Grovier-Starr-Parvin Co. v. N. Nigro & Co.

240 S.W. 578, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 680
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 25, 1922
DocketNo. 8622.
StatusPublished

This text of 240 S.W. 578 (Grovier-Starr-Parvin Co. v. N. Nigro & Co.) 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
Grovier-Starr-Parvin Co. v. N. Nigro & Co., 240 S.W. 578, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 680 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

VAUGHAN, J.

Appellee instituted this suit against appellant December 15, 1919, in justice court precinct No. 1, Dallas county, to recover damages in the sum of $174.-27 alleged to have been sustained by reason of short weight and defective condition of a car of cabbage purchased by appellee December 2,1919, from appellant through Tucker-Finch Company, a firm of brokers, of Forth Worth, Tex. From the judgment rendered in justice court in favor of appellee for the sum of $174.27, appellant prosecuted appeal to the county court at law No. 2, Dallas county, where trial was had November 17, 1920, resulting in judgment for ap-pellee for the sum of $174.27, from which judgment appeal to this court was duly prosecuted.

Following are all of the facts established by the evidence:

Appellee N. Nigro, doing business under the trade-name of N. Nigro & Co., produce dealer, of Dallas, Tex., purchased a car of cabbage December 2, 1919, through the Tucker-Finch Company, brokers of Fort Worth, Tex., from appellant, produce dealer of Fort Worth, Tex. In said transaction the brokers acted through Mr. Finch of said company. Appellant did not give said Finch individually, or the Tucker-Finch Company, any special authority with reference to said car, but dealt with him and the Tucker-Finch Company as an ordinary broker. Ap-pellee knew that the Tucker-Finch Company did not own the cabbage contracted for and were only acting in the premises as brokers. The sale was confirmed by invoice of date December 2, 1919, on printed form, and filled in by typewritten matter showing date of sale December 2, 1919; purchaser, N. Nigro & Co., Dallas, Tex.; seller, Grovier-Starr-Parvin Company, appellant; and containing the following provisions:

“Our responsibility ends with the delivery of this shipment to the railroad or express company in good order. If you give the railroad or express agent clear receipt for damaged goods, it is at your risk. All claims on delivered sales must be filed within ten days after arrival of car, properly supported by certified public scale tickets and signed affidavit of party unloading, also freight bill indorsed by agent. No claims for shortage will be considered unless accompanied by certified weight by public weigh-er and we are notified immediately,” which was attached to draft made by appellant on appellee for $839.50, appellant’s name being signed to each instrument.

The draft was paid December 13, 1919.

When the car arrived in Dallas, appellee personally inspected the cabbage and found same in bad condition, immediately notified Tucker-Finch Company, at Fort Worth, that the cabbage were not in good.condition and that he would not accept same unless protected against loss. Appellee was advised by said Finch to accept said car and that' appellant would later adjust said defects and shortage; that before honoring draft with bill of lading attached appellee opened the car, inspected its contents, unloaded and weighed same, and found invoice short in weight after allowing the usual 5 per cent, shrinkage, 2,275 pounds, and found damaged and unsalable cabbage to the extent of 2,066 pounds. Weights were determined by appellee on his own scales and not by a public weigher. Appellee’s claim was not accompanied by certified weight of public weigher within 10 days after arrival of car, or at any time thereafter. Appellee gave railway company transporting car of cabbage clear receipt for same, the only notation on the freight bill being as follows: “Inspected after unloading and cabbage shows more or less decay,” signed by representative of railway company.

Appellee had the right to inspect the car of cabbage on arrival in Dallas and reject same if not found to be in condition repre- *580 seated at time of purchase less the 5 per cent, allowed- for shrinkage. Immediately on such inspection being made by appellee, he communicated the results to Mr. Finch, of Tucker-Finch Company, brokers, and Mr. Finch reported the defects and shortage claimed by appellee to appellant. Appellant thereafter, through its general manager, informed appellee that his recourse for any claims for defects or shortage was against the railway company. Neither Tuckeri-Finch Company nor said Finch had any authority to act for or represent appellant any further in said transaction after having negotiated the sale of said car of cabbage to appellee.

[1] Appellee’s objections to appellant’s assignments of error, being considered, are not well taken, especially as to assignments “relating to fundamental errors of law apparent upon the record,” sufficient being revealed to make such errors clearly open to observation (see old rule 34 for Courts of Civil Appeals [142 S. W. xii]). Therefore, said objections are overruled.

[2] Appellant’s brief was filed August 10, 1921, under old rules. The new rules for briefing cases amending rule 34, while adopted June 22, 1921, were not ¡effective until September 1, 1921 (230 S. W. vii). We have searched the statement of-facts in vain for evidence conferring authority on Tucker-Finch Co., brokers, to represent or act for appellant in any other capacity thanr that of “brokers” as that term is well and generally understood and commonly used in the mercantile world. Jackson et al. v. Butler, 21 Tex. Civ. App. 379, 51 S. W. 1095. Under the evidence all authority conferred by appellant on Tucker-Finch Company was fully exhausted when the sale of the car of cabbage had been contracted to appellee on terms authorized by appellant, and any further act on the part of said brokers touching such completed transaction, in order to be binding on appellant, should have been-authorized prior thereto by appellant or with a full knowledge of the acts of such unauthorized agents ratified by appellant.

[3,4] Appellee knew that appellant was the real owner of the cabbage, and its place of business, and therefore, in his dealings with Tucker-Finch Company, was charged with knowledge of the character and the extent of the authority in fact conferred on said brokers to represent appellant in the sale of said car of cabbage, and to what extent, if any, said brokers had authority to act for appellant in any subsequent dealings with appellee in reference to said car after the transaction resulting in the sale of the cabbage had been closed. Without such authority, the agreement on the part of said brokers to change or alter in any respect the terms of the contract originally made, as evidenced by the written invoice, was the act of an unauthorized agent and, under the facts established by the evidence, not binding in any respect upon appellant. Morgan v. Harper (Tex. Com. App.) 236 S. W. 71. Appellee knew he was dealing with special agents and was therefore chargeable with notice of the limitations placed by appellant on the agency created. Therefore, in order to bind appellant, the authority conferred must be strictly followed. Fidelity Trust Co. v. Fowler (Tex. Civ. App.) 217 S. W. 953.

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Related

Fidelity Trust Co. v. Fowler
217 S.W. 953 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1919)
Jackson Bro. v. Butler, Assignee
51 S.W. 1095 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1899)
East Texas Fire Insurance v. Blum
13 S.W. 572 (Texas Supreme Court, 1890)
Morgan v. Harper
236 S.W. 71 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1922)
Groneweg & Schoentgen Co. v. Estes
128 S.W. 786 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1910)

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Bluebook (online)
240 S.W. 578, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 680, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grovier-starr-parvin-co-v-n-nigro-co-texapp-1922.