George v. Leypoldt & Pennington

187 N.W. 913, 108 Neb. 395, 1922 Neb. LEXIS 260
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 11, 1922
DocketNo. 21940
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 187 N.W. 913 (George v. Leypoldt & Pennington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
George v. Leypoldt & Pennington, 187 N.W. 913, 108 Neb. 395, 1922 Neb. LEXIS 260 (Neb. 1922).

Opinion

Welch, District Judge.

■ This is an action brought by Henry George, plaintiff and appellee, to recover from Leypoldt & Pennington a balance which plaintiff claimed to be due him from defend' ants for seven stacks of hay which plaintiff alleged he had sold and delivered to the defendants through their agent, one Charles Carlton, at the sum of $18 a ton and for which the defendants had paid but $466. The defendants denied that said Carlton acted as their agent in'the purchase of any hay from plaintiff. They further alleged that they purchased of said Carlton 24 stacks of hay, which was to be baled and placed on the cars for them at Brady, Ne[396]*396braska, and that by virtue of said agreement defendants-agreed to advance, and did advance, money to said Carlton to make advance payments to the plaintiff for hay, which said Carlton purchased from plaintiff and sold to defendants. The only question in the case to be determined on the trial was whether or not said Carlton was agent for defendants, and, as such, bought the hay from plaintiff. Trial was had to a jury and verdict returned for plaintiff.

The appellants assigned herein as error that the court erred in refusing' to give instruction No. 1 asked by defendants. Such refusal was not assigned in the motion for a new trial as ground therefor. This court, therefore, will not review the action of the trial court in refusing to give the instruction. Home Fire Ins. Co. v. Phelps, 51 Neb. 623.

Other errors assigned herein relate to the admission and rejection of evidence on the tidal, and to the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict. The said Carlton, called to testify in behalf of plaintiff, testified that about March 10, 1919, he had a telephone conversation with the defendant Leypoldt, he, Carlton, being at Brady, and Leypoldt at North Platte. He testified as follows: “I told him there was some hay down there I could buy for bim and asked him what he could pay for it. He asked me the quality of the hay and I told him Mr. George said it was good hay. He told me to go and look at it and if it was good quality and good color to buy it for them. * * * I went down and looked at the hay and came back and called him up. * * I told him it was No. 1 hay, good quality and good color, around sixty ton, * * seven stacks, and that Henry insisted on measuring the hay. * * * He said they would only buy hay by weight. * * * I says, ‘Henry wants a payment down.’ He says, ‘Make a payment down. We want the hay.’ I says, ‘How much shall I pay down?’ He says, ‘Make him a good payment. Draw on us for the money.’ ” Carlton also testified that he told Leypoldt the baling and hauling was all he cared about, and that he said they could pay $24. “That would allow me $6 for [397]*397baling and hauling.” After the conversation “I took him (George) over to the bank and drew a draft on Leypoldt & Pennington for $400. * * * I told him they would make him a payment down and to draw enough of the money at $18. * * * A draft was drawn for $400, the money was turned over to Mr. George.” This draft was introduced in evidence. It was in favor of Henry George, and stated thereon, “Payment on hay, 7 stacks,” and was duly paid by Leypoldt & Pennington. Carlton also testified that after he had looked at the hay he saw George and told him that Mr. Leypoldt would pay $18 for the hay in the stack. Carlton testifies that the hay measured 59 tons, and something ; that he baled and hauled it to Brady; that all the hay was hauled there, and that he shipped it out; that Mr. Pennington billed the last two cars himself; that he would call up and they would telephone him the bill, or some of them would come down and bring the bill. He also testified that Leypoldt said to him, “to be sure to see it was measured so it would hold out.”

Appellants assign as error that the court erred in admitting this testimony of Carlton tending to establish an agency between appellants and Carlton, and that the court-erred in admitting the testimony of Carlton of his conversation with the plaintiff. The appellants contend that this; testimony was inadmissible, for that agency cannot be proved by mere acts or declarations of an alleged agent, not brought home to the principal. The testimony of Carlton of his conversation over the telephone with Leypoldt was testimony of acts and declarations of Carlton, the alleged agent, with the alleged principal, and of the declarations of that principal. They tend directly to constitute ' Carlton agent of the appellants, Leypoldt & Pennington, to buy this hay of appellee for them. They are not acts or declarations not brought home to the principal. The authorities cited by appellants in support of their contention are all cases in which it was sought to prove agency by proving unsworn statements and declarations of the alleged agent. They were not cases in which the state[398]*398ments and declarations of the agent consisted of testimony of that agent in the case then on trial, testifying to his declarations and statements to the alleged principal, and the principal’s replies thereto. Appellants lay considerable 'stress upon the decision in the case of Fitzgerald v. Kimball Bros. Co., 76 Neb. 236. In that case it was sought to prove agency by proof of what the alleged agent had said when not under oath or testifying in the case, as . to the effect and nature of a conversation carried on between himself and his alleged principal by telephone. It was not sought to prove this by the testimony of the alleged agent who had the telephone conversation, but to prove it by another person testifying to what the alleged agent stated was the effect of his telephone conversation. All the other cases cited by appellants on this point are based upon acts and declarations of the alleged agent made by him when not testifying in the case on trial.

“While evidence of the acts or declarations of a person alleged to be an agent is not admissible for the purpose of establishing the agency, the testimony of such person, if not otherwise incompetent, is admissible for that purpose.” Nostrum v. Halliday, 39 Neb. 828.

None of the authorities- cited by appellants hold that the alleged agency cannot be established by the testimony ■ of the alleged agent testifying in the case on trial as to his declarations to the alleged principal, and such principal’s replies thereto.

It was proper, after this testimony of Carlton as to these conversations with said Leypoldt, for Carlton to testify as to what conversations he had with the appellee with reference to buying the hay. If Carlton was the agent of appellants his conversation with appellee was a part of the res gestw. This testimony of Carlton as to his conversation with appellee was necessary in order that the jury might determine therefrom whether or not the said Carlton did buy the hay for appellants as their agent,' in case the jury found he was so authorized to buy it. The declarations of an agent during the transaction of business for [399]*399Ms principal, within the scope of his agency, if made in relation to such business, are admitted as a part of the res gestee, but not to prove the fact of agency itself. Jones, Evidence (2d ed.) sec. 255.

Appellants, however, argue that this evidence would be insufficient to authorize Carlton to buy hay in the stack for appellants.

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Bluebook (online)
187 N.W. 913, 108 Neb. 395, 1922 Neb. LEXIS 260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/george-v-leypoldt-pennington-neb-1922.