M. & J. Used Cars, Inc. v. Easton

169 S.E.2d 204, 5 N.C. App. 695, 1969 N.C. App. LEXIS 1426
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedAugust 27, 1969
DocketNo. 6911DC360
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 169 S.E.2d 204 (M. & J. Used Cars, Inc. v. Easton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M. & J. Used Cars, Inc. v. Easton, 169 S.E.2d 204, 5 N.C. App. 695, 1969 N.C. App. LEXIS 1426 (N.C. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

Campbell, J.

The plaintiff makes two assignments of error. The first to the effect that the “verdict and judgment is contrary to and unsupported by any of the evidence.” The second is “such verdict and judgment is contrary to the applicable law.”

M. & J. Used Cars, Inc., is a North Carolina corporation with its principal stockholder and president being George McLamb (McLamb).

L & T Motor Company (L & T) was a partnership with two partners, Tommy Pittman (Pittman) and Larry Hall.

Both plaintiff and L & T carried on their business operations in Johnston County, North Carolina.

The defendant lives in Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, and is engaged in a mobile home business and in connection with his business has a used car dealer’s automobile license.

At the time involved in the transactions pertaining to the Corvette automobile in this case, L & T conducted the partnership business from property which it rented on a month-to-month basis from plaintiff.

Plaintiff, acting through McLamb, and L & T acting through Pittman, over a period of several years conducted business transactions wherein Pittman would locate an automobile, and in order [701]*701to purchase the automobile, Pittman would issue a draft drawn on plaintiff by him. The title to the automobile would be taken either in the name of L & T or in the name of plaintiff. The automobile would be conditioned by L & T and then sold by L & T. The proceeds from the sale would be applied first to repay plaintiff for the purchase price of the vehicle and then the profit would be divided with one-third going to plaintiff and two-thirds going to L & T. This course of conduct had been going on for several years.

In October 1966 Pittman purchased the Corvette from Cobb Motor Company in Goldsboro. The purchase of the Corvette was-handled in the same manner as previous purchases, namely, Pittman issued a draft drawn on plaintiff for the purchase price, and the title was placed in the name of L & T.

Shortly after purchasing the Corvette, Pittman sold the Corvette to a Mrs. Barbee. Mrs. Barbee borrowed $1,603.25 on 29 October 1966 from First Citizens Bank, Smithfield, North Carolina, and used the Corvette as security for said loan. The purchase price received from Mrs. Barbee was divided between plaintiff and L & T as usual.

The Department of Motor Vehicles of the State of North Carolina issued a certificate of title for the Corvette to Mrs. Barbee dated 2 November 1966, and showed on the face of the certificate of title the first lien in the amount of $1,603.25 dated 29 October 1966 and lienholder to be First Citizens Bank, Smithfield, North Carolina.

In December 1966 the Corvette was owned by Mrs. Barbee subject to the first lien to First Citizens Bank, Smithfield, North Carolina. The bank had the certificate of title issued by the North Carolina Motor Vehicles Department, and neither plaintiff nor L & T had any interest whatsoever in said vehicle.

During the month of December 1966, Mrs. Barbee brought the Corvette to Pittman and requested him to sell the Corvette for her. Pittman took the Corvette to Goldsboro and in his words “pawned” it to the defendant for $500.00. This was done on 27 December 1966. In addition to getting $500.00 from the defendant, Pittman gave possession of the Corvette to the defendant and gave him a piece of paper reading in part:

[702]*702“Here Is The Heal
CASH SALES PRICE — $1,000.00
TOTAL DOWN PAYMENT — $500.00
UNPAID CASH BALANCE —$500.00
Payable in one installment of $500.00
First Installment Becomes Due on January 7, 1967.
s/ L & T MOTORS
By: Tommy Pittman”

The Corvette was described in the paper writing by year, make, body type and serial number. The paper writing was a printed form, and in addition to the portions quoted above contained other printed matter and blank spaces unfilled.

At most the printed paper writing signed by Pittman and given to the defendant on 27 December 1966, represented only a memorandum and certainly did not constitute a bill of sale.

In this case trial by jury was waived and the parties agreed that the Court find the facts. “It is the rule in North Carolina that where the parties waive a jury trial and agree that the Court may find the facts, they thereby transfer to the Judge the function of weighing the evidence, and his findings are conclusive on appeal if supported by any competent evidence, notwithstanding the fact that evidence to the contrary may have been offered. . . .” Huski-Bilt, Inc., v. Trust Co., 271 N.C. 662, 157 S.E. 2d 352.

The first four numbered findings of fact by the trial court are supported by some of the evidence in the case.

Finding of Fact No. 5 is supported by some of the evidence in the case except for that portion reading, “. . . that on December 27, 1966, Tommy Pittman sold the 1962 Chevrolet Corvette automobile, Serial No. 20867S107598, to the defendant for $1,000.00 and signed the bill of sale as follows: ‘L & T Motors, by Tommy Pittman'. . . .”

The defendant introduced evidence, and Pittman testified as a witness for the defendant. Pittman testified that after the automobile had been sold to Mrs. Barbee and after she had acquired the certificate of title thereto issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles which she had left at the First Citizens Bank at Smithfield as security for the first lien on the automobile in the amount of $1,603.25, she returned the automobile to him and requested that he sell it for her. At that time the plaintiff knew nothing about the transaction between Mrs. Barbee and Pittman. The plaintiff had no interest [703]*703whatsoever in the automobile at that time. Pittman testified that he was acting as an agent for Mrs. Barbee in trying to sell her automobile.

While Pittman had the automobile trying to sell it for Mrs. Barbee, he needed §500.00, and he went to Goldsboro for the purpose of obtaining $500.00. He testified that in the transaction with the defendant in Goldsboro he was acting for himself and not for Mrs. Barbee and that he borrowed the $500.00 for himself. He testified, “I was borrowing $500.00 and pawning the car.” At the time of obtaining the $500.00 from the defendant, Pittman gave defendant the paper writing above mentioned and titled “Here Is The Deal.” Pittman described it as being, “[wjell, I had to give the man something” when he was borrowing $500.00 on the automobile.

Pittman never repaid the $500.00 which he claimed to have borrowed from the defendant. Later in the month of May 1967, Pittman drew a draft on the plaintiff for $1,350.00 payable to Mrs. Barbee. This draft was dated May 10, 1967, and the plaintiff declined to recognize the draft and authorize its payment. A few days thereafter, Mrs. Barbee and Pittman met with McLamb, the President and principal stockholder of plaintiff, and McLamb authorized plaintiff’s bank to accept the draft of $1,350.00 and pay it. This was done on 18 May 1967 and simultaneously with the payment of the draft, Mrs.

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171 S.E.2d 41 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
169 S.E.2d 204, 5 N.C. App. 695, 1969 N.C. App. LEXIS 1426, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/m-j-used-cars-inc-v-easton-ncctapp-1969.