Crawford Chevrolet, Inc. v. McLarty

519 S.W.2d 656, 1975 Tex. App. LEXIS 2367
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 31, 1975
Docket8497
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 519 S.W.2d 656 (Crawford Chevrolet, Inc. v. McLarty) 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
Crawford Chevrolet, Inc. v. McLarty, 519 S.W.2d 656, 1975 Tex. App. LEXIS 2367 (Tex. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

ELLIS, Chief Justice.

Crawford Chevrolet, Inc., defendant-appellant, has brought this appeal from a judgment entered by the trial court awarding to Marvin McLarty, Jr., plaintiff-ap-pellee, recovery of damages allegedly resulting from certain deceptive trade practices on the part of the defendant, together with attorney’s fees and court costs, in accordance with designated provisions of the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, Title 2, Chapter 17, subchapter E, V.T.C.A., Bus. & C. Affirmed.

The controversy arose from a transaction in which McLarty purchased a Chevrolet Blazer automobile from Crawford *659 Chevrolet, Inc. On January 12, 1973, McLarty went to the Crawford Chevrolet showroom in Slaton, Lubbock County, Texas to negotiate the purchase of a new Chevrolet Blazer four-wheel drive automobile. McLarty had previously attempted to purchase a Blazer from dealers in the City of Lubbock, but had been unable to find anyone who could promise delivery of the vehicle. Upon arrival at Crawford Chevrolet, McLarty discussed the possibility of ordering a new Blazer with Billy Moore, a salesman of Crawford Chevrolet. Such purchase was negotiated between Billy Moore and McLarty on January 12, 1973, and on or about January 13, 1973, the Blazer was ordered from the Chevrolet factory by Crawford Chevrolet. At the time of placing the order, McLarty gave Billy Moore a $200 check as a deposit on such order, which check was duly accepted, negotiated and paid. Because of factory delays over which Crawford had no control, the Blazer did not arrive from the factory until July 9, 1973.

It is not disputed that approval of all purchase agreements was required to be made by authorized persons within the appellant corporation or that an order for the purchase of the Blazer was approved by an authorized person; however, the price approved is in dispute. McLarty contends that the price approved was $4,000 including taxes and licenses and Crawford Chevrolet contends the approved price was $4,683.65. The copy of the instrument dated January 12, 1973, introduced in evidence by McLarty showed the vehicle originally priced at $4,683.65, with a proposal written thereon signed by McLarty whereby Mc-Larty offered $4,000 for the vehicle including taxes and licenses, and such offer was initialed by Crawford’s sales manager in the blank indicating acceptance of the $4,000 offer. The copy of the January 12, 1973 instrument introduced in evidence by the defendant showed the $4,000 offer crossed out leaving the $4,683.65 figure as the approved and accepted price of the vehicle. On July 9, 1973, the date of delivery of the vehicle, another instrument showing a price of $4,234.76 was drawn and executed, and such sum was paid by McLarty for the vehicle.

McLarty brought suit against Crawford Chevrolet alleging that the $234.76 difference between the $4,000 which he agreed to pay for the Blazer and the $4,234.76 actually received by Crawford Chevrolet for the vehicle delivered was paid under protest and as a result of coercion by the appellant. Further, it was alleged that the additional $234.76 necessarily paid by Mc-Larty to obtain delivery of the ordered vehicle and the new instrument executed setting out the price of the vehicle as $4,234.-76 were the result of deceptive trade practices on the part of Crawford Chevrolet in violation of Section 17.46(a), (b) (11) (12) and (14), of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. The substance of these provisions is hereinafter set out in reference to the instructions submitted to the jury. McLarty sought recovery of the sum of $234.76 as damages, trebled, plus attorney’s fees and costs, pursuant to the provisions of Section 17.50(b)(1) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code.

The defendant Crawford answered by general denial. Also, Crawford contended that the sum of $4,234.76 set out in the July 9, 1973 instrument represented the final agreement between the parties.

Upon trial, nine special issues were submitted to the jury. The issues, as submitted, were preceded by the following instructions which contain substantially the pertinent language of Section 17.46(a), (b) (11) (12) and (14) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code, referred to in plaintiff’s original petition:

“You are instructed that wherever in the following Special Issues the term ‘Deceptive Trade Practice’ is used it means any false, misleading or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce. The term ‘false, misleading, or deceptive acts or practices’ *660 includes, but is not limited to, the following acts:
“(1) Making false or misleading statements of fact concerning the reasons for, existence of, or amount of price reductions ;
“(2) Representing that an agreement confers or involves rights, remedies or obligations which it does not have or involve, or which are prohibited by law;
“(3) Misrepresenting the authority of a salesman, representative or agent to negotiate the final terms of a consumer transaction.”

In summary, from the issues as submitted and the responses thereto, the jury made the following findings: (1) there was an agreement whereby $4,000 was the purchase price of the vehicle; (2) Crawford misrepresented to McLarty the authority of the salesman or sales manager to negotiate the final terms of a consumer transaction; (3) such misrepresentation was a deceptive trade practice; (4) Mc-Larty was coerced into signing an instrument dated July 9, 1973 showing $4,234.76 as the purchase price; (5) such coercion was a deceptive trade practice; (6) the Blazer delivered contained equipment which was not ordered; (7) the increase in price McLarty was required to pay was not a result of an agreement to pay for additional equipment; (8) McLarty suffered no damage from the deceptive trade practice; and (9) $500 is a reasonable attorney fee. The trial court, upon motion by plaintiff, disregarded the jury’s answer to issue number 8 wherein it found that McLarty suffered no damage from the defendant’s deceptive trade practices, and entered judgment for $234.76, trebled, equaling $704.28, plus $500 attorney fees and court costs. Crawford Chevrolet has perfected this appeal from such judgment.

During the course of the trial, appellant sought to present evidence of a bona fide error notwithstanding the use of reasonable procedures adopted to avoid any error, as provided as a defense within Section 17.54, Texas Business and Commerce Code. The appellee duly objected to such evidence on the ground that such defense had no basis in the pleadings. The trial court specifically ruled that the defense was not available to appellant because the action was brought by an individual consumer pursuant to Section 17.50 rather than a class action brought under Section 17.51, and that the defenses against damages under Section 17.54 are limited to class actions. By point of error number 1, appellant contends that the trial court’s action was erroneous because it was denied a defense available to others and such denial was in violation of its right to equal protection of the laws as provided by Article I, Section 3 of the State of Texas Constitution, Vernon’s Ann.St., and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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Bluebook (online)
519 S.W.2d 656, 1975 Tex. App. LEXIS 2367, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crawford-chevrolet-inc-v-mclarty-texapp-1975.