Daniels v. United States Rubber Co.

199 S.W.2d 533, 1946 Tex. App. LEXIS 1000
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 19, 1946
DocketNo. 2689.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 199 S.W.2d 533 (Daniels v. United States Rubber Co.) 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
Daniels v. United States Rubber Co., 199 S.W.2d 533, 1946 Tex. App. LEXIS 1000 (Tex. Ct. App. 1946).

Opinion

LESTER, Chief Justice.

This suit was brought by the United States Rubber Company against Louis Daniels to recover from him an amount alleged to be due it for tires sold to him, for which he had not paid. Mrs. M. L. Levine and Mrs. Juie Levine Daniels were guarantors on the contract between Daniels and the Rubber Company.

Appellant Daniels answered appellee’s petition with a counter claim, alleging that he was entitled to certain discounts, tire adjustments, etc., for which he had not received credit. The court, without application of either party but upon its own motion, appointed an auditor to state the accounts between the parties. After several weeks the auditor filed his report, to which Daniels addressed numerous exceptions, all of which were overruled by the court and the report was admitted in evidence over the objection of Daniels. Daniels says the court committed error in admitting the report in evidence.

Rule 172 of Vernon’s Texas Rules of Civil Procedure provides as follows:

“When an investigation of accounts or examination of vouchers appears necessary for the purpose of justice between the *534 parties to any suit, the court shall appoint an auditor or auditors to state the accounts between the parties and to make report thereof to the court as soon as possible. The auditor shall verify his report by his affidavit stating that he has carefully examined the state of the account between the parties, and that his report contains a true statement thereof, so far as . the same has come within his knowledge. Said report shall be admitted in evidence, but may be contradicted by evidence from either party where exceptions to such report or of any item thereof have been filed before the trial. The court shall award reasonable compensation to such auditor to be taxed as costs of suit.”

In pursuance to said rule the court appointed Frank Brock, a resident of Corsi-cana, Texas, who is a certified public accountant, to audit the account between the parties. This he did and filed his report. It will be noted that the foregoing rule provides that the report shall be introduced in evidence, not that it may be, but that it shall be introduced in evidence. It also provides that if either party desires to contradict said report, or any item thereof, the party desiring to do so must file objections to the same, or some item thereof, before the trial of the case. The foregoing provision of said rule simply means that before evidence can be introduced attacking such report, or any item thereof, exceptions must be filed to the same before the trial, and if said exceptions are filed the party has a right to introduce all the legal testimony he has at his command to contradict said report upon all the matters set out in his objections, but without exceptions, is not permitted to contradict said report. The sworn report of an auditor duly appointed by the court is not rendered inadmissible because objections are filed against it, but such exception only gives the party a right to introduce evidence to prove, if he can, that said report is incorrect. In admitting the report in evidence the court was only complying with the clear mandate of the rule, just as it was when Daniels was afforded the right to introduce all the evidence he had against it after he had filed his exceptions. The auditor was placed upon the witness stand and testified fully. Daniels examined him in detail concerning the manner in which the audit was made. Daniels himself testified at length concerning his transactions with the Rubber Company. After all the evidence was introduced the court, in a very fair and impartial manner, submitted the controlling issues to the jury, to which appellant Daniels did not file any exceptions. The controlling issues found against him are as follows:

“Special Issue No. 1: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this case that the defendant, Louis ‘Tires’ Daniels, is entitled to volume discounts, provided for in written contracts between the parties, for which he has not received credit from the plaintiff? Answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” To which the jury answered “No”.
“Special Issue No. 2: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence in this case that the defendant, Louis ‘Tires’ Daniels, is entitled to quantity discounts, provided for in written contracts between the parties, and for which he has not received credit from the plaintiff?” To which the jury answered “No.”

Appellant cites the case of Bush v. Davis, Tex.Civ.App., 147 S.W.2d 888, in support of his theory that the report was not admissible in the face of his objections. We do not consider that case in point with the facts here. In the case cited the auditor was appointed by one of the parties to the suit, thereby becoming the agent of said party appointing him. He did not have the sanction of the court, nor was he clothed with the power and authority that an auditor appointed by the court would possess. In the cited case there is no doubt but what the auditor tried to serve the best interests of the plaintiff, who employed him. He, in addressing the plaintiff’s attorney concerning said audit, used the following remarks:

“Your auditor takes this occasion to express his appreciation of the courtesies received at the hands of the various employees of the Texas Automatic Sprinkler Company. He has viewed the situation, however, from the standpoint of Mrs. Davis and her 'interests, and trust that this report, its conclusions and recommendations, may aid her in arriving at a proper and equitable adjustment with the Company.”

*535 We therefore overrule appellant’s contention. Tracy et al. v. Willacy County, Tex.Civ.App., 169 S.W.2d 217; Smith et al. v. Hill, Tex.Civ.App., 12 S.W.2d 233; Cook v. Peacock, Tex.Civ.App., 154 S.W.2d 688.

Appellants’ next proposition is: “The trial court erred in permitting the witness H. B. Pixley to testify to certain purported entries in the books or records of the ap-pellee, because the appellee wholly failed and did not attempt to comply with the Shop Book Rule as announced by the appellate courts of this state, and said testimony of said witness Pixley clearly showed that he had no familiarity or knowledge of said books or the manner in which they were kept, and was permitted to testify to the correctness of said records, merely basing his testimony upon the theory that there was a general system existing over the country in reference to the keeping of the books of the appellee.” The evidence shows that Pixley was not in Dallas during 1940 and 1941 and not until 1945, when he was made operating manager. He was placed upon the witness stand and permitted to testify, over the objection of appellants, concerning the appellee’s method of crediting discounts to dealers on the sale of tires and the system of bookkeeping that the company used.

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Bluebook (online)
199 S.W.2d 533, 1946 Tex. App. LEXIS 1000, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daniels-v-united-states-rubber-co-texapp-1946.