Fleming v. Sondock

43 F. Supp. 339, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3209
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedJanuary 21, 1942
DocketNo. 528
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 43 F. Supp. 339 (Fleming v. Sondock) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fleming v. Sondock, 43 F. Supp. 339, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3209 (S.D. Tex. 1942).

Opinion

KENNERLY, District Judge.

Doing business as the McCane-Sondock Detective Agency, Defendants were long prior to, and at the time, this suit was filed, and have been since, engaged in furnishing for pay, a detective and night-watch service to many and various clients in Houston, Texas, and immediate vicinity, and nearby points, but all within the State of Texas. This is a suit under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, Sections 201 to 219, Title 29 U.S.C.A., by the Administrator under such Act (Section 4), claiming that Defendants and their business and certain of their employees come within the scope of such Act, and particularly Sections 6 and 7 thereof, and seeking to enjoin Defendants (Section 17) from violating such Act with respect to the minimum wages paid such employees and the maximum hours which such employees are required to work. Defendants answer, denying that such Act, particularly Sections 6 and 7 thereof, is applicable to either their business or their employees, and claiming exemption under Section 13(a) (2) of the Act.

The facts are substantially as follows:

(a) At the trial, Plaintiff offered in evidence a Stipulation of the parties, which I quote in part:

“The defendants, J. S. Sondock and M. C. Sondock are residents of the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas. They own and operate as partners the McCane-Sondock Detective Agency, which is the trade name they have assumed in their [340]*340business. This business is the successor to the McCane Detective Agency, organized and begun in the year. 1893 by James McCane. It has operated continuously in Houston since that time. J. S. Sondock became identified with said business in 1912, and became a part owner of said business in 1926, and in December of 1937 he became the sole owner of said business, and continued as such until August 26, 1940, when M. C. Sondock acquired an interest therein.
The defendants are engaged in furnishing a detective, and night watch service to various clients in Houston and environs, but all within the State of Texas, and all except occasional special employments within the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas. About ninety per cent (90%) of the business of the defendants, and approximately that percentage of their income, is derived from furnishing regular night watch service 'to various business establishments and residences located in and around the City of Houston, Harris County, Texas, and about ten per cent (10%) of the volume of business and income therefrom is derived from furnishing various kinds of detective services and special watch services under special contracts of employment for the furnishing thereof. The defendants employ thirty-six (36) regular employees and others from time to time to^ do special work as they are needed. Two of their employees and the defendants themselves perform private detective services under special contracts of employment such as assisting police officers in locating persons to be served with process, and other similar services ordinarily within the class of work done by a private detective agency. Defendants themselves handle their own clerical, stenographic, and other work incident to the maintenance of their office in Houston. The defendants now have in their employ 34 full time night watchmen who perform regular fight watching services for various establishments — clients of defendants more particularly described hereinafter. In all eases the defendants contract with their clients to furnish detective or watch service for an agreed fee, and they select their own employees who perform the services contracted to be furnished. These employees are responsible solely to the defendants for the performance of the duties assigned to . them. These employees are employed and paid by the defendants, and the manner in which they do their work is directed entirely by the defendants. The defendants pay all employers’ social security tax-e.s on the amounts paid to these said employees. The defendants maintain a downtown office in the City of Houston, and the watchmen hereinabove referred to do no work in and around this office, but report there from time to time for instructions, reports, and for the purpose of receiving their pay checks!”

(b) There is then set forth in the Stipulation a tabulation showing the name of each of the thirty four (34) men now employed by Defendants, how and where employed, the number of hours per week he works, and the wages paid him. This tabulation and the evidence offered in addition thereto show:

That in most instances, Defendants’ employees worked more than the maximum hours and/or were paid less than the minimum wages prescribed by the Act.

That Defendants serve approximately 294 clients, of whom approximately 59 are industrial concerns hereinafter referred to, and of whom the balance or approximately 235 are owners of private residences or of purely local or intrastate concerns, and about whom there appears to be no dispute that they have no transactions whatever in Interstate Commerce.

That approximately 13 of Defendants’ 34 employees work for Defendants as watchmen for such industrial concerns, 10 as watchmen for residences and other local concerns, 6 as watchmen for both residences, etc. and industrial concerns, 1 in Defendants’ offices to answer emergency calls from clients and from the regular watchmen, 1 is a relief watchman, taking the place of men who are off duty on account of sickness and other causes, and 3 are assigned by Defendants to guard a shipyard at Orange, Texas,

(c) In addition to Defendants’ 34 regular employees, Defendants employ special men from time to time, and the Stipulation with respect thereto is as follows:

“In addition to these employees, the defendants employ from time to time on a part-time, or as-needed, basis, as many as twenty-five more men who act as watchmen for special tasks, or special occasions, of an unusual nature, where the defendants are employed to furnish watch service and watchmen, as, for example, during Halloween, when some twenty-five extra men were employed to watch residences and retail stores in Houston.
[341]*341These employees are not on a regular monthly or full time basis. The work that these part-time men do is partly watching residences, retail stores, and small service establishments, and partly concerns or plants which engage either in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. But for the time that they work they are paid either $2.25 per day for twelve hours work, or in some instances thirty cents per hour or $3.60' per day for twelve hours work, and in a few instances forty cents per hour, or $4.80- for twelve hours work. Some of these employees are pensioners from concerns with which they have worked, and work only during week ends or on special occasions.”

(d) Defendants, as stated, serve approximately 59 industrial concerns. With respect to all industrial concerns, the Stipulation shows the following:

“It is agreed that as to all the industrial concerns watched by the defendant except those listed below, the night watchmen make their calls and do their watching at night when the plants are closed for the night and not in operation.
“However, as to the following concerns, only, when the defendant’s watchmen call the plants are frequently in operation:
“(1) Lloyd Metal Company.
“(2) Horton & Horton.

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Bluebook (online)
43 F. Supp. 339, 1942 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fleming-v-sondock-txsd-1942.