McClung Const. Co. v. Muncy

65 S.W.2d 786
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 29, 1933
DocketNo. 4072.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 65 S.W.2d 786 (McClung Const. Co. v. Muncy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McClung Const. Co. v. Muncy, 65 S.W.2d 786 (Tex. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

HALL, Chief Justice.

The partnership of D. J. Muncy & Sons, composed of D. J., T. E., and D. J. Muncy, Jr., sued the appellant construction company, alleging: That they entered into a written contract with the company in virtue of which they undertook to do certain construction work on bridges in Childress county. That the company had a contract with the state highway department for the construction of the bridges. That plaintiffs’ contract provided for the placing of 1,432 lineal feet of concrete piling, the work to be done in accordance with the plans, specifications, and terms of the company’s contract with the state of Texas. That plaintiffs were to receive as compensation $3 per lineal foot of holes drilled in the earth and materials other than solid rock and $5 per lineal foot of holes drilled in the solid rock. That they were to begin on August 20, 1929, and complete the work in forty working days. That they were induced to enter into the contract through false and fraudulent material representations made to and relied upon by them, to their damage. That the defendant represented, through E. W. Gray, its agent, that thorough testings ancl soundings had been made toy defendant of the soil and materials to be penetrated in drilling holes for the concrete piles, except as to one bent of the bridge at the north end. That such testings and soundings showed that for the forty-two piles no rock would toe encountered except 5 feet in bents 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. That Gray further, represented that there was no boulder formation, or soil mixed with rocks, in the ground where the holes were to be drilled for the piles, and that the piles which had already been cast would pass through a 20-inch casing. That all of said holes were required to be made by drilling. That plaintiffs’ contract with defendant was the same as defendant’s contract with the state, in so far as the work required to be done under plaintiffs’ contract was concerned.

Plaintiffs further alleged: That in truth and in fact the formations penetrated were not as represented by Gray, in that the solid rock was encountered on an average of 5 feet closer to the surface of the ground than as represented by Gray and that there was a boulder formation or soil mixed with rocks all over the ground and in practically every place where a hole was to be drilled for placing piles; this formation being reached at an average depth of 7 feet in some places and 3½ feet in others, extending down to the solid rock, boulders toeing of various sizes. That the piles would not pass through the 20-inch casing, but a 24-inch casing was required. That the piles in the first five bents had to be driven without drilling, and that such was the requirement of the defendant’s contract with the state highway commission. That, in order to prepare for the work as represented by Gray, plaintiffs equipped themselves with the necessary machinery, tools, etc., placing the same on the ground, and did not discover that the character of the work to be done was materially different from that represented until after the work was begun. That this information was not obtained by them until the work was actually being done, and that, in order to do the work which was required properly, other and different equipment must be used, larger holes drilled, and the first five bents driven for the piles to be placed therein. That they were required to provide themselves with a pile-driving outfit which, after trying and testing, it was found the work could not be done by that method, as decided by the engineers in charge. That plaintiffs then further changed their equipment and provided a spudder drilling outfit, which was not required under the representations made to them by Gray. That this resulted in further delay, causing heavy additional expense and losses, and it was found that 24-inch casing must be provided for use in setting said piles.

They charge that the representations made toy ' Gray were false and fraudulent, that they did not know of their falsity, but believed them to be true, and relied and acted thereon, and but for such representations they would not have entered into the contract ; that the false statements were made for the purpose of inducing them to enterin-to the contract and they were induced to do so by said statements.

The damages alleged are: First, $1,500 resulting from the changes in equipment required for doing the work entirely different from and in addition to that contracted to, toe done with loss of time, labor, expense, transportation charges, damages to equipment, etc. Second, $1,500 loss of profits which plaintiffs would have realized if the work had been done as contracted under the representations made to them. Third,- $2,000 for loss of time and loss of other work and jobs that could have been secured and performed by them with the use of said equipment which was tied up for about five months. Fourth, $4,000 less a payment of $692.55 for the actual value of the work done by them under the conditions which existed.

The defendant answered pleading specially; That it entered into a written contract *789 with the state highway commission to do certain bridge work in Childress county and thereafter sublet to the Muncys the placing of approximately 1,432 lineal feet of concrete piling on the' bridge in question. That the contract provided that plaintiffs should begin work on or before August 20th and complete the same within forty working days from that date. That plaintiffs, being unable to complete the contract within that time, subsequently requested defendant to grant them an extension of twenty days from October 16th in which to complete the work. The extension was granted by supplemental contract. That, at the time of the execution of the eohtract, the plaintiffs, as principals, and the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company, as surety, executed a bond payable to defendant in the penal sum of $3,000, conditioned that plaintiffs should perform their contract. Defendant further denied that any agent authorized to represent it had made any statements or representations to plaintiffs upon which they based their bid, and pleaded: That plaintiffs were afforded and had available to them the same means for determining the kind and character of soils to be penetrated as did the defendant. That it furnished plaintiffs with all the information it had as to the formation and soil to be penetrated, and a complete copy of its contract with the state of Texas was always in the hands of the resident engineer of Child-ress county. That it was impossible for the defendant to furnish plaintiffs any accurate information with reference to the work to be encountered in placing the piles. That, if any representations were made by any of its agents, the same only approximated the conditions and estimates and were not calculated to be and could not constitute matters of fact as to conditions to be encountered. That defendant was under no obligation or duty to inform plaintiffs of the exact number of feet of rock and other formations to be penetrated. That the contract was to pay plaintiffs a specified amount per foot for each foot of rock encountered and a specified amount per foot for each foot drilled into the soil, which it did pay in accordance with the terms of its' contract. That it was not responsible for the 'manner in which plaintiffs performed their contract nor for the changes in the way and manner in which plaintiffs’ work was carried out. That, if any changes were required, they were required by the state highway department and its engineer in charge of the work, over whom defendant had no control and for whose acts they were not responsible.

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Bluebook (online)
65 S.W.2d 786, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcclung-const-co-v-muncy-texapp-1933.