DAVIS BUMPER TO BUMPER, INCORPORATED v. Roberts

331 S.W.2d 762, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1791
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 28, 1959
Docket6878
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 331 S.W.2d 762 (DAVIS BUMPER TO BUMPER, INCORPORATED v. Roberts) 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
DAVIS BUMPER TO BUMPER, INCORPORATED v. Roberts, 331 S.W.2d 762, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1791 (Tex. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

*764 CHAPMAN, Justice.

Appellant, Davis Bumper to Bumper, Incorporated, instituted this suit against ap-pellee, C. O. Roberts and his son, Gordon Roberts, upon a sworn account for $1354.67. Gordon Roberts made default in the court below and is not before this court. The transcript before us shows appellee made the following sworn denial:

“Defendant admits tile items dated July 13 which items were purchased by defendant C. O. Roberts. All other items in the account are not just and are not true, in whole or in part, in that all of such other items were purchased by Gordon Roberts for Gordon Roberts’ own use and benefit and only Gordon Roberts became obligated to pay therefor.”

Appellant made a motion for judgment on the pleadings, which was overruled. Following a trial before a jury appellee made a motion for instructed verdict. The trial court instructed a verdict against Gordon Roberts for the full amount sued for, together with attorneys’ fees in the amount of $150, and against C. O. Roberts for the items shown in the sworn verified account dated July 13, items C. O. Roberts admitted he purchased for himself, signed for himself and for which he owed appellant. The record shows the items of said date were 4 nylon tires for his personal automobile. He vehemently denied in his testimony that he purchased any other item. No other item shown by appellant’s verified account was signed for by appellee.

Appellant briefs and argues his first two points together. They assert error in the failure of the trial court to grant its motion for judgment on the pleadings, “because there was no sworn denial stating that the items of the plaintiffs’ sworn account were not just or true, in whole or in part,” and “there was no sworn plea denying that Gordon Roberts was the agent of C. O. Roberts in accepting delivery of the items of the sworn account.” '

Rule 185, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure provides in part that an action such as appellant filed here shall be taken as prima facie evidence “unless the party resisting such claim shall, before an announcement of ready for trial in said cause, file a written denial, under oath, stating that such claim is not just or true, in whole or in part, and if in part only, stating the items and particulars which are unjust.” (Emphasis added.)

As may be seen from that part of the denial above quoted appellee admitted liability on one specific item and denied under oath that any of the other items were just or true in whole or in part. Further, he stated the items and particulars which were unjust by saying, “all of such other items were purchased by Gordon Roberts for Gordon Roberts’ own use and benefit and only Gordon Roberts became obligated to pay therefor.”

Though not completely similar to the case at bar we believe the cases of Hood v. Robertson, Tex.Civ.App., 33 S.W.2d 882 and Dollie Adams Oil Corporation v. Roberts, 259 S.W.2d 311, by this court, furnish ample authorities for us to say the sworn denial was sufficient to put appellant upon proof of his sworn account and to join issue on whether the claim was just or true in whole or in part. The cases cited by appellant on its first point are not reliable authorities in the case at bar because they involve instances where no sworn denials were filed. Neither is the case of Cohen v. Vogt. Tex.Civ.App., 211 S.W.2d 762 authority for its contention that C. O. Roberts should have denied under oath that Gordon Roberts was his agent in accepting delivery of the items of the sworn ac-cottnt. In the Cohen case agency was specially pleaded and a request for admission of agency made, while in our case there are no such allegations or requests in the transcript. Accordingly, appellant’s points one and two are overruled.

Appellant’s point three asserts error of the trial court in not rendering judg- *765 merit on the pleadings because “The defendant, C. O. Roberts, admitted that Gordon Roberts was his agent in the purchase of items of plaintiffs sworn account.” Judged by the oral argument presented to our court the basis for this point apparently lies in the following situation: As appellee’s original sworn denial was originally filed it read, “Defendant admits the items dated June 13 which items were purchased for defendant by defendant Gordon Roberts!”

The two items were pleaded in appellant’s sworn account as follows:

S2S71 13
4 1000x20 HP Tubes 33.08
1 760x15 Full Caps 10.96
44.04
Signed by G. Roberts”
********* “July 13
S20725 13
4 760x15 SA TBL white Nylon Tires 126.48
Signed by C. O. Roberts”

The record shows that before announcement for trial the court and appellant’s counsel were advised that the wrong item was admitted and consent was obtained by the court and opposing counsel to amend his pleading by interlineation in such a way as to admit the July 13 item .rather than the June 13 item. Counsel for appellant insists that both he and the court gave only permission to change the pleading as to that part of the items showing the date and merchandise but not that part showing by whom the respective items were signed. Thus he contends the denial as amended showed the July 13 merchandise admittedly bought for C. O. Roberts was bought by Gordon Roberts, making him the agent for appellee in that purchase and therefore making appellee liable for all other items purchased by his “agent.”

It is obvious that the trial court considered, when he granted permission for the trial amendment, that such permission included the entire item, including the name C. O. Roberts. As shown above that was the manner in which it was pleaded by appellant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
331 S.W.2d 762, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 1791, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-bumper-to-bumper-incorporated-v-roberts-texapp-1959.