Linsenmeyer v. Jackson

410 P.2d 693, 2 Ariz. App. 575, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 391
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedFebruary 2, 1966
DocketNo. 1 CA-CIV 131
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 410 P.2d 693 (Linsenmeyer v. Jackson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Linsenmeyer v. Jackson, 410 P.2d 693, 2 Ariz. App. 575, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 391 (Ark. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

CAMERON, Judge.

The plaintiff, C. O. Jackson, brought this action against Otto H. Linsenmeyer on an alleged oral contract of employment, claiming $589.08 for regular wages, $1,976.59 fcir overtime wages, and $500.00 rental on a pickup truck used by the plaintiff in the course of his work for the defendant.

Judgment below was for the plaintiff. The defendant’s motions for directed verdict and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict were denied, and the defendant brings this appeal.

The questions raised by defendant on appeal are as follows: 1. Was the plaintiff acting as a contractor within the meaning of A.R.S. 32-1101 and therefore required to have a valid Arizona contractor’s license at the time of performance of the work for which compensation is sought? 2. Was there a fatal inconsistency between the pleading and the proof of overtime work performed? 3. Was the verdict based in part on quantum meruit instead of contract as set forth in the pleadings ? 4. Did the evidence sustain the judgment ? 5. Did the instruction go beyond the pleadings and evidence ?

The facts necessary for a determination of the issues in this case are as follows:

The defendant Linsenmeyer owned some property near Prescott, Arizona, known as The Gardens. The property was in a state of general disrepair, and Jackson was hired by Linsenmeyer to make needed repairs and to act as a caretaker and maintenance man. Jackson was to receive $50.00 per week for his work, plus housing. Linsenmeyer claims that any overtime was also to be included in the $50.00 wages, but Jackson claims that it was payment only for a 40 hour week.

Some fime after Jackson had begun work, it was decided to repair and reopen some of the entertainment facilities contained in The Gardens. Jackson was appointed manager of the property, and began to ready the dance hall and swimming pool for use. It was at this time that Jackson began to record his overtime hours, relying on defendant’s statement that “he would make it right” by him. The planned opening was 4 July, 1961, and Jackson worked many hours in excess of 40 hours per week trying to put the facilities in a good state of repair by that date. He was to receive additional compensation from the profit on the operations.

[577]*577The dance hall was leased for $50.00 each Saturday night, while Jackson managed the swimming pool and snack bar personally, as well as making repairs and policing the grounds.

At various times, helpers were hired by Jackson. Linsenmeyer sometimes gave Jackson cash to pay the wages of these helpers, but on at least one occasion, the helpers were paid with Linsenmeyer’s personal checks.

In order to do the clearing and hauling, etc., that was required by the nature of the job, Jackson used his own pickup truck. He claims that Linsenmeyer agreed to pay him $100.00 per month for the use of the truck until such time as one of Linsenmeyer’s own trucks could be brought up, but that he had to use his own truck for five months. Linsenmeyer paid for the gas and maintenance of Jackson’s truck.

There were plans to construct cabins and trailer lots on the property, and in pursuance of this plan, some of the old cabins on the property were demolished by Jackson. Again, Jackson was to receive extra compensation should the new guest facilities ever be put into operation. They were never built, however.

During the time between 11 May, 1961, when the employment began, and 18 October, 1961, when the plaintiff Jackson’s employment was terminated, he drew $560.00 in wages and lived in a cabin on the premises without charge. The jury returned a verdict in his favor and against the defendant for $589.08 straight time wages, $1,-320.00 overtime wages, and $350.00 truck rental.

The first question we will consider is whether the plaintiff was a “contractor” within the meaning of A.R.S. § 32-1101:

“Within this chapter, ‘contractor’ means a person, firm, partnership, corporation, association or other organization, or a combination of any of them, who, for either a fixed sum, price, fee, percentage, bonus or other compensation other than actual wages, undertakes to or offers to undertake to, or purports to have the capacity to undertake to, or submits a bid to, or does himself or by or through others, construct, alter, repair, add to, subtract from, improve, move, wreck or demolish any building, highway, road, railroad, excavation or other structure, project, development or improvement, or to do any part thereof, including the erection of scaffolding or other structure or works in connection therewith. The term contractor includes subcontractors and specialty contractors.”

If plaintiff was a contractor, he was required by A.R.S. § 32-1153 to be the possessor of a valid contractor’s license in order to bring an action for compensation on the contract. Northen v. Elledge, 72 Ariz. 166, 232 P.2d 111 (1951).

The recent case of Sobel v. Jones, 96 Ariz. 297, 394 P.2d 415 (1964), which contains a fact situation similar to that of the present case, states:

“The chief characteristic distinguishing an independent contractor from an employee is his right to control the manner of accomplishing the particular job. * * * The contractor typically agrees to do certain work for a specified or lump sum amount. * * * “Keeping these tests in mind, we believe that the totality of circumstances * * * establishes that the intended relationship here was one of employer and employee. Plaintiff’s ‘control’ over the building operations remained subject at all times to the dominion of the owner. Defendant hired some of the workers. Others were hired by plaintiff but he sometimes consulted defendant. * * * While plaintiff went through the motions of actually paying the laborers, defendant furnished the money. In other words, they were his employees, not plaintiffs. * * * “While the plaintiff sometimes ordered the materials, defendant invariably paid for them. Clearly, we think, these facts show that plaintiff was not a contractor [578]*578but rather a foreman or manager on the job.
“At any rate, it is plain that A.R.S. § 32-1153 was not meant to preclude recovery in this type of case. The statutory purpose is to prevent unscrupulous or financially irresponsible contractors from deceiving and taking advantage of those who engage them to build. See Hunt v. Douglas Lumber Co., 41 Ariz. 276, 17 P.2d 815 (1933) [and Northen v. Elledge, 72 Ariz. 166, 232 P.2d 111 (1951)] * * *
“In the case at bar, defendant knew he was not hiring a licensed contractor. The parties never understood that plaintiff would be bound to complete the job on his own responsibility. * * We conclude that recovery is not precluded by A.R.S. § 32-1153 * * (Emphasis added.)

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Bluebook (online)
410 P.2d 693, 2 Ariz. App. 575, 1966 Ariz. App. LEXIS 391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/linsenmeyer-v-jackson-arizctapp-1966.