Gladys Belle Oil Co. v. Clark

1931 OK 44, 296 P. 461, 147 Okla. 211, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 748
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 17, 1931
Docket19502
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 1931 OK 44 (Gladys Belle Oil Co. v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gladys Belle Oil Co. v. Clark, 1931 OK 44, 296 P. 461, 147 Okla. 211, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 748 (Okla. 1931).

Opinion

ANDREWS, J.

The Stebbins Oil & Gasoline Company, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff, instituted suit in the district court of Tulsa county against the Gladys Belle Oil Company and H,. E. Clark. Three causes of action were attempted t.o be stated in the petition. The prayer was for judgment against IT. ID. Clark on the first and third causes of action and against H. E. Clark and the Gladys Belle Oil Company, jointly and severally', on the second cause of action. H. E. Clark filed a 'cross-petition against the Gladys Belle Oil Company and prayed judgment against it.

At the conclusion of the evidence of the plaintiff, the trial court, sustained the demurrer of H. E. Clark to the evidence of the plaintiff as to the third cause of action and overruled the demurrer of H. E. Clark as to the plaintiff’s first and second causes of action. At the conclusion of all of the evidence the trial court directed a verdict in favor of the defendant H. E. Clark against the plaintiff on its first and second causes of action. A verdict in accordance therewith was rendered, and a judgment -was entered in favor of the defendant H. E. Clark and against the plaintiff. At the conclusion of all of the evidence, the court directed’ a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and against the Gladys Belle Oil Company. A verdict was returned and the judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiff against, the Glady's Belle Oil Company. At the conclusion of all of the evidence, the issues between the defendant H. E. Clark and the defendant Gladys Belle Oil Company were submitted to a jury, and the jury, after deliberation, failed to agree and was discharged by the court. Those issues have not been determined and are now pending in the district court of Tulsa county and no judgment has been entered thereon.

The plaintiff and the Gladyte Belle Oil Company each appealed to this court.

The first proposition presented by the Gladys Belle Oil Company is:

“Where parties reduce their contract to writing, all oral negotiations, statements, representations, and inducements leading up to the execution thereof are merged therein and the rights of the parties must be determined and measured by the terms of the written instrument itself.”

The proposition as stated is correct, with certain exceptions. Roth v. Roach, 115 Okla. 199, 242; Pac. 201. As to the issues between the Gladys Belle Oil Compahy- and II. E. Clark, neither the proposition as stated nor the exceptions are applicable, for the reason that those issues have not been determined' ahd are now pending before the district court of Tulsa county.

The same proposition is presented by the plaintiff. As to it the record shows that the Gladys Belle Oil Company and H. E. Clark entered into a written contract under date of March 12, 1923, in which the Gladys Belle Oil Company; in consideration of* one dollar and other good and valuable cohsideration, granted I-I. E. Clark a six-day oi>tion within which to examine the property therein described and the title thereto ahd to accept or reject an undivided three-fourths interest therein upon certain terms and considerations thereinafter set out. The other one-fourth interest was to be retained by the Gladys Belle Oil Company. The written contract provided for a division of the proceeds from Ihe leased premises and a division of the profits, but it made no reference to losses. The rule stated could not apply, for the reason that the testimony complained of does not tend to vary or vary the terms of the written contract in that that testimony pertained to losses, and the original written contract made no reference to losses. The record further -hows that this defect in the original contract was discovered at once, that it was called to the attention of *213 Mr. Stebbins, tbe president of tbe Gladys Belle Oil Company, and that a supplemental contract, in writing, providing for a division of the losses, was executed on the same day) as the original contract. The testimony shows that the intention of the contracting parties was to have such a provision included in the original contract and that it was left out of the original contract by reason of a mutual mistake between-the parties thereto. The fact that a supplemental contract in writing was executed on the same day, providing for a division of the losses, shows the intention of the parties that the same should have been included in the contract. D’Yarmett v. School District No. 27, 72 Okla. 124, 179 Pac. 20.

Though there had been no intention to provide for a division of the losses and no mutual mistake in the execution of the original contract, that contract at best was but a six-day option which H. E. Clark could accept or reject. When he discovered that the contract made no provision for a division of the losses, he was permitted within the six-day period to reject the option. Within the six-day period he called the attention óf Mr. Stebbins to his contention, and the supplemental agreement in writing was executed within the six-day period' and, according to the record, on the day' of the execution of the original contract. The two instruments together constitute the contract. Smith v. Ferguson, 96 Okla. 150, 221 Pac. 447. Thereafter the option was accepted by H. E. Clark. That acceptance was based on the written contract as supplemented in writing. That constituted consideration. Brown v. Coppadge, 54 Okla. SS, 153 Pac. 817. In view of the record, it cannot be said that the testimony in any way tended to vary the terms of the written instrument. It merely explained the reason for the execution of the supplement to the original contract.

The second proposition presented by the Gladys Belle Oil Company is as follows: ■

“It is error for the court to direct a verdict against a party unless, after eliminating from consideration all evidence unfavorable to such party, it can be fairly said that there is no evidence, nor any inferences or conclusions that mavi reasonably be drawn from the evidence, that would justify a verdict in favor of such party.’’

Since the trial court did not direct a verdict in favor of H. E. Clark and against the Gladys Belle Oil Company, the Gladys Belle Oil Company is not in a position to make such a contention as to I-I. E. Clark, and as to H. E. Clark it will be disregarded.

Inasmuch as a verdict was directed against the Gladys Belle Oil Company and in favor of the plaintiff, we will consider the proposition as between those parties. As between them, this record shows that G. C. Stebbins was president of each of the companies. The plaintiff had taken this oil lease in its own name for the use ahd benefit of the Gladys Belle Oil Company. R. G. Dobbs was the local manager of the Gladys Belle Oil Company. Mr. Stebbins told him to go to the Frick-Beid Supply Company and procure the property and deliver it to the Allen Drilling Company, which company had the contract to drill four wells on the property. On the 11th day of March, 1923, Mr. Dobbs, the agent for the Gladys Belle Oil Company', directed the Frick-Beid Supply Company to deliver the property to Mr. Allen of the Allen Drilling Company. Mr. Stebbins had arranged with the Frick-Beid Supply Company for it to be charged to the plaintiff. Mr. Dobbs told the Frick-Beid Supply Company to let Mr. Allen have the property as directed by Mr. Stebbins.

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Bluebook (online)
1931 OK 44, 296 P. 461, 147 Okla. 211, 1931 Okla. LEXIS 748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gladys-belle-oil-co-v-clark-okla-1931.