Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church v. Love

243 S.W. 616, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 1157
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 30, 1922
DocketNo. 827.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 243 S.W. 616 (Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church v. Love) 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
Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church v. Love, 243 S.W. 616, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 1157 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

WALKER, J.

Appellant, Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church, a corporation, instituted this suit against appellees in their representative capacity, on the following contract :

“State of Texas, County of Harris.
“This memorandum of agreement made and entered into by and between Conrad Schwarz of Houston, Harris county, Texas, hereinafter called party of the first part, and the Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church, a private corporation, organized under the laws of the state of Texas, hereinafter called the party of the second part, witnesseth:
“That the party of the first part has agreed and by these presents does agree to give to the party of the second part the sum of five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars for the erection of a church building on lots numbers one and two (1 & 2) in Block number sixty (60) of the Brunner Addition to the city of Houston in *617 Harris county, Texas, uponi the terms and conditions hereinafter stated, and the party of the second part has agreed and does hereby agree to accept the five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars on the terms and conditions hereinafter stated:
“First. The said sum of five thousand ($5,-000.00) dollars shall be paid by the party of the first part to the contractors for the construction of said church building, as the work progresses, upon estimates furnished by the architect for said buildings, and approved by the building committee of said church, such advances not to exceed, as the work progresses, more than eighty (80%) per cent, of the value of work and material actually put into said building, and any remaining balance to be paid upon completion of said improvements, and upon said showing to be made that all labor and material used in the construction of' the improvements has been paid for.
“Second. The aforesaid five thousand ($5,-000.00) dollars includes three hundred ($300.-00) dollars which the party of the first part heretofore agreed to contribute to said church and the gift is conditioned upon the said church being designated and known as ‘Conrad Schwarz Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church’ and a marble plate shall be put and maintained in the front wall of said church building with the following name engraved thereon: Conrad Schwarz Memorial Evafigelical Lutheran Bethel Church, and the party of the second part shall keep the said church insured against loss by fire for such an amount as can be obtained from solvent and responsible fire insurance companies, and in the event of destruction of said building or injury to the same by fire, repair or reconstruct the same as conditions may require, and the repaired or reconstructed building shall continue to be known and designated as the original building herein provided for.
“Third. Out of the five thousand ($5,000.00) dollars a memorial window shall be placed in said building to cost not to exceed five hundred ($500.00) dollars, such window to be selected by him to be of a design and contain such inscriptions as may be approved by the party of the first part.
“Fourth. This donation of five thousand ($5,-000.00) dollars is made upon the conditions that the above requirements be faithfully complied with by the party of the second part, and if the said conditions be breached and not corrected within thirty (30) days after notice and demand for correction, then in such event the party of the second part shall repay to the party of the first part, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns the five thousand ($5,-000.00) dollars, hereinbefore described with interest thereon at the rate of six (6%) per cent, per annum from the date of such breach and the payment thereof shall be secured by a lien on the above described lands and premises and improvements thereon, and hereafter erected thereon; it being understood and agreed that the name of the said church as hereinbefore provided shall be maintained during the life of the building to be erected as hereinbefore provided, and such other building as may be erected on the same premises out of the insurance money, as hereinbefore provided, if any.
“In testimony whereof the party of the first part has hereunto subscribed his name on this the 15th day of July, A. D. 1919, and the party of the second part has caused these presents to be executed by its trustees, thereunto duly authorized, on this 15th day of July, A. D. 1919, and the execution of this instrument is attested by the corporate seal of the said church, and same is executed in duplicate originals. [Signed] Gonrad Schwarz, Party of the first part. Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church of Houston, Texas, By -, Chairman of Board of Trustees. August Tlionig, Fritz Teske, W. F. Hanke, R. L. Scheef, Trustees, Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church of Houston, Texas.”

This contract was duly acknowledged before a notary public, by all parties signing same.

Under its allegations that it had fully complied with the conditions assumed by it under the contract, appellant prayed judgment against appellees for the $5,000 subscription made by Conrad Schwarz in his lifetime. L. S. Green intervened in the case, alleging that Conrad Schwarz employed him to draw the plans and specifications for the building provided for under the foregoing contract, and to superintend its construction, and promised to pay him for his services 5 per cent, “on the lowest bid for the construction of said building that should be received, and that bids were received from sundry persons ; the lowest bid for the construction of said church, in accordance with said plans and specifications, was the sum of $15,500.”’

“That after the said contract was made and entered into and this intervener had been employed and entered upon said business and was performing his duties as required the said Conrad Schwarz departed this life, leaving a last will and testament, of which W. G. Love and Champ Ross were appointed executors of said estate and they qualified under the law and are now in charge of said estate and have authority to disburse and pay out the funds for the said estate and to pay off and discharge the amount that is due this inter-vener.

“That by reason of the said employment upon the part of the said Conrad Schwarz, and by reason of the services performed by this in-tervener the said Conrad Schwarz became liable to and promised to pay to this intervener, and his said executors, aforesaid, are now liable to this intervener in the said sum of $775, and they have often promised to pay the same; that the same is now due and owing and remains unpaid, to the damage of this intervener in the sum of $775.”

On conclusion of the evidence the trial court instructed a verdict against appellant. Evangelical Lutheran Bethel Church, and submitted the intervener’s cause of action to the jury on the following issues:

(1) “Did or did not Conrad Schwarz employ L. S. Green, architect, to prepare the plans and specifications for the erection of the church *618 in question? Answer, ‘He did,’ or, ‘He did not,’ as you find.
‘ Answer: “He did.”
(2) “If you have answered special issue No.

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

Related

Dallas Joint Stock Land Bank of Dallas v. Colbert
98 S.W.2d 239 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1936)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
243 S.W. 616, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 1157, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evangelical-lutheran-bethel-church-v-love-texapp-1922.