Estate of Olivas & Co. v. J. Matienzo & Co.

13 P.R. 285
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedDecember 12, 1907
DocketNo. 116
StatusPublished

This text of 13 P.R. 285 (Estate of Olivas & Co. v. J. Matienzo & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Olivas & Co. v. J. Matienzo & Co., 13 P.R. 285 (prsupreme 1907).

Opinion

Mr. Justice MacLeaby

delivered'the opinion of the court.

This is an appeal taken from a judgment rendered by the District Court of San Juan, in the first section of the same, on the 15th day of October, 1906. The action was brought for [286]*286damages for breach of contract. It is alleged that the defendants, J. Matienzo & Co. and J. Matienzo individually, made a contract with the plaintiffs, who are the successors of Olivas & Co., whereby the defendants agreed to deliver to the plaintiffs daily 200 quarts ^ of milk, for which they were to receive in payment 5% cents per quart, or $11 daily. Other particulars are alleged pertaining to the contract and the breach of the contract, for failure to deliver and consequent dámage, in the sum of $4 per day for two years, or $2,920 in the aggregate. .It is contended by counsel for the appellees in his brief and oral argument, that the appeal taken by J. Matienzo, in his individual capacity, should be dismissed because he did not appear in this court and file his brief within the time required by law. As the judgment of the lower, court was in 'his favor the dismissal of Matienzo’s appeal could have no practical effect; but as this court desires to comply with its own rules, the appeal made by J. Matienzo individually will not be considered and it may be regarded as virtually dismissed, and an order may be entered to that effect. Counsel for appellees insists in his brief that, inasmuch as this appeal was taken from the judgment and more than 15 days after its rendition, this court cannot inquire into the evidence and determine whether or not it supports the decision, but that as the record is presented here this court is confined to the inquiry whether or not the judgment is consistent with the findings.

In support of this view counsel cites section 295 of the Code of Civil Procedure. This section of the Code in the first paragraph thereof says:

“* .* * But an exception to the decision or verdict, on the ground that it is not supported by the evidence cannot be reviewed on an appeal from the judgment unless the appeal is taken within 15 days after the rendition of the judgment. ’ ’

We must accept this view and thus construe the section cited. The appeal, being taken' from the judgment, brings [287]*287in review only the law pertinent to the case and not the evidence on which the decision is based. This has been the practice in this court, whenever the matter has been called to its attention, since the adoption of the Code of Civil Procedure, on the 1st of. July, 1902, and we do not feel justified in disturbing it now. See Case of Román v. American Railroad Co. of P. R., decided on the 29th day of January, 1906; 3 Decisions of Porto Rico, pp. 31 and 32 et seq., and Maisonave v. Maisonave et al., decided the 5th of December, 1907. This construction may not conform to • some of the decisions of the appellate courts in the various States of the Union, but it is in conformity with the rules laid down in California by the Supreme Court of that State in construing an entirely similar statute.

Section 939 Code of Civil Procedure of California. Clark v. Gridly, 49 Cal., 108; Handley v. Figg, 58 Cal., 580; Coonan v. Lowenthal, 129 Cal., 201; Ryland v. Heney, 130 Cal., 429.

The opinion of the district judge trying the' case, which includes the findings of fact and the conclusions of law which he deemed proper and pertinent to the decision of the case, reads as follows:

“In order to reach a final decision in this suit, the court has taken great care in weighing all the evidence, and especially the testimony •of the witnesses, taking into consideration the greater or lesser, assurance with which each witness gave his testimony, the hesitations and doubts of some of the witnesses, the interest they might have in testifying, whether their statements were contradicted by their .actions and words, and, in short, believes to have properly weighed and considered the value of all the evidence; and as a consequence of said •evidence and the arguments of counsel, the court has' arrived at the following conclusions:
“1. That, on the night of the 5th or 6th of October, 1905, in the Café ‘La Mallorquina’, which belongs to the plaintiffs, the latter, in the presence of several witnesses, made an agreement with Joaquin Matienzo, as representative of J. Matienzo & Co., in regard to the following particulars, which were the only ones treated of:
“(a) J. Matienzo & Co. bound themselves (by said agreement) [288]*288daily to deliver to Successors of Olivas & Co., 200 quarts (cuartillos) of pure cows ’ milk, which the latter engaged themselves to receive.
“(b) The price of the said purchase sale was to be 5y2 cents per quart (cuartillo).
“(c) “The delivery of the 200 ‘cuartillos’ of milk was to be made in the establishment La Mallorquína between 5 and 6 o’clock in the morning.
“(d) The contract was to continue in force for two years, and the parties were to give notice eight days' before entering upon the fulfill ment of the same. *
“II. When the aforesaid agreement was made the contracting parties and the witnesses celebrated the same by drinking champagne, which they did out of joy that the former had reached an agreement, since there had been a long discussion about the price.
“III. When the aforesaid verbal agreement was made, J. Ma-tienzo & Oo. were not yet in possession of the cows which they intended to purchase; but on one of the last days of October, Mr. de la Haba and Mr. Joaquin Matienzo, of the commercial firm which is the defendant in this case,, notified Mr. Paulino Pumarada, a partner of the firm which has brought this Suit, that they had purchased the necessary cows.
“IV. It does not appear to have been properly proven that when the verbal agreement set forth under No. -1 was made, Mr. Joaquin Matienzo made any reservation, or that he informed the partner Pumarada, with whom he made the contract for the plaintiff firm, ■ that he could make no contract, and that he needed the approval of , the other partner^ Mr. de la Haba.
“V. On the first day of the following month of November, J. Matienzo & Co. addressed a letter, which was written and signed by Mr. Joaquin Matienzo, in the name of the firm, to the aforesaid plaintiffs, in which letter they ratified the agreement made by Mr. Joaquin Matienzo and the plaintiffs.
“VI. Although, in the verbal agreement, no stipulations were made that the contract was to be put in writing, about the time when the letter of the 1st of November was written, the parties to this suit, at the request of J. Matienzo & Co., contemplated the execution of a private document concerning the matter.
“VII. In reply to the letter of the 1st of November successors of Olivias & Co. wrote a letter, in which they congratulated themselves that the aforesaid firm was disposed to fulfill the agreement that had been -made, setting forth the stipulations of said verbal agreement, [289]

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

Related

Clay Center v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co.
145 U.S. 224 (Supreme Court, 1892)
Coonan v. Loewenthal
61 P. 940 (California Supreme Court, 1900)
Ryland v. Heney
62 P. 616 (California Supreme Court, 1900)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
13 P.R. 285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-olivas-co-v-j-matienzo-co-prsupreme-1907.