rendition of judgment C. Wade Navarre, third party defendant, perfected this suspensive appeal from the judgment against him. Plaintiff and defendant did not appeal. Third party plaintiff did not answer the appeal of third party defendant.

At the outset we observe that, since neither plaintiff nor defendant has appealed, the judgment of the trial court rescinding the sale, ordering a return of the purchase price to plaintiff and casting defendant Folck in damages is now final. The only issue for determination by this court is the correctness of that portion of the trial court judgment which awards third party plaintiff, Folck, judgment over against third party defendant, Navarre. Although, as aforestated, the trial court judgment as between Castille and Folck is final we find it necessary to inquire into the correctness of that judgment as such bears upon the correctness of the award against third party defendant from which the latter has appealed suspensively.

Although our review of the record convinces us as to the correctness of the trial court's factual findings that:

(1) A principal-agent relationship existed between Folck and Navarre whereby the former was authorized to sell the broodmare "Flying Cobre" for account of the latter.
(2) Prior to and up until the time of sale Navarre assured Folck that the broodmare "Flying Cobre" had been Coggins tested and that a Coggins certificate would be furnished to the purchaser.
(3) Prior to and at the time of sale Folck was well aware that a Coggins certificate had not been furnished for delivery to the *332 purchaser of this broodmare, although admittedly it was Folck's obligation to have all necessary documents, including a Coggins certificate, in hand before commencement of the sale.

(4) In spite of the knowledge possessed as set forth above (item 3) Folck and his employees, including the auctioneers, repeatedly misrepresented to the proposed buyers, including Castille, that all horses had been Coggins tested and that a Coggins certificate would be furnished upon completion of the sale.

(5) The broodmare "Flying Cobre" was not Coggins tested prior to the sale of August 18, 1973 and the buyer, Charles Castille, Jr., has never been furnished with a Coggins certificate.

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Bluebook (online)
338 So. 2d 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/castille-v-folck-lactapp-1976.