Eyre v. Burdette

330 P.2d 126, 8 Utah 2d 166, 1958 Utah LEXIS 199
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 7, 1958
DocketNo. 8829
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 330 P.2d 126 (Eyre v. Burdette) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eyre v. Burdette, 330 P.2d 126, 8 Utah 2d 166, 1958 Utah LEXIS 199 (Utah 1958).

Opinion

WORTHEN, Justice.

Appeal from a judgment entered upon the verdict of a jury in favor of defendant.

The action was brought for the wrongful 'death of Cecil Drewery Eyre; who will be referred to herein as Mr. Eyre or decedent. At the time of the accident [167]*167the decedent was an occupant of an automobile belonging to and being driven by the defendant. The only other'occupant of the automobile was Lorene Massardi.

The appellant alleged that the decedent was a passenger for hire and that defendant was guilty of wilful misconduct and of intoxication. The court instructed the jury that decedent was a guest.

There was considerable conflict in the testimony as to the defendant’s driving and whether or not he was intoxicated. The jury resolved the questions of his intoxication and as to whether he was guilty of wilful misconduct in favor of defendant and we are not disposed to disturb its finding. There was substantial evidence to sustain the judgment.

Appellant strenuously insists that the trial court committed reversible error in holding as a matter of law that the deceased was a guest in defendant’s automobile.

It is established that decedent’s wife obtained an interlocutory decree of divorce in California about a year prior to his death. She lived in California and he in Utah. After separating from his wife decedent raised some chickens on a farm in Draper, Utah, owned by his sister.

Mrs. Massardi testified that she and decedent left her apartment about four p. m. of the day the accident happened; that they went to a store to pick up an empty crate; that the crate wasn’t empty so they went into the B Z B Inn close by; that defendant came in the bar and sat down at their table and “him and Mr. Eyre started talking about the chickens and the eggs * * * and I said to Mr. Eyre ‘we better go get them because it is getting late, we better go and gather up the eggs, because it is getting late.’”

Mrs. Massardi was asked the following questions and gave the indicated answers:

“Q. Mrs. Massardi, will you tell me what the purpose of this trip was out to the farm? A. Yes. To feed the chickens and gather the eggs.
“Q. All right. Did you hear anything mentioned, or talked about between Mr. Eyre and Mr. Burdette, any other reason than that mentioned for going out to the farm? A. No.”

Under cross-examination by defendant’s counsel Mrs. Massardi testified:

“Q. Now, Mrs. Massardi, about these eggs, you and Mr. Eyre customs-arily went out there every night and got eggs and brought them in, did you- not, and fed the chickens? A. Yes,— Sometimes went twice a day.
“Q. That is what you intended on doing when you left this B Z B you were going out to feed the chickens and gather eggs. A. That is what we intended doing when we went to the B Z B, went to get crates.to put the [168]*168eggs in when we gathered them.” (Emphasis added.)

Extensive testimony was offered by appellant to show that in the trip from the B Z B Inn-to the Draper farm where decedent kept his chickens the decedent was a passenger in defendant's car.

The only witnesses who testified about the conversations and negotiations preceding the trip to Draper were Mrs. Massardi and the defendant. It is not disputed that defendant worked at Eimco Corporation, and that he had a part time job as bartender at the B Z B Inn located at 2nd South and 5th West. He got off work on the day in question at three o’clock; went home and then went to the B Z B about 4:30 to see if the owner Mr. Bollinder wanted him to work that evening. The proprietor was out but expected back soon. Mr. Eyre was sitting in a booth and called him over; he had met Mr. Eyre while he was tending bar there. Defendant testified that he had nothing to drink until he came to the B Z B about 4:30; that he had only two short beers.

Defendant testified as follows:

“Q. While you were sitting there, what was your discussion, what was the subject of your conversation? A. We sat there and talked a little while, I was waiting for Mr. Bollinder to come in, Mr. Eyre mentioned the fact he had some eggs.
“Q. What did he say about his eggs? A. He had them for sale.
“Q. Was anything said about anybody buying them? A. We talked about them for a little while. He said he could sell them cheaper than we could buy them. I said I couldn’t use too many. Mr. Eddington, the bartender and I agreed to take half of a case between us, and when Mr. Bol-linder came in we would ask if he would take another half case — he wanted to sell full cases.
“Q. When Mr. Bollinder came in, was anything said about taking half of a case ? A. It was agreed right there.
<rQ. Was anything said about where the eggs were to be delivered? A. They were going out to get them.
“Q. Who was going to get them? A. Mr. Eyre.
***** *
“Q. Now, was anything said about when and where the eggs were to be delivered to you?
******
“A. They were going out to get the eggs, that is what they said they had to do was feed the chickens.
“Q. When was it said they would deliver them to you, when would you get them? A. When Mr. Bollinder was there and Mr. Eddington,
[169]*169“Q. You were going to buy some eggs, where were the eggs to be delivered? A. At the B Z B.
“Q. Was anything ever said about you going out to the ranch to get the eggs? A. No sir.
“Q. How come you happened to go out to the ranch ? A. I was invited to go out to the ranch.
“Q. How did that suggestion come up? A. We was leaving, when we got out the door and got outside, Mr. Eyre asked if I would like to go along. I said I had some free time, I would go with him.
“Q. Was anything said about whose car you would go in? A. His car was there, mine was around the corner, I asked whose car we would go in, his or mine. I mentioned the fact I had a full tank of gas, and zve went in mine." (Emphasis added.)

Mrs. Massardi gave the following testimony:

“Q. What, if anything, was said about getting the eggs? A. He mentioned something about selling a crate of eggs, I don’t know just how it came about, but the three bartenders with Mr. Burdette — two other bartenders and Mr. Burdette were going to buy a case of'eggs for the three of them?
“Q. Was anything said to 'Mr. Bur-dette about the price? A. Mr. Eyre said he would sell them to him for less than he got for a case of eggs.
' “Q- What did Mr. Burdette say? A. He said that would be a good deal, because they could use them in the bar.
“Q. Then what happened? A. Well, I don’t know just how long wé were in there, we then started to leave and went outside, and Mr.

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330 P.2d 126, 8 Utah 2d 166, 1958 Utah LEXIS 199, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eyre-v-burdette-utah-1958.