Lukens Steel Co. v. Dyer

8 La. App. 565, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 184
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 22, 1928
DocketNo. 2566
StatusPublished

This text of 8 La. App. 565 (Lukens Steel Co. v. Dyer) 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
Lukens Steel Co. v. Dyer, 8 La. App. 565, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 184 (La. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

ODOM, J.

The plaintiff brings this suit to recover $2353.95, less a credit of $692.16, for a lot of structural steel which the defendant used in the erection of a building .in the City of Shreveport.

It is alleged that in May 1924, one P. H. Selser, proprietor of Selser Manufacturing & Sales Company of Shreveport, Louisiana, entered into a contract with F. L. Dyer, whereby “said Selser was to furnish 55,387 pounds of structural steel to be used.in the construction of the Dyer building” and that said Selser, in pursuance of said contract, ordered said steel from petitioner on May 22, 1924, and contracted and agreed to pay for same as per the itemized account attached to and made a part of the petition.

It is further alleged that—

“said Selser was by said contract the agent of defendant for the purchase of said steel and, in the alternative, if he was not the agent of defendant, said Selser occupied the position of a contractor with defendant in the construction of said building.”

Further alleging that said material was used in the erection of Dyer’s building, which was erected by him on his own account “without contract for the construction thereof or bond,” and that said material was not paid for, plaintiff claims that Dyer owes it for the material and that it has a lien and privilege on said' building and the lot on which the same is situated, for which it asks recognition.

It is alleged that the building was completed on or about July 31, 1924, and that on August 5, 1924, plaintiff filed in [566]*566the mortgage office an affidavit setting forth its claim and served notice thereof upon the defendant.

The defendant, for answer, denied that he was due plaintiff anything, and alleged that he purchased said steel from the Selser Manufacturing & Sales Company through P. H. Selser, proprietor, and that he made payment for the same to the said Selser Manufacturing & Sales Company in accordance with his contract with it.

There was judgment in the District Court rejecting plaintiff’s demands and it prosecutes this appeal.

OPINION

F. L. Dyer, the defendant, owned certain lots in the City of Shreveport on which he erected a building on his own account, without letting a contract therefor.

For the construction of the building he needed some structural steel. P. H. Selser, who lived in Shreveport, sought the order for the steel in the name of Selser Manufacturing & Sales Cpmpany. He made the following proposal on a printed letterhead:

“Phone 6665 ‘We Sell It’ 217 Ardis Building SEL-SER MANUFACTURER’S SALES CO.
“F. L. Dyer Shreveport, La.
“F. L. Dyer,
“City.
RE: F. L. Dyer Building.
“We propose to furnish the following materials under the terms and conditions stipulated below, free on cars:
“All structural steel as shown on sheets Nos. 9, 7 & 8 including all H. Columns, I Beams, and connections, awning angles, angle lintels, awning rods, transom cast iron bases and bearing plates complete f. o. b. New Orleans, La. with full freight allowed to Shreveport, La-----------------$2485.00
“We are in a position to make immediately delivery of this material as we have same in stock and can start fabrication immediately.”
(Signed)
“SELSER MANUFACTURER’S SALES
By P. H. Selser.
“Accepted:
(Signed) “F. L. Dyer.”

This order was promptly filled, it seems, and, on June 18, 1924, a bill for the material was presented to Mr. Dyer on a letter-head similar to the above, except the phone number, is given as 6059, and the address is “104 Ardis Building,” Shreveport, La., and revites “Sold to F. L. Dyer, City.” Then follows a description of the material and amount, as above se.t out in fhe proposal. After crediting the amount for freight, a balance is brought down of $2201.64.

On the same day, June 18, 1924, Mr. Dyer made his check on the Continental Bank & TrusT Company of Shreveport as follows:

“Pay to the order of SelSer Mfg. Co.
$2201.64
Signed, F. L. Dyer.”

The check is endorsed as follows:

“SelSer Mfg. Co. Credit P. H. Selser account.”

The check was paid by the bank on the following day.

The Selser Manufacturer’s Sales Co. ordered the steel from the plaintiff which has its office and place of business in New Orleans. We find in the record a sales-sheet made out on plaintiff’s letterhead, reading, in part:

“Sold to P. H. Selser, Proprietor,
“Selser Manufacturer’s Sales Co.
“Shreveport, La.
“Order No________________ Date May 22nd, 1924. (With terms written in)
“1959-B. Structural Steel for Dyer Bldg,
“shipped to F. L. Dyer, Shreveport, La.
“55,387 lbs at $4.25________________________$2,353.95
[567]*567“Less credit, by cash, 7-7-24________ 692.16

$1,661.79

By reference to the freight bill filed in the record, we note that the steel was shipped by the plaintiff to “Selser Mfg. Co.” at Shreveport. A witness for plaintiff testified that the steel was ordered shipped to F. L. Dyer but that through mistake it was shipped to Selser Mfg. Co.

Mr. Dyer testified that he knew no one in the transaction except the Selser Mfg. Co., represented by P. H. Selser, with whom he had all his dealings.

Mr. S. W. Gilbert, credit manager for the plaintiff company, was asked if F. L. Dyer, either verbally or in writing, had any dealings of any character with the plaintiff company with reference to the steel covered by the bill against Selser, and he answered:

“F. L. Dyer personally did not have any dealings with the Lukens Steel Company with reference to the steel covered by its bill annexed to the direct interrogatories.”

In answer to the following direct interrogatory propounded to him:

“The Lukens Steel Company filed a lien and privilege in the mortgage records of Caddo parish, Louisiana, against the F. L. Dyer building on August 5, 1924. Do you know anything about the filing of this lien and privilege and if so, state whether or not this lien and privilege was filed on the advice of your attorneys?”

Mr. Gilbert said:

“When it became evident that we were not to receive payment of our account from the Selser Sales Company, we placed the account in the hands of our attorney at New Orleans, Mr. Justin Y. Wolff, for his attention.”

As already noted, the plaintiff alleged that Selser was the agent of Dyer in the purchase of the steel and in the alternative, if he was • not the agent of Dyer, he “occupied the position of a contractor in the construction of the building.”

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8 La. App. 565, 1928 La. App. LEXIS 184, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lukens-steel-co-v-dyer-lactapp-1928.