Farmers' State Bank of Donna v. Sullivan

241 S.W. 727, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 918
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 25, 1922
DocketNo. 807.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 241 S.W. 727 (Farmers' State Bank of Donna v. Sullivan) 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
Farmers' State Bank of Donna v. Sullivan, 241 S.W. 727, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 918 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

HIGHTOWER, C. J.

This is an appeal from a judgment of one of the district courts of Harris county, overruling a plea of privilege filed by appellant, who was defendant below.

Appellee, who was the plaintiff, filed this suit to recover $1,400, as damages alleged to have been sustained by reason of a breach by appellant of a written contract in which appellant agreed to sell and deliver to appel-lee, in Houston, Harris county, Tex., four Overland automobiles. It was alleged that appellant was a private corporation, and that the contract concerning the automobiles was in writing, and that it was made in Harris county, and was, by its terms, performable there. Appellee then alleged that appellant wholly breached the contract, and prayed for damages in consequence of such breach.

Appellant filed a plea of privilege, which was in due form, and claimed its privilege to be sued in Hidalgo county, Tex., the county of its domicile. Thereupon appellee filed ⅞ controverting affidavit, in which it was alleged that the venue was properly laid in Harris county, for the reason that the suit was upon a contract in writing, performable in Harris county, and also for the further reason that appellant was a private corporation, and the cause of action arose in Harris county. The plea of privilege was heard by the trial court without a jury, and was overruled, to which action appellant duly excepted, and has prosecuted this appeal.

There are two assignments of error in appellant’s brief, but they raise substantially the same questions, and are followed by several propositions. The first assignment is as follows:

“The court erred in overruling this defendant’s plea of privilege in this cause, for the reason that the undisputed evidence on the hearing of defendant’s first amended plea of privilege showed that this defendant was a private corporation, with its office and only place of business in Donna, Hidalgo county, Tex., with no agency or representative in Harris county, and neither the cause of action nor any part thereof arose in Harris county, where said suit is pending, and that defendant had not contracted in writing to perform the obligation sued on in Harris' county, Tex.”

The facts introduced upon the hearing of the former plea are very brief and without dispute. On, December 6, 1919, appellant, Farmers’ State Bank of Donna, Tex., wrote and mailed to appellee, at Houston, Tex., the following letter:

“December 6, 1919.
“Mr. A. P. Sullivan, Houston, Texas. — Dear Sir: This letter is in confirmation of telephone conversation between yourself and Mr. Heyck of the Gulf State Bank, Dec. 4th. On that date he mentioned that one of his customers had a number of Overland ears, and after a conversation with you, informed me that you had made an offer of $850.00 f. o. b. Houston.
“We have five Overland cars, model 90 — five passenger; serial numbers of these cars as follows: 176326, 176552, 176529, 176555, 176550.
“These cars have been here a little less than sixty days, and we advanced the money to take them off- the car, so have had them where we *729 could -watch them at all times. Four of these cars have never been driven at all, and are in perfect condition, with the exception of one of them, which has the right- rear fender bent— this was done in shipping, and the fender has been taken off and a new fender ordered by the firm who unloaded the cars — no other mark on any of these cars. One of the five cars has been driven about 250 miles in demonstration, but is in good condition. However, we will ship you thé four cars as they stand, at a price of $850 f. o. b. Houston; and dispose of the car which has been driven, here in Donna. As before mentioned, all four of these cars are new cars, and in perfect condition, with the exception of the fender of the one. These cars will be shipped as soon as possible after we hear from you, bill lading, draft attached, in care of Gulf State Bank. The price of $850.00 about lets us out on these cars, and while we could dispose of them here for more money, prefer to get them all off our hands at once. The freight agent here informs me that he will have no difficulty in getting a car.
“Will you kindly let me hear from you at once, by wire preferably followed by letter.
“Very truly yours,
“H. S. Ridgeway, Cashier.”

Appellee, as a witness in his own behalf, testified, substantially, that he received the letter from appellant above quoted, and that he immediately upon its receipt wired appellant as follows:

“Your letter received in regard automobiles to be delivered at Houston $850.00 f. o. b. Please ship at once, bill lading attached to Gulf State Bank.”

He further testified that he, on the same day, wrote and mailed to appellant a letter confirming the telegram. So far as the record before us shows, appellee received no further communication from appellant relative to the automobiles, and on December 22, 1919, appellee wrote appellant from Houston as follows:

“Dec. 22, 1919.
“Mr. H. S. Ridgeway, Cashier, Farmers’ State Bank, Donna, Texas — Dear Sir: Up to date I have not received notification of shipment of Overlands purchased from you as per your letter of Dec. 6, 1919, and my letter and telegram accepting same.
“I have two of these cars sold and have promised delivery the 25th of December. Please let me hear from you at once what date they were shipped.
“Yours truly, A. D. Sullivan & Company,-
“Per -.”

No further evidence of any character was introduced by either of the parties

Appellant’s first proposition under the above assignment is as follows:

“The offer to sell the automobiles in question for $850 each f. o. b. Houston, the acceptance of said offer, which was confirmed by letter, and the failure of appellant to deliver said automobiles, f. o. b. Houston, do. not constitute such a written contract as to deprive appellant of its privilege to be sued in the county of its residence.”

Under this proposition, appellant argues that the evidence offered by appellee in support of his controverting affidavit was not sufficient to establish a written contract which was to be performed in Harris county, nor' such a contract which of necessity must be performed in Harris county, and that the evidence was not sufficient to show that said contract would necessarily require appellant to perform its part of same in Harris county.

By counter proposition, appellee answers, substantially, that the offer by appellant to appellee in writing, and the acceptance by appellee in writing, constituted a contract in writing performable in Harris county, Tex., so that appellee was entitled to sue upon said contract in Harris county.

We have concluded that appellee’s counter proposition is correct, and is sustained by the facts upon the point in this record.

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Bluebook (online)
241 S.W. 727, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 918, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farmers-state-bank-of-donna-v-sullivan-texapp-1922.