Estey Corp. v. St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Inc.

470 S.W.2d 138
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 1, 1971
Docket14989
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 470 S.W.2d 138 (Estey Corp. v. St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Inc.) 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
Estey Corp. v. St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Inc., 470 S.W.2d 138 (Tex. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinions

BARROW, Chief Justice.

Estey Corporation, a New York corporation, which does not have a certificate of authority to do business in Texas, and Continental Casualty Insurance Company, surety on Estey’s performance-payment bond, have appealed from a judgment rendered after a non-jury trial in a suit brought on a contract entered into between Estey and St. Mary’s University, whereby Estey agreed to furnish and install the library shelving in the new main library at St. Mary’s University. A dispute arose regarding the wood-end panels for the steel shelving, and this part of the contract was never completed. The judgment of the trial court deleted the wood-end panels from the contract and reduced the contract price from $51,271.00 to $41,038.50.

The steel shelving was installed, and the sum of $36,439.56 was paid Estey by St. Mary’s. Wood-end panels of birch veneer were tendered by Estey, but were rejected because they were not walnut veneer.1 The parties were unable to reconcile their differences and suit was brought by Estey to recover the sum of $14,831.44, remaining unpaid on the contract price. A cross-[140]*140action was subsequently filed by St. Mary’s against Estey and its surety seeking cancellation and termination of said contract without further liability to St. Mary’s, together with liquidated damages of $50.00 per day as provided in the contract for failure to timely complete the contract. In the alternative, St. Mary’s sought specific performance, together with liquidated damages up to the sum of $14,831.44.

St. Mary’s also filed a plea in abatement and motion to dismiss the suit brought by Estey, wherein it was alleged that Estey had no legal capacity to bring its suit since it was a foreign corporation and had never been issued a certificate of authority to do business in Texas. On May 1, 1970, the trial court entered an interlocutory judgment sustaining St. Mary’s plea in abatement and dismissing the suit filed by Estey. The case in chief was subsequently tried on the merits with St. Mary’s in the posture of plaintiff by reason of its cross-action against Estey and Continental Insurance Company. Estey’s first point complains of the dismissal of its suit.

In the spring of 1967, St. Mary’s, acting through its project architect, Brooks Martin, A.I.A., requested bids on the library shelving for the main library and law library, which were then under construction. Both Remington-Rand and Estey submitted bids. The bid of Remington-Rand was accepted for the law library, and Estey’s bid of $51,271.00 was accepted for the main library. This bid called for numerous units of steel bookstacks to be furnished and installed. The steel shelving for the main library was fabricated by Estey in its New Jersey plant and installed without complaint by a sub-contractor. The proposal also called for wood-end panels which are the subject matter of this controversy. Estey did not fabricate such wood-end panels and based its bid, as did Remington-Rand, upon a proposal made by the Robert Shaw Manufacturing Company of Fort Worth, Texas, to furnish said wood-end panels.

Article 8.18, Subdivision A, Business Corporation Act, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutes, provides in effect that any foreign corporation doing business in the State without a permit cannot maintain a cause of action growing out of such business in any of the courts of this State. Article 8.01, Subdivision B(9), supra, provides that the above prohibition does not apply to a foreign corporation “ [transacting any business in interstate commerce.” In our opinion, the contract sued upon herein by Estey was an interstate transaction, and therefore, Article 8.18, Subdivision A, did not apply.

The contract clearly contemplated that Estey, a New York corporation, would furnish to St. Mary’s, the steel bookcases manufactured by Estey, and the requirement that Estey would install same in the library building did not change the character of the sale from one in interstate commerce to one in intrastate commerce. York Manufacturing Co. v. Colley, 247 U.S. 21, 38 S.Ct. 430, 62 L.Ed. 963 (1918) ; American Soda Fountain Co. v. Hairston, 69 S.W.2d 546 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1934, no writ); J. B. Colt Co. v. McBurnett, 1 S.W.2d 385 (Tex.Civ.App.—San Antonio 1927, no writ). The interstate character of the contract between Estey and St. Mary’s is not changed by the fact that the wood-end panels were actually secured by Estey from a materialman in Texas. Estey agreed with St. Mary’s that Estey would provide said panels, and where Estey acquired same did not affect the nature of the contract between Estey and St. Mary’s. The trial court erred in sustaining the plea in abatement and dismissing Estey’s cause of action.

It is not contended that such error had any effect upon the trial of the case other than in the judgment to be rendered. Accordingly, we must consider Estey’s other points of error. Under its points 2 and 3, Estey urges that the undisputed evidence established that it complied with the contract by manufacturing the wood-end panels in accordance with the specifica[141]*141tions. Somewhat related are Estey’s points 4 through 6 complaining of the court’s failure to find that it had complied with the specifications. Points 7 through 10 relate to the authority of the project architect to reject the birch wood-end panels furnished by Estey. Estey’s 11th point complains of the trial court’s action in reforming the contract. By cross-points, St. Mary’s also complains of the court’s action in reforming the contract, and in holding that St. Mary’s had waived its right to liquidated damages.

The dispute between the parties relates directly to whether the wood-end panels should be of walnut veneer with a walnut finish, as urged by St. Mary’s, or that they could be of birch veneer with a walnut finish, as furnished by Estey. The specifications prepared by the architect, which were the basis of the bid, do not specify the species of wood in the veneer. The specifications provide in part: “Wood end panels shall be at least ¾" thick sliced veneer, finished on all sides. * * * Finish to be a walnut to match sample which will be submitted.” Both Estey and Remington-Rand, who are in the library shelving business, understod such specifications to authorize any type of veneer, so long as it was of quality hardwood. Accordingly, both submitted bids based on the price of birch veneer, which costs substantially less than walnut veneer.2 The undisputed testimony establishes that walnut veneer costs from 50% to 90% more than birch veneer. On the other hand, the decor of the main library was walnut wood, and it was desired by St. Mary’s that all match. The birch veneer did not match, although it was given a walnut stain and was, accordingly, rejected by the architect and St. Mary’s.

The uncertainty in the specifications as to the species of wood was carried forward m the correspondence between the project architect and Estey, and the samples furnished by both. Mr. James P. Crain, an associate of Mr. Martin, directly supervised the library construction and had most of the dealings with Estey. On May 29, 1967, Mr. Crain wrote Estey and stated in part: “The color and material selections for the stacks should be as follows:

1. All metal — To be painted Light Gray No. 56E2

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Estey Corp. v. St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Inc.
470 S.W.2d 138 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)

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470 S.W.2d 138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estey-corp-v-st-marys-university-of-san-antonio-inc-texapp-1971.