Interim Television Corp. v. Cappel

94 So. 2d 539, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 1075
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 27, 1957
DocketNo. 8640
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 94 So. 2d 539 (Interim Television Corp. v. Cappel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Interim Television Corp. v. Cappel, 94 So. 2d 539, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 1075 (La. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

GLADNEY, Judge.

The plaintiff, Interim Television Corporation, instituted this suit in Caddo Parish to recover money allegedly due by L. K. Cappel and Interstate Electric Company of New Orleans under specific terms of a. written contract which contemplated the-exhibition of certain telecasts as advertising media. The agreement, which was-signed by Cappel, purportedly acting in-behalf of Interstate, scheduled twenty-six. telecasts at a stipulated rate of $147.50’ each. The contract was terminated after-fifteen of the television programs were exhibited, at which time Interstate denied' liability and advised plaintiff that Cappel' had exceeded his authority in the execution-of the contract. Exceptions were filed by each of the defendants and sustained by the court a quo, from which judgment plaintiff has appealed.

Appellant assigns error to the judgment: first, in sustaining an exception of no cause or right of action filed by Cappel; and second, in maintaining an exception filed by Interstate to the jurisdiction of the First Judicial District Court of Caddo Parish.

• The exception filed on behalf of Cappel relates only to whether vel non a [541]*541cause of action has been stated by plaintiff. The issue must be resolved solely upon the well pleaded facts declared in plaintiff’s pleadings, wherein Cappel is sought to be held responsible under the contract with his employer, Interstate Electric Company of New Orleans. Therefore, in this instance if such allegations of fact set forth a cause or right of action as to any part of plaintiff’s demand, the exception could not be maintained. Smith v. Kennon, 1937, 188 La. 101, 175 So. 763; Adkins’ Heirs v. Crawford, Jenkins & Booth, Inc., 1942, 200 La. 561, 8 So.2d 539; Ingersoll Corporation v. Rogers, 1950, 217 La. 79, 46 So. 2d 45; C. W. Greeson Company v. Harnischfeger Corporation, 1951, 219 La. 1006, 54 So.2d 528; Schackai v. Messa, 1953, 223 La. 626, 66 So.2d 573. In Rapides Grocery Company v. Vann, 1956, 230 La. 829, 89 So.2d 359, it was pointed out that the tendency of modern practice is to yield as little as possible to technicalities and to be more liberal in upholding substantive rights.

The petition sets forth: that about July 1, 1954, Charles E. Sullivan, manager of the Intrasouth Distributing (identified therein as a trade name used by Interstate for its Shreveport branch) commenced negotiations with a representative of plaintiff for the purpose of determining upon a contract for television advertising of certain products sold by the defendant; that before a definite agreement was reached Sullivan was moved to New Orleans and was replaced by Marshall S. Pemberton as manager of the Shreveport office; and that Pemberton was instructed by Sullivan to continue the negotiations. It is further alleged that L. K. Cappel, who occupied the position of territory manager, and who was experienced in advertising, was designated by Pemberton to peruse the contemplated contract and execute the contract if satisfactory. Paragraph numbered 12 of the petition alleges:

“That based upon this information and assurance from Marshall S. Pem-berton, manager of Intrasouth Distributing, and based upon the delegated authority to L. K. Cappel, territory manager for Intrasouth Distributing, and by having exercised reasonable precautions in inquiring about and verifying authority to enter into said contract, and being in good faith, your petitioner accepted the signature of L. K. Cap-pel to be binding upon Intrasouth Distributing.”

Plaintiff amended its original petition by adding an additional paragraph thereto, designated as 12(A), reading as follows:

“That based upon this information and belief, and on such information and belief, that L. K. Cappel had authority to act in behalf of principal, the signature of L. K. Cappel was deemed as creating a contract between Intrasouth Distributing and your petitioner.”

Thereafter a second supplemental and amended petition was filed to the end that plaintiff’s petition would include the following paragraph:

“That, in the alternative, and solely in the alternative, petitioner avers solely upon the information and belief founded upon correspondence with Interstate Electric, that said L. K. Cappel' had no authority to sign the contract herein on its behalf, nor was he authorized to bind them in any way verbally or in writing, and that, should the Court hold that L. K. Cappel was not vested with proper mandate authority as alternatively alleged in the article, said L. K. Cappel is therefore personally liable to petitioner for damages under the contract in the amount of $1,650.00.”

The exception of no cause of action is predicated upon four grounds: that the petition alleges and discloses the contract was executed by Cappel solely as the agent of the defendant and plaintiff had no intention of contracting with Cappel personally or individually; that the petition [542]*542fails to allege any personal guarantee by L. K. Cappel with respect to the contract; that the petition clearly indicates plaintiff was fully informed of the authority of Cappel to act as agent of the defendant; and, finally, that the petition does not show that exceptor exceeded his authority in executing the contract that is sued upon.

The legal issue thus presented relating to the liability of an attorney for his acts arises under Title IS of the LSA-Civil Code of Louisiana, dealing with the subject of mandate. The following Codal articles deserve our attention:

No. 3010:
“The attorney can not go beyond the limits of his procuration; whatever he does exceeding his power is null and void with regard to the principal, unless ratified by the latter, and the attorney is alone bound by it in his individual capacity.”
=* * * * * *
No. 3012:
“The mandatary, who has communicated his authority to a person with whom he contracts in that capacity, is not answerable to the latter for anything done beyond it, unless he has •entered into a personal guarantee.”
No. 3013:
“The mandatary is responsible to those with whom he contracts, only when he has bound himself personally, •or when he has exceeded his authority without having exhibited his powers.”

Plaintiff’s petition nowhere alleges that Cappel personally bound himself for payment of the obligation. The contract attached as part of the original petition plainly discloses it was entered into between “Intrasouth Distributing” called “agency” and “accepted for Agency by L. K. Cappel.” Although the petition, in the alternative, avers Cappel had no authority to act, that bare allegation does not state legal liability or meet the requirement of LSA-Civil Code Article 3013, for it does not charge the attorney exceeded his authority “without having exhibited his powers.” Further we note that it is alleged plaintiff investigated the powers of Cappel of its own accord and determined Cappel was vested with authority, and consequently acted upon such information.

Therefore, by reason of the allegations of the petition it appears that the Codal articles above quoted are conclusive of the issue and it is our holding that there is no error in the judgment sustaining the exception of no cause or right of action.

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Bluebook (online)
94 So. 2d 539, 1957 La. App. LEXIS 1075, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/interim-television-corp-v-cappel-lactapp-1957.