Central Motor Co. v. Roberson

154 S.W.2d 180, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 774
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 11, 1941
DocketNo. 14258
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 154 S.W.2d 180 (Central Motor Co. v. Roberson) 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
Central Motor Co. v. Roberson, 154 S.W.2d 180, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 774 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

BROWN, Justice.

Appellee, R. B. Roberson, purchased an automobile from appellant, Central Motor Co., a corporation, and gave a chattel mortgage to secure the portion of the'purchase price that was unpaid.

Appellee was living in the City of Waco, where the appellant has its domicile, and having lost the employment that necessitated his living in said City, took the automobile and left said City.

Being in arrears on his monthly payments, the appellant endeavored to locate appellee and was unsuccessful.

Appellee was reared in the City of Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, where his mother lived, and he went there.

M. Burton, one of the appellants, was the chief of detectives in the police force of the City of Waco, and one of the officers of appellant corporation called officer Burton to its place of business and told such officer the facts, as he understood them, of the situation as to Roberson’s purchase of the auto, the condition of his account and the fact that he had left Waco with the auto and had not been located by said Company.

It is undisputed that the corporation’s officer asked Burton whether or not he could, locate Roberson and the auto.

The undisputed facts disclose thát 'Burton undertook to locate Roberson and the auto.

The persons who discussed the matter in behalf of the corporation all deny that any one of them instructed Burton to prefer criminal charges against Roberson, or to arrest him. Burton testified that none of them instructed him to prefer any such charge or to arrest Roberson. In detailing the conversation, or conversations, had with the officers of such corporation, Burton testifies, at one time, that he told them he was going to file a complaint against [182]*182Roberson, and that he told them he had no authority to take possession of the auto but that he could make a criminal charge against Roberson.

After Burton had concluded the conversation with the corporation’s officers, he told the constable of the Justice of the Peace precinct in which the City of Waco is situated to make a complaint against Roberson for embezzlement and to have a warrant issued for his arrest. After such communication with the constable, Burton wrote to the Chief of Police of Fort Worth on February 9, 1939, as follows:

“Re: 1934 Chrysler Sedan, License No. 847-138, Cream color, Motor No. CA16422.
“Please arrest one R. B. Roberson, white man, about 28 years old who is supposed to live at 1201 E. Weatherford St., Fort Worth, Texas, with his mother, Mrs. F. M. Roberson, Sr.
“This man obtained possession of the above described automobile thru fraud and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. If you are able to apprehend Roberson, please take possession of the above automobile and hold for this department.
“Roberson is supposed to be a traveling salesman and travels mostly over north and east Texas.
“We shall appreciate your efforts to cause the arrest of this party and wish to assure you of our willingness to serve you at all times.
“Respectfully, Red Burton, Detective Captain, Waco Police Department.”

The police force of Fort Worth arrested Roberson on February 26, 1939, and placed him in the city jail and notified the police department of the City of Waco of these facts.

Appellant Burton came to Fort Worth the following day and carried Roberson to Waco.

Before Burton came to Fort Worth, he advised Central Motor Co. that he was going to get Roberson and that the auto was in Fort Worth and asked the Motor Company whether or not it cared to send a man to Fort Worth to get the automobile, if Roberson would permit its being taken. They advised in the affirmative and sent a colored man up with Burton to get the auto.

The evidence does not disclose that Roberson made any objection to the auto being taken to Waco by the colored man. He acquiesced in this being done and upon his arrival in Waco, Roberson executed a bill of sale to the Motor Company, transferring all title to it in consideration of the cancellation of the debt he was owing it. He said that his lawyer told him that if he would execute the bill of sale the case against him would be dismissed. This was done.

Roberson brings the instant suit against Central Motor Co. and Burton to recover actual and exemplary damages against them, jointly and severally, and alleges, among other things, that he was arrested when there was no warrant issued for his arrest and placed in the hands of the officers who arrested him, or in Burton’s hands, and that Burton was the agent of Central Motor Co. and acting within the scope of his authority, when he did the acts complained about.

The cause was tried to a jury and both defendants requested peremptory charges which were refused.

On special issues submitted to the jury, they answered:

(1) That when Burton wrote the letter to the police department of Fort Worth there was on file in the office of the Justice of the Peace in McLennan County, Texas, a complaint charging Roberson with embezzlement over $50.
(2) That a warrant was not issued out of said court for Roberson’s arrest.
(3) Not answered.
(4) There is no issue 4.
(5) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time defendant Burton wrote the letter mentioned in Special Issue No. 1 above to the Chief of Police at Fort Worth that he was acting within the scope of his authority (as that term is defined to you below) from the Central Motor Co.?
“By the term ‘scope of authority’ as used in the above question is meant the doing of a thing in connection with and as a part of the work such person was expressly authorized to perform under the direction of J. N. Mitchell or Bud Mitchell, or either of them, or which was reasonably necessary to effectuate the act expressly authorized or was reasonably implied from the purposes and nature of such express authority.
“Answer: Yes."
(6) There is no issue No. 6.
[183]*183(7) That when Roberson was arrested and imprisoned no warrant had issued out of said J. P. Court.
(8) That Roberson sustained injury as a direct result of his arrest.
(9) The damages are found in the sum of $4,000.
(10) That Burton acted with malice.
(11) “Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that at the time the president J. N. Mitchell or the secretary-treasurer Bud Mitchell, or either of them, of the Central Motor Company, requested the assistance of the defendant Burton in connection with the matter in controversy herein, that the said J. N. Mitchell or Bud Mitchell acted with malice as that term is defined for you in issue No. 10 above?
“Answer: Y es.”
(12) That exemplary damages should be assessed against the defendants.
(13) $25 damages assessed against the Motor Company and $50 against Burton.

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Bluebook (online)
154 S.W.2d 180, 1941 Tex. App. LEXIS 774, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-motor-co-v-roberson-texapp-1941.