Hopkins v. County of Leon

74 So. 305, 73 Fla. 99
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 26, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 74 So. 305 (Hopkins v. County of Leon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hopkins v. County of Leon, 74 So. 305, 73 Fla. 99 (Fla. 1917).

Opinion

Shackleford, J.

Henry L. Hopkins, as surviving partner of the firm lately doing business under the name of H. L. McElvy and H. L. Hopkins, instituted an action at law against the County of Leon, in the State of Florida, for the recovery of the contract price for building [101]*101a bridge across the Ocklockonee River. The first count of the amended declaration is as follows:

“Henry L. Hopkins, as surviving partner of the firm lately doing business under the firm name of H. L. Mc-Elvy and H. L. Hopkins, by W. C. Hodges, and Joseph A. Edmondson; his attorneys, says:

“ ‘For that by an agreement made between the said H. L. McElvy and the said Henry L. Hopkins, and the said defendant, the said H. L. McElvy and the said Henry' L. Hopkins agreed to build for the defendant, a bridge across the Ocklocknee River, at what is known-as McCall’s Landing; in consideration thereof the defendant promised to pay to the said firm, Twelve hundred and twenty-four ($1,224.00) dollars, when said bridge was completed, inspected and accepted by the Board of County Commissioners of said County of Leon, and the Board of County Commissioners of Gadsden County, Florida; that after said firm undertook the building of said bridge and before the same was completed, the said H. L. Mc-Elvy died, and the said Hemy L. Hopkins completed the building of said' bridge; and although the said bridge has been built in accordance with the terms of said agreement and due notice thereof has been given to the County Commissioners of said County of Leon, and the County Commissioners of said County of Gadsden, and the plaintiff has requested the said Commissioners of both of said counties to inspect and accept said bridge, the said Commissioners of both of said, counties have unreasonably and arbitbarily failed and neglected to inspect and accept said bridge, and the said defendant has not paid to plaintiff the said sum of twelve hundred and twenty-four ($1,224.00) dollars, though payment thereof has been demanded.’ ”

The second count differs from the first only in that it alleges that the Commissioners of both counties (Leon [102]*102and Gadsden), "have unreasonably and arbitrarily refused to inspect and accept said bridge.” The declaration also has the common counts, but they were abandoned.

The defendant filed the following pleas:

“(i) For a first plea to the first and second counts of said declaration, and to each thereof,, the defendant says that it did not promise as alleged.

“(2) And for a second plea to the first and second counts of the said declaration, and to each thereof, the defendant says that the Board of County Commissioners of Leon County, Florida, on. to-wit: April'2nd, 1907, advertised that sealed bids would be received at the County Clerk’s office until ten o’clock A. M. Tuesday the 6th day of May, A. D. 1907, for the construction of a wooden bridge across the Ocklocknee River at what is known as McCall’s Landing, the bridge to be of sufficient length to cover the first slough on the Gadsden County side of the river, according to plans and specifications at the office of th,e County Clerk, the said Board reserving the right to reject any and all bids; and the said H. L. Mc-Elvy and H. L. Hopkins pursuant to said notice submitted to the said Board of County Commissioners a bid to build such bridge for the sum of $2,448.00, which bid was accepted but with the understanding, however, between the said Board of County Commissioners and the said H. L. McElvy and H. L. Hopkins that the County of Leon would pay half of the amount of said bid if the County of Gadsden through its board of County Commissioners would agree to pay the other half thereof; but the Board of County Commissioners of Gadsden County refused to enter into'said agreement, and would not agree to pay one-half of the amount bid as aforesaid by the said Mc-Elvy and Hopkins for the construction of said .bridge, and because of such refusal no contract was ever made or [103]*103entered into between the said McElvy and Hopkins and the County of Leon for the building and construction of said bridge.

“(3) And for a third plea to the first and second counts of the said declaration the defendant says that the defendant accepted a bid of the said H. L. McElvy and H. L. Hopkins to build the bridge mentioned in the declaration for the sum of $2,448.00 and agreed to pay one-half of said amount on condition that the County of Gadsden would pay the other half, the said sum to lie paid when said bridge was completed, inspected and accepted by the Boards of County Commissioners of Leon and Gadsden Counties; and the defendant having waited a long time, to-wit: until January nth, 1908, for the County of Gadsden to enter into said agreement to pay one-half of the amount bid for the construction of 'said bridge, and the said County of Gadsden having refused to enter into such agreement, and having- failed and refused to pay one-half of the amount so bid for the construction of said bridge, the defendant then and there, and before the commencement of said work, notified the said H. L. McElvy and H. L. Hopkins not to proceed with the construction of said bridge, and that the defendant would not be bound by said agreement; and while the said McElvy recognized the right of the defendant to revoke said agreement, the said Hopkins, notwithstanding the said notice and over the objection of the defendant, proceeded with the work of constructing said bridge; and the said bridge has never been accepted by the Boards of County Commissioners of the Counties of Leon and Gadsden as a public bridge for the reasons aforesaid, and not unreasonably and arbitrarily as alleged by the plaintiff.

“(4) And for a fourth plea to the first and second [104]*104counts of the said declaration, and to each thereof, the defendant says that the alleged agreement and promise of defendant to pay the said IT. L.- McElvy and H. L. Hopkins the sum of $1,224.00 for the construction of the bridge mentioned in the declaration was conditioned on the County of Gadsden agreeing to pay a like sum, which the said County of Gadsden refused to do, and the defendant before the commencement of the work on said bridge notified the plaintiff not to proceed therewith.”

Issue was joined upon these pleas and a trial was had before a jury, which resulted in a verdict and judgment in favor of the defendant, which judgment the plaintiff has brought here for review. The only assignment of error is based upon the overruling of the motion for a new trial. The grounds of this motion are as follows:

“First. That the verdict was contrary to the evidence

“Second. That the verdict was contrary to law.

“Third. That the verdict was contrary to law and the evidence.

• “Fourth. That the court erred in charging the jury as follows: If you believe from the evidence that H. L. McElvy and H. L. Hopkins in response to an advertisement by the County Commissioners of defendant county for bids to construct a bridge over the Ocklockonee River at McCall’s Landing, filed with the said Board of County Commissioners a bid to construct said bridge for a named sum according to certain plans and specifications cm file with the Clerk of said Board, and that said bid was accepted by the said Board, they agreeing by the resolution of acceptance to pay one-half of the amount for which the said McElvy and Hopkins offered to build said bridge, the share of said county, and that it was understood by said Board of County Commissioners and the said McElvy and Hopkins that the County of Gadsden

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Bluebook (online)
74 So. 305, 73 Fla. 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hopkins-v-county-of-leon-fla-1917.