Ipik Door Co. v. Loessin & Herndon, Inc.

417 S.W.2d 833, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2905
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 3, 1967
DocketNo. 14697
StatusPublished

This text of 417 S.W.2d 833 (Ipik Door Co. v. Loessin & Herndon, 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
Ipik Door Co. v. Loessin & Herndon, Inc., 417 S.W.2d 833, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2905 (Tex. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

BELL, Chief Justice.

The appellee sued appellants, Ipik Door Company, Inc., C. V. (Buster) Kern, Sheriff of Harris County, and his deputy, Marvin Zindler, for damages for conversion of lumber and materials belonging to it. Trial was to á jury and based on the jury verdict the court rendered a joint and several judgment against the appellants for actual damages in the amount of $4,314.01 and for exemplary damages of $1500.00.

The incident giving rise to the claim was the levy of execution by the Sheriff, through his deputy, the execution having issued pursuant to a judgment obtained by Ipik Door Company, Inc., against Texas Millwork, Inc., in the amount of $2,247.75. The lumber and materials levied on were located at the Texas Millwork plant on the Hempstead Highway in Harris County at the time of the levy on February 2, 1963. Sale under execution was held February 18, 1963, -and the lumber and materials were purchased by Ipik. At the time of trial Ipik still had the lumber and materials at its place of business in Louisiana.

The pleadings and statement of facts reveal that Ipik, through its Houston attorney, who had obtained the judgment and who was directing the deputy sheriff in making the levy, took the position that all the lumber and materials belonged to Texas Millwork. Texas Millwork and appellee took the position that all of the lumber and materials levied on was owned by appellee and that it was in possession of Millwork which was processing the lumber and manufacturing different kinds of items such as moulding, door jambs, doors, and what Mr. Loessin referred to as mill work items.

The jury answered as follows to the issues submitted:

1. All of the lumber and materials removed from the premises of Texas Mill-work by appellants was owned at the time by appellee.

2. The market value on February 2, 1963, of such lumber and materials, in Houston, was $4,314.01.

3. In taking the lumber and materials, the defendants, acting jointly and severally, acted wilfully and wantonly and in disregard of the rights of appellee.

4. The sum of $1,500.00 would reasonably compensate appellee for exemplary damages.

5. The lumber and materials levied on had not been sold by appellee to Texas Mill-work, Inc.

Without setting out specifically the 13 Points of Error urged by appellants, we [835]*835will merely state the substantial complaints. Appellants complain there was no evidence to support the jury’s finding that all materials and lumber belonged to appellee, or that such answer was contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence. There was no evidence to support the answer of market value because the evidence showed at most the retail value instead of value in bulk, or, at most the answer was contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence. There was no evidence to support the jury’s finding that the taking was wilful and wanton, or, the finding was contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence. The finding of $1,500.00 exemplary damages has no support in the evidence, or, is contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence.

We overrule all points that there was no evidence to support the answers of the jury to the issues and also that such answers were contrary to the overwhelming weight and preponderance of the evidence.

There is a sharp conflict in all of the evidence on all issues submitted. We will not recite all evidence, but will give its substance and what the jury could well conclude concerning it. According to the testimony of Mr. Loessin, who owned an interest in appellee, and of Mr. R. A. Stolz, Jr., President of Texas Millwork, for quite a number of years prior to June 30, 1961, Texas Millwork had bought lumber from appellee and other persons. It used the lumber thus purchased to manufacture mill work items, and then marketed them. However, for some time prior to June 30, 1961, Texas Millwork had been experiencing financial difficulty and, according to Mr. Stolz, he decided not to purchase materials, but to limit his work to soliciting orders from persons who desired mill work items to be manufactured. Too, appellee had refused to sell Texas Mill-work any more lumber and materials. Under this arrangement the customer would furnish him with the materials and lumber which they had purchased and he would manufacture the items desired and would be paid for his work.

As between appellee and Texas Mill-work, the evidence shows that the purchase account Texas Millwork had with appellee was closed June 30, 1961. At that time Texas Millwork owed appellee $3,543.25.-This is shown on a ledger sheet of Texas Millwork, which shows the account closed. This sheet was shown to Ipik’s attorney on the day of but before the levy of execution. This was uncollectible and appellee charged it off on its income tax as a bad debt. Thereafter, on September 28, 1962, appellee by letter agreement signed by ap-pellee and Texas Millwork stated it was sending Texas Millwork some yellow pine that was to be made into split door jambs in accord with the sample furnished by Gulf Sash & Door, Inc. In the letter it was stated appellee was to pay Texas Millwork $50.00 per 1000 feet based on footage that came from the mill. Appellee was to deduct 15% of this $50.00 to apply on the debt of $3,543.25. The testimony of Mr. Stolz and Mr. Loessin was that after this letter ap-pellee resumed business with Texas Mill-work, but appellee bought and furnished all lumber and materials and only paid Texas Millwork for the manufacturing work it did, paying therefor the amount stated with the 15% deduction stated except that some time later this deduction, due to Texas Millwork’s financial straits, was suspended. While the letter referred to one specific shipment and the terms of payment, both Stolz and Loessin testified this was the agreement between them as to all work thereafter done for appellee by Texas Millwork. They both testified that at all times thereafter no material or lumber belonged to Texas Millwork, but was bought and paid for by appellee and shipped to Texas Millwork to be manufactured into items as directed by appellee. Mr. Stolz and Mr. Loessin testified that all lumber and materials taken under execu[836]*836tion was that furnished by appellee on which Stolz was working under the arrangement above stated. Too, Stolz stated that at such time there was no other material and lumber except non-usable odds and ends at the plant when levy was made, other than that belonging to ap-pellee. Really there is no evidence to refute the above testimony, except as to two items which we will now notice. Appellants’ first and second points are largely based on evidence bearing on such items.

It appears that Mr. Stolz did pick up some masonite to go into some doors for which he actually paid. However, Mr. Loessin testified payment was from funds he had theretofore advanced to Texas Millwork. The jury could well conclude, in the light of all testimony, that it was therefore paid for and owned by appellee.

The second item concerning which there could be a controversy involves some yellow pine split door jambs that had been manufactured by Texas Millwork out of lumber and materials furnished by appellee. It appears that by invoice dated October 25, 1962, appellee had billed Gulf Sash & Door, Inc., for products sold the latter in the sum of $2,913.80. This amount had been paid to appellee.

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Bluebook (online)
417 S.W.2d 833, 1967 Tex. App. LEXIS 2905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ipik-door-co-v-loessin-herndon-inc-texapp-1967.