Conditt v. Holcek

203 S.W.2d 295, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 979
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 23, 1947
DocketNo. 14845
StatusPublished

This text of 203 S.W.2d 295 (Conditt v. Holcek) 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
Conditt v. Holcek, 203 S.W.2d 295, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 979 (Tex. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

HALL, Justice.

This is an OPA penalty case under provisions of the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942, as amended, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix § 901-925, and Maximum Price Regulations 540, as amended, wherein Sylvester Holcek, appellee, su'ed C. B. Con-ditt, and the partnership of Parsons and Matthews, in the 96th District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, and received a judgment based on jury findings, ,in the sum of $1,500.00, including- attorneys fees, derived from an overcharge on the sale of an automobile.

Appellee alleged and proved that on January 8, 1946, he purchased a 1940 Chevrolet automobile from the defendants Parsons and Matthews, giving two checks therefor, $600.00 and $500.00 respectively, and a note for the sum of $136.20. He further alleged that all of the defendants participated in the sale and the profits derived therefrom, either directly or indirectly; that the particular sale in question was made in pursuance of a joint venture engaged in by all three of the defendants, and that each participated in the profits. He further alleged copartnership between the three parties, as well as a conspiracy to participate in the illegal profits; that he was not fully apprised as to the exact business agreement between the parties but that said facts were fully known to them and he called upon and requested them to produce, for use as evidence, their books and records reflecting the sale and transaction of the automobile in question.

■The defendants Parsons and Matthews filed only a general denial.

The defendant C. B. Conditt filed a sworn denial of any partnership with Parsons and Matthews, further denying agency, association, or any interest in the business connection with the partnership of Parsons and Matthews.

From the adverse judgment of the trial court, C. B. Conditt alone perfects this appeal, alleging in point No. two that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for an instructed verdict, filed at the close of the evidence, based on the ground of insufficient evidence to connect him with the sale of the automobile.

Section 925, subdivision (e), 50 U.S.C.A. Appendix reads as follows: “If any person selling a commodity violates a regulation, order, or price schedule prescribing a maximum price or maximum prices, the person who buys such commodity for use or consumption other than in the course of trade or business may, within one year from the date of the occurrence of the violation, except as hereinafter provided, bring an action against the seller on account of the overcharge.”

[297]*297Section 942, • Paragraph (h), SO U.S.C.A. Appendix, reads: “The term ‘person’ includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or any other organized group of persons, or legal successor or representative of any of the foregoing.”

Appellee’s contention is that under the evidence all three of the defendants were associated together within the meaning of the above statute so as to render them jointly and severally liable for the overcharge. He cites such cases as Bowles v. Yankee Brewing Co., D.C., 62 F.Supp. 588, in which it was held that the president and director of a corporation was charged with the illegal sale made by the corporation, and therefore, individually responsible for the overcharge by being a legal representative thereof, and the case of Jung v. Bowles, 9 Cir., 152 F.2d 726, wherein it was held that the members of a partnership could not escape liability on the grounds that such liability rested on the partnership rather than on its individual members.

He also cites the case of United States v. Mutarielli, 3 Cir., 151 F.2d 925, wherein it was held that if a clerk was acting solely for his proprietor and upon proprietor’s instructions, the proprietor was held responsible for such sale. Another case cited was Di Melia v. Bowles, 1 Cir., 148 F.2d 725, wherein it was held that an employee is chargeable for a violation of ration order, even though he had no knowledge thereof.

We have read all of these cases and do not find them to be in point on this case, for the reason we do not find evidence in this case which connects the defendant, C. B. Conditt, with the transaction' in question; neither is there sufficient testimony to substantiate the finding of copartnership or business association between C. B. Conditt, and the sellers of the automobile.

Presuming all of appellee’s evidence to be true, and rendering it the most favorable construction that it can properly bear; granting it all reasonable inferences which it raises, and leaving out all the contradictory evidence, we fail to find it supports a judgment in this case. The testimony of appellee relied upon to establish copartnership between appellant and the firm of Parsons and Matthews as well as to connect the appelant with the sale of the automobile is as follows: Appellee Holcek testified upon cross-examination as follows:

“Q. You have sued Mr. C. B. Conditt in this case. Did you ever talk with Mr. Conditt? A. No, sir.
“Q. Why are you suing him? A: Because the letter I got from Mr. FI. R. York, stating he purchased my note from the Con-ditt Motor Co.”

Both the note and the mortgage are made payable to Parsons and Matthews and db not show an endorsement of the appellant; the mortgage recites that the note is payable to the order of the parties of the second part at the office of H. R. York, in Fort Worth, Texas. Appellee introduced in evidence, over the strenuous objections of appellant, the following letter, which he, appellee, received from H. R. York:

“H. R. York
Loans & Investments
711-712 W. T. Waggoner Building Fort Worth, Texas
January 12, 1946
Mr. Sylvester J. Holcek, 1501 Cooper St., Fort Worth, Texas.
Dear Sir:-
We'have purchased your car note from the Conditt Motor Company in the amount of $136.20; the same payable $22.70 a month. Your first payment is due February 8th.
We would appreciate your taking care of your payments promptly at due dates, also you are covered with fire, theft and $50.00 deductible collision insurance.
Yours very truly,
/s/ H. R. York H. R. York”
HRY/mm

While resolving in appellee’s favor every reasonable inference this letter reflects, we can only find that it established the fact that the note was at one time owned by appellant. . We find, of course, the letter to be hearsay and inadmissible.

Other testimony which appellee relies upon to substantiate the judgment is the [298]*298undisputed fact that appellant, C. B. Con-ditt, cashed the two checks which Parsons and Matthews- received from the sale of this automobile.

The facts show that appellant, Conditt, was in the loan business and had an office adjoining the lot from which the defendants Parsons and Matthews sold this car.

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Related

Burns v. Heckle
193 S.W.2d 983 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1946)
Di Melia v. Bowles
148 F.2d 725 (First Circuit, 1944)
United States v. Mutarielli
151 F.2d 925 (Third Circuit, 1945)
Jung v. Bowles
152 F.2d 726 (Ninth Circuit, 1946)
Bowles v. Yankee Brewing Co.
62 F. Supp. 588 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1945)

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Bluebook (online)
203 S.W.2d 295, 1947 Tex. App. LEXIS 979, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conditt-v-holcek-texapp-1947.