Lumber Fabricators, Inc. v. Appalachian Oak Flooring & Hardwood Corp.

141 So. 2d 210, 41 Ala. App. 570, 1962 Ala. App. LEXIS 189
CourtAlabama Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 13, 1962
Docket7 Div. 671
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 141 So. 2d 210 (Lumber Fabricators, Inc. v. Appalachian Oak Flooring & Hardwood Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lumber Fabricators, Inc. v. Appalachian Oak Flooring & Hardwood Corp., 141 So. 2d 210, 41 Ala. App. 570, 1962 Ala. App. LEXIS 189 (Ala. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

PRICE, Judge.

This is an appeal by defendant from a judgment in favor of plaintiff. The complaint is on the common counts for $320.76, due by account and for merchandise, goods and chattels sold.

We will not set out the testimony in detail, since no question as to the sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict, is presented. Appellant assigned as error the court’s action in overruling its motion for a new trial. In Grimes v. Jackson, 263 Ala. 22, 82 So.2d 315, the court said:

*572 "A general assignment of error on appeal grounded on the refusal of the trial court to grant a motion for a new trial is sufficient to invite a review of the ruling on the basis of any ground well stated in the motion and properly argued by appellant; ”

See also Roan v. McCaleb, 264 Ala. 31, 84 So.2d 358; Buzzanca v. Hagwood, 265 Ala. 404, 91 So.2d 703; Iverson v. Phillips, 268 Ala. 430, 108 So.2d 168. There is no argument in brief directed to the grounds of the motion which challenge the insufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict. The assignments of error pertaining to the refusal of the affirmative charge were not referred to in brief, North British & Mercantile Ins. Co., Limited v. Sciandra, 256 Ala. 409, 54 So.2d 764.

• It is the plaintiff’s (appellee) contention that in December, 1956, it had orders from defendant for flooring to be shipped to Carlton Vaughan at Tilson Park Sub-division, DeKalb County, Georgia. At the same time it had orders from defendant for lumber for Michael Russell, Atlanta, Georgia. The lumber was shipped by plaintiff’s truck. The driver was unable to find anyone at the Vaughan job site and was informed by defendant’s Atlanta representative that Mr. Vaughan was out of town and could not be located to accept delivery. Since the Russell flooring was under the Vaughan flooring on the truck the driver telephoned his employer for instructions and was told to unload the correct footage to fill the Russell order out of the Vaughan flooring and to return the balance to plaintiff. When the driver arrived at the Russell job Mr. Russell asked for the entire amount of lumber on the truck which was ordered for Vaughan. The driver again telephoned his employer for instructions. Plaintiff’s sales manager, Mr. John L. Lynn, Jr., placed a long distance call to Duncan Baxter, defendant’s purchasing agent, and was given authority by Mr. Baxter to deliver the flooring to Mr. Russell. The plaintiff so instructed its driver and the Vaughan shipment was released to Russell. At that time Michael Russell was constructing houses which were furnished to him by the defendant.

It is the defendant’s argument in brief that the flooring ordered for Vaughan was delivered, if delivered at all, through error to a man named Russell and that the defendant never authorized the delivery tO' Russell. Mr. Baxter denied on the trial' that he had talked to plaintiff’s manager on the telephone concerning this transaction. Defendant also contends that Michael Russell was not an employee of defendant, but was merely its customer.

The plaintiff introduced in support of its. case carbon copies of its sales invoices Nos. 3907 and 3908 to the defendant for flooring for Carlton Vaughan and carbon copies of the matching delivery manifests. The grounds of defendant’s objections interposed to the introduction of these exhibits were that they were carbon copies and no demand was made on defendant to produce the originals, and because they were hearsay evidence and self serving declarations. ■

Plaintiff’s manager, Mr. John L. Lynn, Jr., testified the originals of the invoices-were sent to the defendant and the carbon copies were retained by plaintiff for its files; that this is done in the regular course of business; that the delivery manifests are sent along with the shipment and are signed by the person receiving the lumber, and that the carbon copies of the manifests were returned to plaintiff in the regular course of business bearing the signature of “M. Russell” as shown on the copies.

A “carbon copy” is produced by placing a sheet of carbon paper between two sheets of paper, so that the same impression produces both the original and the carbon copy. See 6 Words and Phrases, p. 137; Engles v. Blocker, 127 Ark. 385, 192 S.W. 193. Carbon copies made in the regular course of business are admissible as primary evidence. Sovereign Camp, W. O. W., v. Hoomes, 219 Ala. 560, 122 So. 686.

*573 The record contains certain correspondence between the parties which was introduced by plaintiff, without objection. Excerpts from the letters which are pertinent are here set out. A letter of date Jan. 11, 1957, written by the defendant to the plaintiff states:

“Through error, you delivered the oak flooring for our job numbers 6470 and 6471 for Carlton Vaughan to Michael Russell in Atlanta. Mr. Russell has used all of the flooring except 500 bd. ft. and Mr. Vaughan has still not received his flooring.”

On April 12, 1957, defendant wrote the plaintiff:

“In reply to your letter of April 5, 1957, we wish to advise you that we feel we should be relieved of the responsibility of paying your invoices No. 3907 and No. 3908.”
“The oak flooring shown on these invoices was delivered to the wrong job. Since we have not been able to charge our customer for the flooring, we feel our liability to you is released.”

On November 27, Fred Johnson, defendant’s chief accountant replied to plaintiff’s letter of November 15, 1957:

“I have received all of the correspondence in this matter and I will attempt to restate our position once again.”
“First of all, if you will review your copy of our purchase orders regarding the two invoices in question, you will note that the shipping orders clearly stated that delivery of these orders were to be made direct to our customer, Mr. Carlton Vaughan. These deliveries were, however, made to Mr. Michael Russell * *

Defense counsel argues in brief:

■“Some of the letters seem to imply that the lumber was actually delivered, but after corresponding for some time, it was discovered that the plaintiff had never delivered the lumber in question either to Vaughan or to Russell.”

To support this argument reference is made to the following letter from R. D. Baxter to defendant, dated April 22, 1957:

“Mr. MaCoy Griffin, our accountant, has passed to me your letter of April 18, 1957, in which you stated that I authorized you to deliver Carlton Vaughan’s flooring to Michael Russell.
“The first I knew of this delivery to the wrong customer was when Mr. Vaughan complained of not receiving the flooring. I ordered Vaughan’s flooring from another company.
“Mr. Griffin contends we should not pay for flooring delivered to the wrong address, unless the receiver (Mr. Russell, in this instance) admits receipt of the flooring. The receiver refused to pay for it or produce it, saying he did not possess it.”

Plaintiff’s reply to Mr. Baxter’s letter is as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
141 So. 2d 210, 41 Ala. App. 570, 1962 Ala. App. LEXIS 189, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lumber-fabricators-inc-v-appalachian-oak-flooring-hardwood-corp-alactapp-1962.