Heinrich v. Wharton County Livestock, Inc.

557 S.W.2d 830, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 3629
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 27, 1977
Docket1206
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 557 S.W.2d 830 (Heinrich v. Wharton County Livestock, Inc.) 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
Heinrich v. Wharton County Livestock, Inc., 557 S.W.2d 830, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 3629 (Tex. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

NYE, Chief Justice.

This is a commercial transaction case. R. J. Heinrich brought suit against Wharton County Livestock, Inc. and Newell Atkinson, Wharton’s manager, to recover the value of 102 head of cattle. Trial was to the court without the aid of a jury. Judgment was entered for the defendants Wharton County Livestock, Inc. and Atkinson that Heinrich take nothing by his suit. Heinrich appeals to this Court.

A detailed history of the events leading up to this controversy is necessary to understand the problems presented by this appeal. On October 15, 1973, Heinrich and Francis Truchard entered into a “working agreement” which provided that Truchard was to purchase, pasture, feed and care for cattle for Heinrich who would provide the necessary financial assistance to purchase the cattle. The cattle were then to be sold and the profits divided equally between the parties. In furtherance of this agreement Heinrich purchased 80 head of cattle from Truchard. On December 15,1973, Truchard attended an auction at the Wharton County Livestock place of business. Truchard purchased 102 head of cattle at this auction paying for them with a series of drafts. Truchard had never purchased cattle from this Livestock Auction Company prior to this sale. The 102 head of cattle were delivered to Truchard’s pasture that same day. One week later Truchard resold these same 102 head of cattle to plaintiff Heinrich for the original 80 head of cattle and a small amount of cash. As proof of ownership of the cattle Truchard showed Heinrich the bill of sale from Wharton County Livestock which was marked “paid by draft.” Truchard also gave Heinrich a bill of sale for the cattle. Almost immediately upon purchasing the cattle, Heinrich had them branded and made arrangements with Truchard for their pasturing.

Approximately two days before the resale of the cattle from Truchard to plaintiff Heinrich, defendant Wharton County Livestock presented Truchard’s drafts to his bank for payment which were all returned marked “insufficient funds.” On December 28, 1973, six days after the resale of the cattle from Truchard to Heinrich, Wharton filed a financing statement of record covering its interest in the 102 head of cattle.

In early February 1974 Wharton’s manager, Atkinson, discovered that the 102 head of cattle sold to Heinrich were being pastured along with the 80 head of cattle previously purchased by plaintiff Heinrich and which were covered by a financing statement filed by Heinrich's bank which had lent him the money for the initial purchase. On February 19, 1974, with Truchard’s assistance, Wharton repossessed the 102 head of cattle and then promptly resold them at auction. Very shortly thereafter, Heinrich found out about the repossession. He immediately demanded the return of his cattle from Atkinson and upon Atkinson’s refusal to return the cattle, commenced the action now being reviewed by this Court. In addition to seeking recovery from Wharton and Atkinson, Heinrich also sued Truchard and took a default judgment against him for $32,124.60 plus interest and costs.

Heinrich brought suit against Wharton and Atkinson for negligently and without regard for customary and prudent business practices selling the 102 head of cattle to Truchard. It was Heinrich’s assertion that he was a bona fide purchaser of the cattle and as such was entitled to a return of his cattle or their value. Heinrich also claimed that Wharton’s act amounted to an estoppel and waiver of any claim it may have had in the cattle. Wharton plead as its defense that the sale to Truchard was a cash sale, a conditional sale, or in the alternative that Truchard was acting as Heinrich’s agent when he purchased and resold the cattle. The trial court entered a take nothing judgment favorable to defendants Wharton and Atkinson. The trial court made the following findings of fact: 1) that Truchard and Heinrich entered into an agreement to purchase cattle; 2) that Truchard was authorized to purchase, feed and care for the cattle until sold; 3) that Truchard was *833 Heinrich’s agent when purchasing the cattle; 4) that the 102 head of cattle purchased on December 15,1973 was in furtherance of this agreement; 5) that terms of sale were cash; 6) that Truchard paid for the cattle by draft; 7) that the drafts were not honored; 8) that the memorandum of sale issued by Wharton contained the following language:

“Customers purchasing and paying for livestock through this Company by check or draft, expressly agree that title does not pass to said purchaser, but is retained by owner until the fund is actually received on the check or draft. Such check or draft is accepted only subject to the rules and practices of any bank in which it may be deposited for collection, and is accepted for collection, only as an accommodation to the maker and does not constitute a payment for animals purchased until remittance is received thereon.”;

9) that Truchard showed Heinrich the memorandum of sale prior to the return of the drafts; 10) that the agreement between Truchard and Heinrich was in effect when cattle were reclaimed by Wharton; 11) that accepting drafts and giving up possession of cattle was a reasonable standard procedure; 12) that giving Truchard possession of the cattle was not a waiver of the terms of the memorandum; 13) that allowing Truchard to maintain possession of cattle until February 19,1974 was not unreasonable; 14) that Wharton was unaware of the agreement between Truchard and Heinrich; and 15) that Truchard voluntarily surrendered possession of the cattle.

Heinrich presents eleven points of error to this Court. These eleven points may be generally reduced to three basic contentions. The first basic question is whether there was evidence or the evidence was sufficient to support the trial court’s findings that Truchard was Heinrich’s agent when he purchased the cattle. First we must determine whether or not a joint venture existed. The essential elements of a joint venture are: 1) mutual right of control, 2) community of interest, 3) agreement to share profits as principals and 4) agreement to share losses, costs or expenses. Brown v. Cole, 155 Tex. 624, 291 S.W.2d 704 (1956); Luling Oil & Gas Co. v. Humble Oil & Refining Co., 144 Tex. 475, 191 S.W.2d 716 (1946); Chandler v. Herndon, 450 S.W.2d 703 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1970, writ ref’d n.r.e.); Price v. Wrather, 443 S.W.2d 348 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1969, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Using this test we find that the “working agreement” which was entered into by Truchard and Heinrich coupled with the testimony of Heinrich himself constituted sufficient evidence to support the trial court’s findings and our conclusion that the two were in fact engaged in a joint venture.

As a general rule, a joint venture is governed by the same rules as a partnership. See Thompson v. Thompson, 500 S.W.2d 203 (Tex.Civ.App.—Dallas 1973, no writ); Weatherford v. Lee, 364 S.W.2d 730

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557 S.W.2d 830, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 3629, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heinrich-v-wharton-county-livestock-inc-texapp-1977.