Employers' Casualty Co. v. Wolfe City

25 S.W.2d 320
CourtTexas Commission of Appeals
DecidedMarch 12, 1930
DocketNo. 1177-5165
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 25 S.W.2d 320 (Employers' Casualty Co. v. Wolfe City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Commission of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Employers' Casualty Co. v. Wolfe City, 25 S.W.2d 320 (Tex. Super. Ct. 1930).

Opinion

CRITZ, J.

Tbe city of Wolfe City brought this suit in the district court of Hunt county, Tex., against T. A. Bradshaw and Employers’ Casualty Company, a corporation. Tbe following circumstances formed tbe basis of tbe litigation between tbe city and Bradshaw.

Bradshaw entered into a contract with tbe ■ city to build a waterworks dam for it according to certain plans and specifications prepared by tbe city’s engineer. Tbe contract provided for a bond in tbe sum of $5,000. Tbe Employers’ Casualty Company furnished tbe bond. Bradshaw failed to complete tbe work so undertaken by him, and tbe city took charge and proceeded therewith until it had expended tbe sum of $2,152.60, but left same still incoinplete because it had exhausted all available funds that tbe city could use for tbe purpose. Tbe evidence shows and tbe jury found that it would have cost $3,000 for tbe city to finish the dam according to tbe contract.

Tbe First State Bank of Wolfe City intervened in tbe suit seeking to recover from Bradshaw and tbe indemnity company about $3,800 alleged by tbe bank to have been paid out by it in settlement of claims of laborers and materialmen against Bradshaw. Also A. A. Humphrey intervened on a claim for work performed by him. Also others not necessary to mention here intervened.

The city prayed for a judgment against Bradshaw and the surety company for $1,222.80.

Trial in tbe district court before a jury resulted in a verdict on special issues and judgment thereon as follows:

(a) Judgment for tbe city against Bradshaw and tbe casualty company for $2,842.75, with interest and costs.

(b) Judgment for the First State Bank of Wolfe City against Bradshaw and tbe casualty company for $3,800, with interest at six per cent, and costs.

(c) Judgment for A. A. Humphrey for $95.55 against Bradshaw and tbe casualty company, with interest and costs.

(d) Tbe judgment then contained the following provision:

“And it appearing to tbe Court, that there is on deposit with the intervenor, First State Bank of Wolfe City, Texas, a sum of $3,800.00 belonging to the City of Wolfe City, constituting a portion of the funds derived from a bond issue for the purpose of construction of the work in question and that had the work been [321]*321•completed in accordance with said contract and said alterations thereof, the defendant, Bradshaw, would have been entitled to have the same applied to the payment of the several claims for labor established by the intervenor bank in this cause.
“The Court is of the opinion, that under the judgment in this ease, the defendants are entitled to have the same applied now, as though the work had been completed by said Bradshaw.
“It is therefore, further ordered, adjudged and decreed by the Court, that the sum of money so on deposit in said bank, be applied towards the discharge of the judgment herein rendered as follows: $2,842.75 shall be applied in discharge of the judgment herein rendered in favor of the City of Wolfe City and the balance thereof shall be applied to the payment and discharge, so far as it will go, of the judgment rendered in favor of the said First State Bank of Wolfe City, Texas.”

The surety company and Bradshaw both appealed to the Court of Civil Appeals for the Fifth District at Dallas, which court affirmed the, judgment of the district court. 3 S.W.(2d) 527. Bradshaw and the casualty company both applied for writs of error to the Supreme Court, and both applications were granted.

We shall first proceed to dispose of the case as between the casualty company and the First State Bank. It is the contention of ,the casualty company that the bond furnished by it does not cover or embrace the claims for $3,800 herein sued for by the bank, and this contention is presented to this court by proper assignments The bank’s claim is based on the following transactions:

After the contract between the city and Bradshaw had been entered into, and after the bond had been furnished and accepted by the city, and after the work had progressed to a considerable extent, up to which time the bank had no connection or interest whatever in the matter, it is shown that Bradshaw needed money with which to pay claims of laborers and materialmen who had worked on, and furnished material for the project; that the laborers had quit work, and both the laborers and materialmen were demanding their money; that Bradshaw applied to the bank for money with which to pay the above claims; that the bank was willing to advance the money, hut desired to be protected in the premises; that the bank’s attorney advised that, if Bradshaw would give an order on the city for the amount of the claims, and agree that the bank should take the place, and stand in the shoes of, those holding the above-mentioned claims, it (the bank) could, with safety, advance the money, but said attorney ■advised as further precaution that the bank take from each laborer and materialman an assignment of his claim and lien. It seems that these arrangements were agreed upon at a meeting between the city authorities, Bradshaw, and those representing the bank. The indemnity company had nothing to do with the transaction and was not consulted in regard to the same; also the laborers and materialmen were not consulted, and did not agree to anything with reference to the matter at this time.

• After the above, transaction and agreements, the bank, from time to time, advanced the money to Bradshaw to pay the laborers and materialmen owed by him, and at the same time took Bradshaw’s notes for the amounts thus advanced. The president of the bank testified as follows with reference to the taking of these notes:

“When I put this money to Bradshaw’s credit in the bank he gave me notes for it, I still have those notes. I did not say to Mr. ..Bradshaw, after the men had all gotten their money and probably after the City had refused to accept the orders given by Bradshaw, that he did not owe me a cent, that I was looking to the City for payment of this money, I did not make that statement, I told him that he, the Bonding 'Company or the City owed me the money.
“When I paid, out these amounts to the laborers and materialmen Í had to, handle the matter in a way that would fiieet the requirements of the banking law and the bank examiners, and it had to be done by taking notes from him, it could not be handled as an overdraft. I put the notes in the assets of the bank and in order to make it balance, I deposited the money to Bradshaw’s credit. If I had not done that and had honored his checks, the result would have been an overdraft and that is against the banking laws of the State.”

When the money was thus advanced to Bradshaw, it was passed to his credit on the books of the bank. Bradshaw then issued cheeks upon the bank to the laborers and ma-terialmen in full payment and satisfaction of their claims against him. All of these cheeks had written upon their face words to show that they were in payment of labor or material used upon the city dam. These cheeks were delivered by Bradshaw to the laborers and materialmen, and were all cashed by the bank. Some of the checks were cashed directly at the bank by the persons to whom they were payable, and some of them were cashed at the stores, and then cashed by the bank.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Houston v. L. J. Fuller, Inc.
311 S.W.2d 285 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1958)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 S.W.2d 320, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/employers-casualty-co-v-wolfe-city-texcommnapp-1930.