Henry v. Wilson Ford, Inc.

399 S.E.2d 871, 184 W. Va. 160, 1990 W. Va. LEXIS 215
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 29, 1990
DocketNo. 19422
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 399 S.E.2d 871 (Henry v. Wilson Ford, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Henry v. Wilson Ford, Inc., 399 S.E.2d 871, 184 W. Va. 160, 1990 W. Va. LEXIS 215 (W. Va. 1990).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

This is an appeal by Wilson Ford, Inc., from an order of the Circuit Court of Marion County upholding a jury verdict in favor of Mary Frances Henry, the plaintiff in a conversion action, in the amount of $3,821.42. On appeal, the appellant claims that there was no evidence of conversion and that the jury’s verdict should not stand. After reviewing the record, this Court agrees and reverses the decision of the circuit court.

On June 3, 1986, Mary Frances Henry visited Wilson Ford, Inc., in Fairmont, West Virginia, and spoke to a salesman about purchasing a new 1986 Ford Tempo automobile. In the course of the discussion, Ms. Henry’s 1984 Mercury Topaz was appraised by one of Wilson Ford’s representatives. At the conclusion of the discussion, a purchase price for the new automobile was quoted to Ms. Henry which took into account the trade-in value of her 1984 Mercury Topaz. The quote was made without reference to any lien on the title to Ms. Henry’s Mercury Topaz. At the conclusion of the discussion, Ms. Henry executed an application statement to the Ford Motor Credit Company to finance the new car.

After Ms. Henry left Wilson Ford, Inc., it was determined that there was a lien against her 1984 Mercury Topaz. As a result of this lien, the financing arrangements had to be altered. On June 4, 1986, Ms. Henry returned to Wilson Ford, Inc., and rearranged the terms of the purchase. Under the rearranged agreement, Ms. Henry agreed that the lien on the 1984 Mercury Topaz was to be paid off so that title to it could be cleared and the Mercury could be used as a trade-in. In conjunction with the new arrangement, Ms. Henry executed a number of documents, including a West Virginia Retail Installment Contract for the purchase of the 1986 Ford and an “Authorization for Pay-off and Title Release and Power of Attorney.” Under the latter document, Ms. Henry constituted and appointed Wilson Ford, Inc., her true and lawful attorney to sign any and all papers necessary to transfer the certificate of title to her 1984 Mercury Topaz.

In her brief Ms. Henry claims that while she was discussing the purchase-trade-in with Wilson Ford’s salesman either on June 3 or June 4, she asked him where her 1984 Mercury Topaz was. She indicates that he said, in words or effect, that the “car was gone.”

At the conclusion of the arrangements, on June 4,1986, Ms. Henry took possession of her new 1986 Ford Tempo and took it home, leaving the 1984 Mercury Topaz with [162]*162Wilson Ford, Inc. Wilson Ford, Inc., subsequently paid the lien against the 1984 Mercury Topaz and disposed of it.

A number of months later, Ms. Henry began experiencing financial problems, and Wilson Ford, Inc., assisted her in changing the payment date on her monthly installments to Ford Motor Credit Company. However, she continued to experience financial problems, and in May, 1987, Ford Motor Credit Company repossessed the 1986 Ford Tempo.

After the repossession of the 1986 automobile, Ms. Henry instituted a civil action against the appellant, Wilson Ford, Inc. In her complaint, she alleged that after her discussions with Wilson Ford’s agent on June 3, 1986, she was allowed to test drive the 1986 Ford Tempo and it was understood that she would return on June 4, 1986, to indicate whether she wanted to purchase the 1986 automobile. She further alleged that when she returned on June 4, 1986, she had decided not to purchase a new car because she did not like the 1986 Ford Tempo. She claimed, however, that when she returned on June 4, she was informed that the defendant had sold her 1984 Mercury. She stated that she did not authorize the sale of the 1984 Mercury and that she was informed and believed that the 1984 Mercury had been sold before she had completed the test drive of the 1986 Ford Tempo. She further alleged that since her 1984 automobile had been sold, she unwillingly, and under duress, entered into the agreement whereby she agreed to purchase the 1986 Ford Tempo. She concluded with the allegation that the actions of Wilson Ford, Inc., constituted wrongful conversion of her 1984 Mercury Topaz.

A trial was conducted in the case on May 26, 1988. In the course of the trial, Mrs. Henry was questioned about her arrangement with Wilson Ford regarding her 1984 Mercury Topaz. She specifically acknowledged that she had executed the power of attorney authorizing the transfer of title to the Mercury Topaz. She also indicated, contrary to the implications of her complaint, that her car was present at the time she authorized Wilson Ford to sell it. The testimony proceeded as follows:

Q. Okay. When you first took your car in, the 1984 Topaz, and you drive into Wilson’s Ford and you talked with Herb Fetty—
A. Right in front of that door in the back.
Q. Okay. On that day, did you give them permission to sell your car?
A. No, I did not; absolutely not.
Q. And when you returned to ask for your car, did they tell you your car had been sold?
A. He didn’t say it was sold or anything. He said, “It’s gone.”
Q. It’s gone?
A. That’s right. That’s what Herb said.
Q. Okay. Were you wanting you [sic] car at that time when he told you your car was gone?
A. Beg your pardon?
Q. Were you wanting your car at the time when he said your car was gone?
A. Yes, because it was my car. I drove up there in it and I wanted to go home.
Q. Did you give him permission?
A. No, I did not.
Q. Authorize him to try to sell your car?
A. No, I did not. I wasn’t selling that car I had.
Q. Now, your car is gone and you did sign some papers to buy another car.
A. Well, I didn’t know — I forget what him and her told me. That there’s something that anyhow, I signed these papers while we were talking and I was listening to them and trying to write too, because I thought well, you know, what the heck.
Q. Now, this is—
A. But I didn’t realize what was going to happen.
Q. Okay. Now, these papers you’re talking about they wanted you to [163]*163sign, this is after Herb had told you your car was gone?
A. No, before. My car was still there. Q. Your car was still there?
A. Yes, it was.
Q. Okay.
A. I could look right out of Herb’s office and her office and see my car setting there.
Q. And how soon after that was your car gone?
A. Well, it was gone that day.

Ms. Henry also acknowledged that she received a 1986 Ford Tempo on that day and that she used it for almost a year. When asked why she didn’t return it, she testified:

Well, they didn’t come and get it. I had to take it home because that was the only way I could get home. So, I thought whenever I drove it out of there, I would just leave it and let them come and get it and that’s what I did.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
399 S.E.2d 871, 184 W. Va. 160, 1990 W. Va. LEXIS 215, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henry-v-wilson-ford-inc-wva-1990.