Lavender v. Finch

222 S.W. 35, 144 Ark. 199, 1920 Ark. LEXIS 287
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 24, 1920
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 222 S.W. 35 (Lavender v. Finch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lavender v. Finch, 222 S.W. 35, 144 Ark. 199, 1920 Ark. LEXIS 287 (Ark. 1920).

Opinion

Wood, J.

Carl Finch executed a timber deed to M. M. Lavender, conveying to him all the timber except cedar upon 320 acres of land described in the deed situated in Cleburne County, Arkansas. The consideration was $6,000, $1,600 cash and the balance of $4,400 to be paid in semi-monthly payments of $450 beginning from the date when the timber operations on the land were started. Lavender was to have two years from the date of the deed for cutting and removing the timber. The conveyance was subject to a lien on the timber in favor of C. L. Moore for $750. The instrument contains the following provision:

“The payments of $450 semi-monthly are computed on basis of manufacture of 150,000 feet of lumber per month. In the event that said M. M. Lavender should fail to manufacture said amount the monthly payments shall be reduced in proportion to the number of feet of lumber manufactured. In the event that more than 150,-000 feet of lumber is manufactured monthly then in that event the semi-monthly payments are to be increased in proportion to the amount so manufactured. The above conditions shall be of natural origin and not of wilful neglect or negligence.

“Lien is hereby retained upon the timber hereinafter mentioned to secure the residue of said above-mentioned deferred payments.”

The appellee instituted this action against M. M. Lavender, H. K. Wellborn, and James Walls, doing business as the Holly Grove Lumber Company, hereafter for convenience called company. He set up the timber deed and alleged that the sum of $2,740 was due him thereunder; that the timber was sold to the company. He alleged that he had a specific lien on 100,000 feet of lumber in the possession of the company for the sum due him under the timber deed. He prayed for a specific attachment of the lumber for the balance due him.

Appellant Lavender answered, denying that he was a partner in the company. He alleged that the company was composed of H. K. Wellborn, J. B. Wellborn and J. A. Walls; that he had no interest in the company. He admitted the execution of the timber deed and denied that the company knew anything about it.. He alleged that they had no interest under the timber deed. Denied that the timber was purchased by him for the company. Alleged that it was purchased for himself. He denied that he was due the appellee any sum and by way of cross action he set up that the appellee had represented that there were at least 1,000,000 feet of merchantable timber on the land described in the timber deed, that these representations were designedly made to induce Lavender to purchase the timber; that he relied upon them • that such representations were false and were known to be false by the appellee at the time they were made.

Lavender alleged that there were only 470,652 feet of merchantable timber and that he had more than paid the price of such timber in accordance with the terms of the timber deed. He stated that the payments required under the timber deed‘would amount to $2,823.93 and that he had paid appellee the sum of $3,097.47. He denied the allegations of appellee’s petition for specific attachment. Alleged that the 100,000 feet of lumber was the property of the company; that he in good faith had sold the lumber to the company. He prayed that the writ of attachment be dissolved and for such other relief as he might be entitled tó have.

The company answered, denying that Lavender was a member of. the company and denied the allegations of appellee’s complaint as to it. It alleged substantially the same facts as were set forth in the separate answer of Lavender and denied the allegations of appellee’s petition for specific attachment. It alleged that the lumber attached was purchased by it from Lavender and that the attachment was wrongfully issued. It set up that by reason thereof it had been damaged in the sum of $3,000, for which it prayed judgment.

The appellee answered the cross-complaint of Lavender and the company and denied specifically their allegations and prayed that they be dismissed and that he have judgment as asked in his original complaint.

The appellee testified that he executed the timber deed to Lavender; that Lavender told him that he was in the employ of the company; that he was its agent or partner; that he was letting the company have the timber that was cut from appellee’s land; that the company handled it exclusively; that in discussing the trade Lavender asked appellee about the amount of the timber and appellee told him that it had been estimated at 1,250,000 feet. Appellee was not present when the estimate was made, but that was his information. Before the trade was consummated appellee and Lavender agreed upon the price of the timber. Lavender went upon the land and made an estimate of the timber and came back and bought the timber of the appellee. Appellee did not represent to Lavender that the' tract of land carried 1,000,000 feet of timber or more. Appellee was not an experienced lumber man but Lavender was. They went back and forth across the land and Lavender estimated it by the trees and that is the basis upon which he bought it. Appellee was selling the timber for $6,000 on the tract of land consisting of 320 acres. He sold it as a lump trade, and Lavender thought that there was ample timber there to justify him in buying same and paying the sum of $6,000 for it.

Appellee further testified that Lavender had paid him under his contract $2,222.47, leaving a balance due him of approximately $2,937.50, including a lien pn the property at Harrison, which appellee took in part payment of the purchase money.

W. B>. Casey testified that he was an attorney, and that he was employed by the appellee to institute suit against Lavender; that the day before the suit was instituted he heard the conversation between the appellee and Lavender, in which Lavender admitted that he owed appellee on the contract the difference between the payments, a statement of which he exhibited, and $6,000, the consideration named in the timber deed. He stated that he was sorry that he had not been able to pay, but the timber had not turned out as he had expected it to turn out. In the conversation Lavender told them that the timber was bought for the company; that he was acting merely as its agent; that he received a salary and some little commission; that was the reason that witness included the company as party defendant in the suit. Lavender said that most of the lumber attached came off of the land and belonged to the company. ' Upon that statement witness attached the lumber.

Lavender testified that he had bought the timber from appellee as evidenced by the timber deed; that he had cut 'and removed all the timber from the land embraced in that deed; that there were 470,272 feet; that he had paid appellee for this timber under the contract; that he did not owe him anything but in fact had overpaid him. He denied the conversation testified to by witness Casey. He stated that' there was no one interested with him in the purchase of the timber from appellee. He denied that he had ever told or indicated to any one that he was the agent of the company. He stated that he told appellee and Casey that he was employed on a salary of $50 per month and a commission of fifty cents per thousand to buy and handle lumber for them. His contract with the company was in writing. The company was in no sense interested in the purchase of the timber from appellee.

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Bluebook (online)
222 S.W. 35, 144 Ark. 199, 1920 Ark. LEXIS 287, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lavender-v-finch-ark-1920.