McClung Const. Co. v. Muncy

65 S.W.2d 786
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided November 29, 1933·No. No. 4072.·Published·Cited by 9 cases

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.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

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

65 S.W.2d 786 (McClung Const. Co. v. Muncy) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Spanich v. Reichelderfer
628 N.E.2d 102 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)
J. A. Robinson Sons, Inc. v. Wigart
420 S.W.2d 474 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1967)
First State Bank of Bellaire v. Olde Colony House, Inc.
414 S.W.2d 221 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1967)
J. A. Robinson Sons, Inc. v. Ellis
412 S.W.2d 728 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1967)
Maryland Casualty Co. v. Abbott
148 S.W.2d 465 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1941)
Texas Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. Wimberley
108 S.W.2d 860 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)
Broughton v. Humble Oil & Refining Co.
105 S.W.2d 480 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)
Owen v. King
84 S.W.2d 743 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1935)
West v. Cashin
83 S.W.2d 1001 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1935)