Federal Reserve Bank v. Upton

285 P. 494, 34 N.M. 509
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 25, 1930
DocketNo. 3138.
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 285 P. 494 (Federal Reserve Bank v. Upton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal Reserve Bank v. Upton, 285 P. 494, 34 N.M. 509 (N.M. 1930).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

CATRON, J.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas sued J. N. Upton upon two promissory notes for the balance due thereon with interest, attorney’s fees, and costs. The principal of the two notes was $1,748.55, but two payments aggregating $518.70 were credited on one of said notes, thereby reducing the principal sued for to $1,229.85.

Defendant did not deny the indebtedness alleged in the complaint, but pleaded a counterclaim for the sum of $5,354.30 growing out of an alleged breach by plaintiff of a certain verbal contract between plaintiff and defendant entered into about May 1, 1924, for pasturage of plaintiff’s cattle upon the lands of defendant, which is, in substance : That plaintiff was to have the use o.f and pasture cattle upon a certain fenced tract of land containing more than 25,000 acres and having thereon grass and water suitable for pasturage of cattle; to pasture cattle thereon to the capacity of said pasture and until the pasturage was extinguished, and for the use thereof pay defendant fifty cents per head per month for cattle pastured thereon.

Defendant further pleads that in accordance with the verbal agreement, plaintiff shortly after May 1, 1924, placed certain cattle in said pasture and kept cattle pastured there in various numbers until about November 15, 1924, when it removed all of its cattle and has not since used said pasture and has refused to further pasture any cattle thereon; that at the time plaintiff removed the last of its cattle from said pasture, there was still abundant grass and water to support a considerable number of cattle ; that when plaintiff commenced the use of the pasture, it was capable of supporting 2,000 head of cattle for six months, or 1,000 head for one year, and that such was still the condition of the pasturage at the time plaintiff removed its cattle therefrom; that defendant by virtue of said breach of contract has been damaged in the sum of $6,000.

The counterclaim further alleges that in order to reduce or minimize his damages, defendant, after plaintiff had removed its cattle, let the use of the pasture for 254 head of cattle for one month at 50 cents per head and received therefor $127, but that he has been unable to and cannot obtain other cattle to graze upon said pasture; that ,the credits allowed by plaintiff on one of the promissory notes in the sum of $518.70 arose out of and were for plaintiff’s use of said pasture during the time its cattle were pastured thereon.

Plaintiff in its reply denied every allegation of the counterclaim except the allegation that the credits allowed by plaintiff arose out of and were for plaintiff’s use of defendant’s pasture during the time its cattle were pastured thereon. Plaintiff then affirmatively pleads that about May 1, 1924, it did enter into a verbal contract with defendant concerning the use of a certain fenced area^of land belonging to or controlled by defendant and for the pasturage of its cattle thereon, and sets forth its version of the contract, which is quite different from defendant’s version. It will be unnecessary for the purpose of this opinion to set forth plaintiff’s version of the contract.

Plaintiff further pleads that it did at various times place its cattle in the pasture, but removed same as they were sold, and that it has paid the defendant all the pasturage due him under the contract entered into; that plaintiff had, prior to November 20, 1924, expressly authorized defendant to let the pasture to the use of other cattle, which defendant might have done had he so desired without violating the terms of the contract.

It appears that the pleadings admit the amount due on the notes in the sum contended for by plaintiff; the making of some verbal contract about May 1, 1924, concerning the use of defendant’s pasture by plaintiff and the pasturage of plaintiff’s cattle thereon; the payment of $518.70 by plaintiff to defendant for pasturage of its cattle and the crediting of same on one of defendant’s promissory notes.

The case was tried to the jury upon the issues presented by the counterclaim and reply. The jury returned a verdict in defendant’s favor and assessed his damages in the sum of $4,735.60.

The court found that plaintiff was entitled to recover $1;625.16 upon the two promissory notes, and that by the verdict of the jury the defendant was entitled to recover the sum of $4,735.60 upon his counterclaim, and that defendant was entitled to a judgment against plaintiff for the excess of $3,110.44, for which amount the court rendered judgment in defendant’s favor, and plaintiff appealed to this court.

Appellant contends that the trial court erred in overruling its motion for an instructed verdict interposed at the close of appellee’s case in chief. By introducing evidence in its behalf after the overruling of the motion, appellant waived the objection. State v. Analla et al. 34 N. M. 22, 276 P. 291; State v. Stewart, 34 N. M. 65, 277 P. 22-27; First State Bank of Alamogordo v. McNew et al., 33 N. M. 414-418, 269 P. 56; State v. Vincioni, 30 N. M. 472-476, 239 P. 281.

Appellant urges that the court erred in overruling its motion for an instructed verdict made at the close of the case.

The record discloses the following:

“Mr. Fielder: We rest. At this time we renew the motion made at the end of defendant’s case by plaintiff.”

It appears from the following that two motions were made by plaintiff at the end of defendant’s case:

“Mr. Wilson: We rest.
“Mr. Dreibelbis: If your honor please, at this time I make a motion for an instructed verdict. He never proved that the people he made the contract with had any authority to make the contract.
“The Court: Any other grounds for the motion ?
“Mr. Dreibelbis: No sir, I think that is sufficient.
“The Court: The jury may retire.”

Then followed argument of the motion by counsel, following which:

“The Court: Overrule the motion.
“Mr. Dreibelbis: Exception.
“Mr. Fielder: We move for an instructed verdict for the reason that the evidence fails to establish any cause of action, and upon the further ground that the evidence fails to prove any damage.
“The Court: Overruled.
“Mr. Fielder: Exception.”

We will consider both motions upon the assumption that they were again presented to the court and overruled at the close of the case. They present the following grounds:

1. Defendant failed to prove that the people he made the contract with had any authority as agents of appellant to make the contract.

2. The evidence fails to prove any damages.

3. The evidence fails to establish any cause of action.

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Bluebook (online)
285 P. 494, 34 N.M. 509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-reserve-bank-v-upton-nm-1930.