Dennis v. J. Frank Darling Co.

120 So. 686, 10 La. App. 268, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 472
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided March 12, 1929·No. No. 2768·Published

Opinion

REYNOLDS, J.

Plaintiff, L. W. Dennis, sued defendant, J. Frank Darling Company, Inc., a non-resident corporation, and obtained writs of attachment against its property and garnisheed various of defendant’s customers who were indebted to it for the price of merchandise sold them. He alleged that defendant was indebted to him in the sum of $530.59 with legal interest thereon from judicial demand, and in the further sum of $25.00 a day from the date of the filing of his suit until defendant should comply with its contract. He alleges:

“That on account of this failure of the defendant to furnish petitioner advances for his expenses, your petitioner has lost valuable time in which he could have and would have earned ■ commissions under his contract at the rate of $25.00 per day.
“That from the time of the beginning of petitioner’s employment by the defendant, down to and including November 22, 1924, his commissions on accounts amounts to the sum of $1017.16. That during the month of October defendant placed other men in the territory in which petitioner was working and for four days he was not able to place any orders, for the reason of said interference contrary® to contract, and for these four days petitioner claims $25.00 per day or $100.00. That the days of November 24, 25, 2'6, your petitioner was unable to get out on the road to work, by reason of the fact that the defendant had not sent him any [270]*270expense money in accordance with the terms of the contract, and for the loss of these three days’ time petitioner claims the sum of $25.00 per day or $75.00. That on account of these breaches of contract on the part of the defendant, petitioner has been put to the expense of using telephones and telegraphs to the amount of $14.33, which amount he charges against the defendant. All of which earnings and charges amount to the sum of $1206.49. That, during the term of employment up to date, defendant has advanced to petitioner the sum of $677.45, leaving a balance due to petitioner under the terms of the said contract of the sum of $530.59.”

And he further alleges that by reason of defendant’s failure to advance him any further sums of money for expenses he has been and will be unable to travel and solicit orders for its merchandise and consequently will lose commissions on sales of $25.00 a day.

And he prayed judgment against the defendant for $530.59 with legal interest thereon from judicial demand and for the further sum of $25.00 a day from the date of his suit until defendant should advance him expense money in accordance with the contract between them.

After several preliminary motions, not necessary to be considered here, and the filing of an amended petition wherein plaintiff increased the item of $530.59 to $536.28 and particularized the items going to make up this amount, the defendant answered pleading, in effect, a general denial, and praying that the writs of attachment and garnishment be dissolved and plaintiff’s demands be rejected.

, On these issues the case was tried and there was judgment rejecting plaintiff’s demand and he appealed.

Defendant has filed an answer to the appeal and asks judgment in reconvention against the plaintiff in the sum of JJ95.41 I with legal interest thereon from judicial demand.

OPINION

Plaintiff, in brief, presents two possible grounds as basis of a judgment in his favor by this court, as follows:

1. Total commissions, bonuses, loss of time and expenses for telegrams, etc., claimed__________________$1041.56 Amount for idle time after defendant prevented plaintiff from working any longer_______________________ 1050.00
Grand total of plaintiff’s claims..$2091.66 Less credits admitted by plaintiff 727.45
Balance due plaintiff by defend-
ant ........... $1364.11
2. Total earnings admitted by defendant to be due....................... $768.77
Maximum receipts admitted by plaintiff ________________________________________________ 727.45
Balance due to plaintiff by defendant ................................................ $41.32
If the Glassell order is deducted by the court ____________________________________ $31.74
Balance due plaintiff by defendant ........................................................ $9.58

And says:

“Our conclusion is, therefore, that the judgment of the lower court should be reversed, and there should be judgment for the plaintiff in some amount ranging from $9.58 to $1364.11.”

In his original petition plaintiff claimed $530.59 and in his amended petition he increased this amount to $536.28 and in his brief it is reduced to $364.11. This indicates to us that plaintiff did not keep an accurate record of his earnings and expenses.

Plaintiff claimed to have earned commissions amounting to $1041.56 and defendant admitted commissions amounting to $768.77, leaving a difference of $272.79 made up as follows:

[271]*271Difference between commissions
claimed and commissions allowed $53.46 Three bonuses of $10.00 each
claimed and not allowed________________ 30.00
Loss of three days time at $25.00
a day ................................... 75.00
Loss of time for four days at $25.00
a day .................................................... 100.00
Cost of telephone conversations and
telegrams ___________ 14.33
$272.79

It will therefore be seen that what is presented for our determination is plaintiff’s right to recover $1050.00 for alleged loss of time and his right to recover for the items going to make up the $272.79.

The item of $1050.00 for time lost cannot be allowed, for the reason that plaintiff telegraphed to defendant his resignation of his employment and defendant at once accepted it. On November 20, 1924, plaintiff wired defendant as follows:

“Followed Holloway Greenville to Sulphur Springs. Found him selling my merchants. Accept my resignation or wire Sencer stop him my territory. Am claiming commission. Advise Sencer your decision. Wire me your decision Winnsboro, Texas. Home Sat.”

To which defendant replied by telegraph on November 24, 1924, as follows:

“Your wire of resignation last Thursday accepted at face value. Therefore did not send your drawing account check last week. Your account will be balanced and statement mailed you earliest possible date. Please forward your sample case and paraphernalia to Sencer, Park Hotel, Dallas, at once.”

By this exchange of telegrams plaintiff’s employment by defendant was terminated and therefore plaintiff cannot recover damages because defendant did that which he asked it to do.

Plaintiff says he did not intend his. telegram to be accepted as a resignation, but be that as it may.

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Dennis v. J. Frank Darling Co., 120 So. 686, 10 La. App. 268, 1929 La. App. LEXIS 472 (La. Ct. App. 1929).

120 So. 686 (Dennis v. J. Frank Darling Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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