Hargrove v. Powell

648 S.W.2d 372, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4084
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 2, 1983
Docket16922
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 648 S.W.2d 372 (Hargrove v. Powell) 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
Hargrove v. Powell, 648 S.W.2d 372, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4084 (Tex. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

OPINION

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from a jury trial judgment in the amount of $2,977.00 on appel-lee’s cause of action for breach of an oral contract. Appellant presents three points of error on appeal and appellee two cross-points. We affirm.

On or about August 11, 1977, appellee decided to purchase 3,700 mutton lambs with the intent to sell them at a future date at a profit. He contacted Mr. Dick Kennedy, a livestock broker in the area, who negotiated a contract for the purchase and sale of the lambs from appellant. Appellant agreed to sell appellee the 3,700 lambs at $.50 per pound. On August 31, 1977, appellee negotiated through Mr. Kennedy the purchase of 100 ewe lambs from appellant at the price of $.50 per pound. Depending upon the future market and the growth of the lambs, appellee planned either to sell at a future date or retain all or some of the 100 ewe lambs.

Between August 12, and September 21, 1977, ten shipments of mutton lambs were made, for a total delivered number of 3,571 mutton lambs, 129 lambs short of the 3700 lambs contracted for on August 11, 1977. None of the 100 ewe lambs contracted for on August 31, 1977 were delivered. Frequent demands were made on appellant by appellee and Mr. Kennedy, but delivery of the missing 229 lambs was never made.

Appellee brought this action for breach of contract and sought damages under § 2.713 of Tex.Bus. & Com.Code Ann. (Vernon 1968). The case was tried before a jury. At the close of appellee’s case, appellant moved for a directed verdict, which was denied. Following the presentation of appellant’s case, four special issues were submitted to the jury.

The jury found that: (1) appellant had contracted to sell appellee 3,700 mutton lambs at $.50 per pound on or about August 11, 1977 and 100 ewe lambs at $.50 per pound on or about August 31, 1977; (2) appellee did not “indicate” to Dick Kennedy and appellant that he contracted as an *374 agent or officer of Southwest Livestock and Trucking Co., a corporation; (3) the fair market value of mutton and ewe lambs in Val Verde and San Saba Counties, Texas, in December 1977 was $.70 per pound, and (4) appellee was damaged to the extent of $4,408.72.

Despite the jury’s findings, the trial court entered a judgment for appellee in the amount of $2,977.00. In a letter to counsel for both parties, the judge explained that he computed the damages by taking the difference between the contract price, $.50 per pound, and the “cover” price or fair market value, $.70 per pound, “for the 229 head of lambs not delivered by Hargrove to Powell.” There is no further explanation given of how the damages were computed, whether they were based on the average weight of those delivered or the minimum agreed weight per lamb. We have mathematically determined, however, that the weight of 65 pounds per lamb was used to reach the damages awarded as follows: (65 X 229 X $.20) = $2,977.00.

In his first point of error, appellant alleges the trial court erred in not granting him a directed verdict at the close of appellee’s case. Appellant contends appellee failed to establish that the cause of action arose against him in his individual capacity. Appellant would be entitled to an instructed verdict only if reasonable minds would not differ in reaching the conclusion that the facts presented did not establish a necessary element of the cause of action brought against him by appellee. Mumphord v. First Victoria National Bank, 605 S.W.2d 701, 703 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1980, no writ), See Henderson v. Travelers Insurance Co., 544 S.W.2d 649, 650 (Tex.1976); 3 R. McDonald, Texas Civil Practice § 11.28.1(D) (rev. 1970).

Dick Kennedy testified that he had never had any dealings with Southwest Livestock, and that his dealings were only with appellant. He stated that his commission was paid by appellant, not Southwest Livestock, and that he had been brokering with appel-lee for fifteen years. He then explained how he negotiated the sale of the sheep between appellee and appellant.

Appellee testified that he dealt with Southwest Livestock and that he “considered” appellant to be Southwest Livestock. The weight tickets given appellee when he received the animals were printed with the name “Southwest Livestock”. All the checks were made out to “Southwest Livestock” and were endorsed, “Southwest Livestock Account.” Nowhere was the word “Company” used.

There is no doubt that appellee established a fact issue as to whether appellant was doing business under an assumed name. Appellant’s first ground of error is overruled.

In his second and third points of error, appellant alleges that the jury’s answer to special issue number two that he had not “indicated” that he was an agent for a corporation, was against the great weight and preponderance of the evidence and was supported by no evidence. In his brief, however, appellant argues constructive notice through the use of “Company” in “Southwest Livestock and Trucking Company” and the articles of incorporation being filed with the Secretary of State. Webster’s defines “indicate” as, “to point out or point to or toward with more or less exactness: show or make known with a fair degree of certainty.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1961). Therefore, when the jury was charged as to whether appellant had “indicated” that he was an agent for a corporation, we interpret this to mean that they were charged on the issue of actual notice; constructive notice was not mentioned.

The burden was on appellant to seek and obtain a charge on constructive notice, in that the burden was on him to prove that the agency relationship existed and that it had been disclosed. See Southwest Wheel & Manufacturing Co. v. Sholts, 501 S.W.2d 387, 393 (Tex.Civ.App.—Beaumont 1973, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (agency must be proved and cannot be presumed); Cannan v. Varn, 591 S.W.2d 583, 587 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1979, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (party with burden of proof must submit issue). Fail *375 ure to request an issue as to a defense not conclusively established under the evidence results in a waiver of the defense. Tex.R. Civ.P. 279. There is one exception, however, and that is when the defense consists of more than one issue. When this is so, a request must be made of the trial court to make and file written findings of such omitted issues, and if findings are not made, then it is deemed that the issue was found in such a manner as to support the judgment. Id.

We believe that the defense involved is one of “agency” and that constructive notice is one of the “issues” of this defense. The exception to the waiver rule thus applies and the trial court is deemed to have found no constructive notice. Gf. Strauss v. LaMark, 366 S.W.2d 555

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648 S.W.2d 372, 1983 Tex. App. LEXIS 4084, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hargrove-v-powell-texapp-1983.