Finley v. Hundley

252 S.W.2d 958, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1816
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 14, 1952
Docket14550
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 252 S.W.2d 958 (Finley v. Hundley) 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
Finley v. Hundley, 252 S.W.2d 958, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1816 (Tex. Ct. App. 1952).

Opinion

BOND, Chief Justice.

This suit was brought by Wilbur Hund-ley, appellee herein, in the County Court of Collin County, Texas against appellant, Al-' bert Finley, d/b/a Finley’s Farm Store, to recover judgment for the value of a gasoline motor which was attached to and made a part of a power hay press, voluntarily surrendered to appellant for sale to discharge an overdue note and chattel mortgage held by the Collin County National Bank.

On November 5, 1948 the appellee purchased the hay press from the appellant, executing a note in the .sum of $1,470 bearing 8% interest from date, payable in two installments of $770 on July 1, 1949 and $700 on July 1, 1950 respectively. The note provides:

“This note is given for part of the purchase price of one No. 116 John Deere Power Hay Press No. 73245, and I (maker) hereby agree that title thereto, and to all repairs and extra parts furnished therefor, shall remain in the payee, owner and holder of this note, until this note given therefor shall have been paid in money, and if at any time it shall deem itself insecure, it may take possession of said property and hold the same until said noté and the expenses of such repossession shall have been paid. If default is made in the payment of this note, * * * then the owner and holder thereof may declare this note due, and may take or retain possession of said property and sell the same at public or private sale with or without notice, pay all expenses incurred thereby, and apply the net proceeds on this note given for the purchase price thereof * * (Italics supplied.) As an additional security to said note, and simultaneously therewith, appellee executed and delivered to appellant a chattel mortgage on the said hay press and attachments thereto, with provisions as to accelerating its maturity, possession and power of sale of said property in case of default as in said note, and directed that the proceeds of such a sale be applied to the payment of said note. Upon the execution and delivery of said note and mortgage, the payee therein, A. P. Finley, endorsed and assigned the note and mortgage over to the Collin County National Bank.

On March 19, 1949 Mr. Hundley purchased from Mr. Finley a new and more powerful motor than was originally on the hay press, for a cash consideration of $535.-40. The new motor was to enable the press to perform more efficient and satisfactory service in the baling of hay. Mr. Hundley dismanteled the regular motor and securely bolted the new motor to the press in its place. Soon thereafter Hundley expressed complaint to Mr. Finley, as in the first in *960 stance, of the nonperformance of the press with the new motor attached, and because of which, he (Hundley), in June 1949, voluntarily took the press with the attached new motor to Mr. Finley’s .place of business and verbally authorized Mr. Finley to sell the press and its attachments including the new motor, and apply the proceeds of sale to payment of the note then owned and held by the Collin County National Bank. At that time neither Mr. Finley nor Mr. Hundley had any authority from the officials of the Bank to take possession and sell the hay press. In consequence, on August 20, 1949 Mr. Finley requested Mr. Hundley to obtain consent from the Bank to enable him to sell the hay press; whereupon Hundley went to the Bank and obtained letter of authorization which reads as follows:

“Collin County National Bank McKinney, Texas August 20,-1949. Mr. A. 'P. Finley, Celina, Texas. Dear Mr. Finley: This will ibe your authority to sell the hay press and take up the $1,-470.00 note I gave you for it. The Collin 'County National Bank, McKinney, Texas, now holds this nóte and when you sell the press, pay the note off including the interest and pay the difference to me. Yours very truly, (s) Wilbur Hundley Wil'bur Hundley.”

In accordance with said authorization, several months thereafter Mr. Finley sold the hay press with the new attached motor for the sum of $1,650 and from the proceeds of said sale paid the Bank the sum of $1,-552.18, the 'amount of principal and accrued interest, leaving net balance of $97.81. Of this balance ($97.81) Mr. Finley paid $36.80 for needed repairs that he had placed on the press to enable the sale, and paid out $125 commission fees to- a salesman, and after applying the proceeds as directed, Hundley came o-ut owing Finley the sum of $63.99.

The case was tried to the court without a jury and judgment entered in favor of the appellee against appellant in the sum of $537.40, less the $63.99 — net of $471.41. Appellant duly perfected appeal assigning pertinent points of error to the judgment of the trial court as giving effect to the mutual agreement entered into -by the parties as a legal obligation of Mr. Finley to reimburse Mr. Hundley for the value of the motor attached to the press. ' In the court below Hundley made no contention and assigns ■no error that Mr. Finley acted in the premises capriciously or fraudulently, or that he was under any obligation legally or morally to sell the hay press other than what he did, or that his action in the premises in no way was to obtain it as an artifice to injure the owner thereof or the mortgagee or assignee Bank. The hay press and attached motor were voluntarily turned over to Mr. Finley for sale. He sold it and applied the proceeds as directed.

We are of the opinion that all the facts, viewing same most favorably to the appellee, as it is our duty to do, point indubitably to-a conclusion that the appellant made no binding obligation to Mr. Hundley other than to exercise his best judgment and obtain the highest price for the hay press and attached motor, and apply the proceeds of sale to liquidation of appellee’s note to the Collin County National Bank, and whatever sum remained, pay it to appellee. There is no issue raised in this appeal that appellee failed to do that which he voluntarily took upon himself-to do. Hr. Hund-ley having brought the press to Mr. Finley’s place of business- and turned it over to him for sale and to allocate the proceeds of sale, Mr. Finley’s voluntary service was- at an end. Mr. Hundley testified:

“Q State whether or not he (Finiey) agreed to pay you for the value of y.our expenditure for that motor. in the sum of $535.40? A Yes, sir, I was supposed to get the money, that much back out of it.

“Q State whether or not he indicated that he thought you might get everything back out of it that you had originally put in it? A Yes, sir.

“(Mr. Nossaman: We object to that. 'Certainly as leading and suggestive. The Court: Don’t lead the witness, -counsel.)

“Q State whether or not he made any statement that you might secure any additional sum over and above the $535.40? A. Well, he did state chances were I wouldn’t lose anything on it at all, that he would get more money for it.

*961 “Q State whether or not he made you a positive statement that he would reimburse you in the sum of $535.,40 out of the sale, after the sale of the hay press? Sir? A I didn’t understand you.

“Q Will you read the question to him? * * * A Well, yes.

“Q Did you rely on that ? A Yes.

“Q Did you permit the motor to stay on the hay press? A Yes, sir.

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Bluebook (online)
252 S.W.2d 958, 1952 Tex. App. LEXIS 1816, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/finley-v-hundley-texapp-1952.