Heid Bros., Inc. v. Smiley

166 S.W.2d 181
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 12, 1942
DocketNo. 5971.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 166 S.W.2d 181 (Heid Bros., Inc. v. Smiley) 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
Heid Bros., Inc. v. Smiley, 166 S.W.2d 181 (Tex. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

*182 HALL, Justice.

This is a suit by appellee for the balance alleged to be due him by appellant for hay shipped to it in December 1937, by appellee under the terms of a written sales contract theretofore entered into by them. Appellant answered by general demurrer and general denial and averred that it purchased 650 tons of U. S. No. 2 feeding hay, but ap-pellee shipped lower grades of hay mixed with U. S. No. 2; that said hay was purchased by appellant to fill a contract it had with the United States Government at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; that several cars of said' hay were refused by the Government at Fort Sill because of the inferior grade of some of the hay contained in the cars; that appellee fraudulently represented to appellant’s agent that the hay purchased was of U. S. grade No. 2 feeding hay, which representations induced appellant to enter into the contract of sale. By cross action appellant averred that by reason of the refusal of said hay by the Government on account of its inferior grade, appellant-had been forced to reship said hay to other points in the State of Oklahoma and by said reshipment it incurred certain expenses, such as increased freight rates, de-murrage, storage, etc. Appellant also alleged that it had been forced to purchase hay elsewhere at increased prices and freight rates to fill its contract with the United States Government; that these expenses incurred by it were in excess of $1,155, for which it sought judgment. Trial was to a jury upon special issues, and upon the 'answers returned judgment was rendered for appellee for the amount of his alleged indebtedness.

Appellant’s point 1 is: “The plaintiff’s (appellee’s) petition was subject to defendant’s (appellant’s) general demurrer because it failed to allege that the plaintiff had performed his obligations under the contract, and in particular that he had presented bills of lading to the First National Bank of Paris, Texas, and drew the drafts on defendant as provided in the contract, and that the defendant refused payment of the drafts so drawn.” The trial court overruled appellant’s general demurrer on September 1, 1941, the day it was presented to him, as shown by the judgment. On that date the new rules of civil procedure became effective. Rule No. 90 of our Civil Procedure plainly asserts that “general demurrers shall not be used.” Rule No. 814 provides: “These rules shall take effect on September 1st, 1941. They shall govern all proceedings and actions brought after they take effect, and also all further proceedings and actions then pending, except to the extent that in the opinion of the court their application in a particular action pending when the rules take effect would not be feasible or would work injustice, in which event the former procedure shall apply. * * *” Clearly, then, by the provisions of Rule No. 814, the new Texas Rules of Civil Procedure are applicable to this case, unless in the opinion of the trial court their application “would not be feasible or would work injustice” upon appellant. But there must be a ruling of the trial court on the feasibility and justness of the application of the rule before the complaining party can raise the question on appeal. Automobile Ins. Co. v. Springfield Dyeing Co., 3 Cir., 109 F.2d 533; John R. Alley & Co., Inc., v. Federal National Bank of Shawnee, 10 Cir., 124 F.2d 995; Weaver v. Mark, 6 Cir., 112 F.2d 917. The question of the applicability of the rules in any pending case at the time of their adoption is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Doyle v. Loring, 6 Cir., 107 F.2d 337. The source of Rule 814 is Federal Rule 86, Vernon’s Texas Rules Civil Procedure (Franki) p. 619, and the part copied next above is identical with the Federal Rule. Therefore the decisions of the Federal Court, some of which were handed down before the adoption of our rules, are very persuasive, if not controlling. The record reflects no ruling by the trial court that the application of Rule 90 of our Civil Procedure would not be feasible or would work an injustice, therefore the action of the trial court in overruling the general demurrer can not be raised on this appeal.

But aside from the application of Rule 90 and Rule 814 of our Civil Procedure, we do not think appellee’s petition vulnerable to a general demurrer. The contract entered into by appellant and ap-pellee, and which is set out in full in appel-lee’s original petition, in its last paragraph : “As a further and moving consideration for this sale Heid Brothers (appellant) promise, agree and guarantee that drafts accompanying bills of lading when delivered to The First National Bank of Paris shall be paid promptly to that bank.” It is contended that a strict compliance with the above' paragraph of the sales contract by appellee must be alleged in his petition *183 before a recovery would be authorized, Appellee averred in his petition that “notwithstanding frequent demand made by plaintiff (appellee) of defendant (appellant) for the payment of said balance of $118.27, defendant has failed and refused' and still fails and refuses to pay the same, to plaintiff’s damage in the amount of said sum with legal interest thereon.” As against general demurrer, this is a sufficient allegation of demand and failure of payment, and satisfies the requirement of the law even when tested by the last paragraph of the sales contract copied above. In Long v. McCauley, Tex.Sup., 3 S.W. 689, 691, it is said: “Plaintiff sufficiently alleged a compliance with the contract on his part. It was not necessary that he should have averred specifically and in detail the performance of every act which he had agreed to do. A general allegation to this effect was not only sufficient, but commendable for its brevity. Prolixity of pleading tends to confuse rather than to enlighten the courts and juries, and should be avoided.” In 17 C.J.S., Contracts, p. 1174, § 539, it is said: “An allegation that defendant refused to pay plaintiff, although often requested, shows a sufficient excuse for not making a formal demand for payment.” It is thought that the paragraph of the sales contract copied above has direct reference to the place of payment so as to fix venue in Lamar County, rather than the manner and method of payment. This was our holding on appellant’s former appeal in this case from the order of the District Court of Lamar County overruling its plea of privilege to be sued in El Paso County. Heid Bros., Inc., v. Smiley, Tex.Civ.App., 144 S.W.2d 952. This point is respectfully overruled.

By points 3 and 5, appellant asserts that the trial court wrongfully entered judgment for appellee upon an incomplete verdict of the jury — special issues No. 2 and No. 4 not being answered. The sales contract entered into by appellant and appellee is:

“The following Sales Contract has been entered into by and between M. L. Smiley, of Paris, Texas, and Heid Brothers, of El Paso, Texas:
“M. L. Smiley has sold to Heid Brothers and Heid Brothers have purchased from M. L. Smiley not to exceed six hundred fifty (650) tons of the haled prairie hay now stored in M. L. Smiley’s barn No. 1 at Brookston, Texas, and in O. E.

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Bluebook (online)
166 S.W.2d 181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heid-bros-inc-v-smiley-texapp-1942.