Epstein v. Texas Bag & Burlap Co.

8 Tenn. App. 543, 1928 Tenn. App. LEXIS 176
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedMay 11, 1928
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Tenn. App. 543 (Epstein v. Texas Bag & Burlap Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Epstein v. Texas Bag & Burlap Co., 8 Tenn. App. 543, 1928 Tenn. App. LEXIS 176 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

SENTER, J.

The parties will be referred to as in the court below, plaintiff and defendant. This suit originated by original attachment in the circuit court of Shelby county. The declaration avers that on April 27, 1926, plaintiff purchased from the defendant a quantity of washed Porto Rican bags at the price of 17<f¡ per bag, consisting of 170 bales, and 250 bags to the bale, and that the defendant made delivery of only 122 bales of said bags, and that said purchase was made on a contract between the parties. It is averred in the declaration that the market value of the bags of the quality purchased had advanced, and that by reason of the failure of the defendant to ship the entire number of bags according to the contract, plaintiff sustained a loss of $480. It is also averred in the declaration that the defendant further breached the con *544 tract in not making a Shipment of the bags which were shipped to the points designated for delivery resulting in increased freight charges of $54.93. It is further averred in the declaration that among the number of bags shipped were 3,000 unwashed bags worth 3per bag less than the washed bags, and that this item amounted to $165. It was further alleged in the declaration that because of certain fraudulent misrepresentations upon the part of the defendant, the plaintiff was forced to accept and pay for 50,000 sacks at a loss of $1000. The total am'ount aggregating $1699.93, for which plaintiff sued, together with interest thereon.

The defendant filed three pleas to the declaration: First, that the defendant does not owe the plaintiff as he has alleged in his declaration. Second, that it did not promise as the plaintiff has alleged in his declaration. The third plea is a plea of accord and satisfaction and is in the following language:

“For further plea, defendant O. Wolfe, states that prior to the institution of this action and prior to August 27, 1926, there were a number of unsettled claims which the plaintiff was pressing against the defendant, and there were also a number of claims which this defendant was pressing against plaintiff for payment. On the 27th day of August, 1926, the plaintiff entered into an agreement with this defendant whereby all of these matters were adjusted, and the matters complained of in the declaration were embraced in said agreement, a copy of which is hereto attached as Exhibit £A,’ and now the said agreement is pleaded as a bar to the. declaration. ”

The agreement referred to in the special plea of defendant above quoted, is as follows:

“The State of Texas,
“County of Harris.
“Witnesseth: This final agreement and settlement entered into on this the 27th day of August, A. D., 1926, between S. H. Epstein, owner of the Tennessee Bag & Burlap Company, of Memphis, Tennessee, hereinafter called party of the first part, and Oliver Wolfe, owner of the Texas Bag & Burlap Company, of Houston, Harris county, Texas, hereinafter called the party of the second part: .
“The party of the first part has this day received one hundred twenty (120) bales of standard one and three-fourths pound washed blue strip Cuban sugar bags, 36,000 yards, in good and satisfactory condition, and in accordance with the'provisions of the contract.
“Party of the first part has also received 50,000 No. 1 cottonse.ed meal bags in good and satisfactory condition, said cottonseed meal bags being invoiced at three thousand five hundred fifty dollars ($3,550), upon which invoice cash payment of fifteen hun *545 dred dollars ($1500) has been made, leaving a balance dne of two thousand fifty dollars ($2050), which is to be paid by party of the first part, within twenty-four (24) hours after the presentation of the bill of lading for said cotton seed meal bags with draft attached for two thousand fifty dollars ($2050) at the Liberty Savings Bank & Trust Company, Memphis, Tennessee.
“Party of the second part acknowledges receipt of fifteen hundred dollars ($1500) cash payment on said cottonseed meal bags and agrees to permit the party of the first part tAventy-four (24) hours Avithin which to make payment of the tAVO thousand fifty dollars ($2050) draft attached to the bill of lading for said meal bags, after the arrival of said bill of lading and draft at the Liberty Savings Bank & Trust Company, of Memphis, Tennessee.
“Both parties agree that AAdien the said tAAm thousand fifty dollars ($2050) draft attached to the bill of lading and sent to the Liberty SaAÚngs Bank &'Trust Company, of Memphis, Tennessee, shall have paid as hereinabove set forth, that the same Avill constitute a complete settlement and discharge between said parties of all claims, obligations and controversies of every nature whatsoever uoav existing betAveen them.
“Tennessee Bag & Burlap Company,
“By (Signed) Campbell, Meyers & Simmons,
“Attorney for S. H. Epstein, “Sole Owner.
“Texas Bag & Burlap Company,
“By (Signed) O. Wolfe,
“Sole Owner.”

To the pleas of the defendant the plaintiff filed the folloAving repli- • cation:

“Comes the plaintiff and for answer to the plea'of the general issue and to the contract attached to it and so answering saith:
“He denies that he entered into a contract such as is exhibited to the ansAver of the defendant, Texas Bag & Burlap Company, and his plea is non est factum.”

The above plea of non est factum does not appear to- have been sworn to, but no question seems to have been made of this either in the trial of the case beloAv or in this court. Hence it will be considered as having been waived.

The case AAms tried before a jury in the circuit court and the verdict of the jury Avas in favor of the defendant, .and upon the verdict the suit AAras dismissed and judgment for costs rendered by the court in favor of the defendant. From this judgment of the court and the action of the court in overruling plaintiff’s motion *546 for a new trial, plaintiff prayed and was granted an appeal to tbis court in the nature of a writ of error, and the appeal has been perfected and errors assigned.

All of the assignments of error are directed to certain portions of the general charge given by the court to the jury, and will be referred to further in this opinion.

The facts necessary to be set out are, in brief, as follows: On the ,1.5th day of April, 1926, the plaintiff, through its agent and employee, one L. Werthan, entered into two contracts with the defendant, one for the purchase of a quantity of sugar bag cloth, purchased bjr plaintiff, Epstein, trading under the firm name of the Tennessee Bag & Burlap Company, from Wolfe, trading under the name of Texas Bag & Burlap Company, located at Houston, Texas. The Tennessee Bag & Burlap Company was located in Memphis, Tennessee. The other contract covered 50,000 cottonseed meal bags.

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8 Tenn. App. 543, 1928 Tenn. App. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/epstein-v-texas-bag-burlap-co-tennctapp-1928.