Coastal Plains, Inc. v. City of Fort Worth

443 S.W.2d 414, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2686
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 27, 1969
Docket17039
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 443 S.W.2d 414 (Coastal Plains, Inc. v. City of Fort Worth) 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
Coastal Plains, Inc. v. City of Fort Worth, 443 S.W.2d 414, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2686 (Tex. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION

LANGDON, Justice.

Coastal Plains, Inc., plaintiff, filed suit against the City of Fort Worth, defendant, on March 28, 1968, in the form of a sworn account and alternatively upon quantum meruit for recovery of the sum of $5,216.87 for parts, labor, overhead, profit and costs allegedly arising out of its unsuccessful efforts to repair the transmission of an elevating scraper and for reasonable attorney’s fees. The elevating scraper had been previously purchased by the City of Fort Worth from Coastal Plains, Inc., for the sum of $57,607.00 on the basis of a bid submitted by the latter, pursuant to written specifications prepared by the City of Fort Worth. The scraper was delivered to the City on or about October 10, 1966. It was used for about six (6) months after delivery and on or about April 5, 1967, the transmission failed completely and would not operate.

On April 19, 1968, City of Fort Worth filed its original answer denying the claim on the basis that it had paid a valuable consideration for the machine and the agreement and warranty on the part of plaintiff to repair and maintain the machine. Further it was alleged that if plaintiff’s cause of action is one which can *416 be maintained on a sworn account, which is not admitted but specifically denied, the defendant says that the alleged claim is not just or true in whole or in part for the reasons stated. The answer was sworn to.

The answers of the defendant to plaintiff’s written interrogatories, filed on June 17, 1968, and requests for admissions filed on October 14, 1968, contained specific denials under oath that any money was due and owing under the claims of Coastal Plains, Inc.

On November 14, 1968, the City filed its first amended original answer in which it again denied the allegations in plaintiff’s petition. This answer was not sworn to. In it the City specified the terms of the warranty upon which it relied and other facts regarding the negotiation and eventual purchase of the machine in question and failure of the machine to operate or to function properly. The above answer contained a counterclaim for damages against the plaintiff for breach of warranty.

On November 19, 1968, plaintiff filed its first amended original petition seeking by more detailed allegations the same relief as prayed for in its original petition and thereafter the plaintiff, as cross-defendant, on November 21 and November 25, 1968, respectively, filed its original answer and its first amended original answer to defendant’s counterclaim.

The case was tried to the court without a jury.

The statement of facts reflect that on November 25, 1968, early in the trial of the case following testimony as to reasonable attorney’s fees, the plaintiff made an oral motion for judgment on its pleadings based upon its sworn account and for attorney’s fees because no sworn denial of such claim was contained in defendant’s amended original answer. Motion for judgment was denied. At this point leave was granted defendant to file a trial amended to its first amended original answer in which the matters contained therein were sworn to. The trial amendment was permitted over the objection of the plaintiff. In overruling the objection the court said the filing of the amendment was permitted because it could not be any real surprise to plaintiff since defendant had denied the account under oath as provided for by Rule 185, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, in its original answer and that the absence of the sworn denial on the last pleading was inadvertent.

Immediately following the above motion for judgment on the pleadings and the court’s ruling thereon the defendant (on November 25, 1968) with leave of' the court filed a trial supplement or amendment to its first amended original answer by which the matters contained therein were sworn to in conformity with the requirements of Rule 185, T.R.C.P.

From this point on the trial involved the warranties arising out of the written contract of sale between the defendant, City of Fort Worth, as the purchaser, and the plaintiff, Coastal Plains, Inc., as the seller. Stated another way the trial proceeded on the special contract between the parties. Meaders v. Biskamp, 159 Tex. 79, 316 S.W.2d 75, 77-78 (1958); Ball v. Cooper-Stanley Company, 413 S.W.2d 467 (Dallas, Tex.Civ.App., 1967, no writ, hist.); and Robinson v. Faulkner, 422 S.W.2d 209 (Dallas, Tex.Civ.App., 1967, ref., n. r. e.).

The gist of the plaintiff’s defense in attempting to avoid the compelling language of its warranty was based upon the negligence of the City in its maintenance and operation of the machine in question.

Following a full hearing on the merits the court rendered judgment that the plaintiff (appellant) take nothing by its suit and that defendant (appellee) take nothing as to its counterclaim.

The City of Fort Worth did not appeal from the adverse ruling upon its counterclaim. The only appeal from the court’s judgment is that of the plaintiff, Coastal Plains, Inc.

*417 At the request of the plaintiff findings of fact and conclusions of law were made and filed by the court. These findings are summarized as follows:

(1) The elevating scraper in question was sold by Coastal Plains, Inc., to the City of Fort Worth, for $57,607.00, paid to Coastal Plains, Inc., by the City of Fort Worth under a written contract of sale entered into between them.

(2) Under such contract Coastal Plains, Inc., expressly warranted the machine in question and covenanted and agreed in part as follows: “ ‘The scraper shall be * * * suitable for use in excavating, hauling, and spreading, on landfills and grading operations of the City of Fort Worth. * * *

“ ‘ * * * Suitable for controlled dumping in thin or thick layers.

“ ‘All connections, gears, pumps, filters, locks, levers, controls, hose, mountings, and all types of equipment necessary for the complete and successful operation of the entire equipment as a unit shall be included in the bid price. The tractor and scraper shall be designed for the intended use and constructed to work as a matched unit. * * *

‘The complete unit shall he guaranteed for a period of one (1) year from date of delivery to the City. This warranty by the seller shall include parts and labor for repairs and replacements at Fort Worth, Texas. This does not include glass, filters, fan belts, cutting edges on scraper, lubricating oil, fuel, anti-freeze, or hydraulic fluid; except in case of defect or premature failure. Tires may carry only the tire manufacturer’s warranty.’ ” (Emphasis ours.)

(3) The transmission of the elevating scraper failed approximately six months after plaintiff, Coastal Plains, Inc., delivered the machine to defendant, City of Fort Worth.

(4) The transmission was defective.

(5) The transmission failure was caused by its defective condition.

(6) The defective condition was not eliminated by repairs made by Coastal Plains, Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
443 S.W.2d 414, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 2686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coastal-plains-inc-v-city-of-fort-worth-texapp-1969.