Norman v. Bullock County Bank

65 So. 371, 187 Ala. 33, 1914 Ala. LEXIS 532
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedMay 21, 1914
StatusPublished

This text of 65 So. 371 (Norman v. Bullock County Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Norman v. Bullock County Bank, 65 So. 371, 187 Ala. 33, 1914 Ala. LEXIS 532 (Ala. 1914).

Opinion

MAYFIELD, J.

Appellee sued appellant in assumpsit. The amended complaint on which the trial was had contained six counts. The first count was one of the common counts, for an account stated. The second was for the purchase price of a note and mortgage executed by one Dow Johnson, to plaintiff, to secure the payment of $446 and advances, etc. The third count was like the second, but was fuller, setting out more in detail the same contract of sale, and the breach thereof. It being-typical of all the other counts, except count 1, we here set out count three in full:

“Third. The plaintiff claims of the defendant the sum of $5,000 as damages, as whereas, heretofore, the plaintiff held a note and mortgage executed by Dow Johnson on, to wit, February 2,1909, and payable to the plaintiff on, to wit, October 1, 1909, upon certain property incorporated therein, including two mules, one wagon, and about 60 bushels of corn, there being then due from the said Dow Johnson, under and by virtue of said note and mortgage aforesaid, to the plaintiff a large sum of money to wit, the sum of $446, and the said defendant then and there agreed on, to wit, December 15, 1909, with the plaintiff, or its duly authorized agent or officer, if the said plaintiff would permit the said Dow Johnson to move on defendant’s plantation and carry with him the said property covered by plaintiff’s mortgage that defendant would pay it the said sum [36]*36of $290 in, to wit, the fall of 1910, and plaintiff avers that under and by virtue of said agreement, the said Dow Johnson did move on to the defendant’s plantation, and did carry said property with him on defendant’s place; that said agreement was carried out by it in full, but that the defendant has, upon demand by the plaintiff, failed and refused to comply with his agreement, and to pay the plaintiff the said sum of $290 and interest, wherefore this suit.”

The defendant demurred to the complaint, assigning a great, number of grounds. The demurrer was overruled, and the defendant pleaded the general issue, the statute of frauds, and no consideration. The trial resulted in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant then moved for- a new trial, which motion, being heard and argued, was overruled. The defendant appeals, and assigns various errors as to rulings on pleadings, as to charges of. the court, and as to the overruling of the motion for a new trial.

The first errors assigned go to the overruling of the demurrer to each count of the complaint except the first. The grounds of the demurrer to the second count are to the effect that the count failed to show that the note in question was executed to plaintiff, or that plaintiff had any interest, therein. This was matter for special i)lea in defense, if the plaintiff did not own the note and mortgage.

The grounds of the demurrer to the third count were that the count failed to show who executed the note and mortgage, or to whom they were executed, and failed to allege that the amount due was secured by said mortgage on the personal property, and failed to show that defendant promised to pay the sum of $290, and failed to show a consideration for the alleged promise. There was nothing in any of these grounds. Most of them were speaking demurrers.

[37]*37The grounds of the demurrer to the fourth, and other counts, were similar, or the same, with the additional grounds, that the contract sued on is not set out, and that neither the date of its making nor the date for its performance is shown. There was nothing in any of these grounds of the demurrer. The counts were each sufficient, and some where much fuller than was necessary. The substance of each was that defendant bought from plaintiff an account evidenced and secured by a note and mortgage made by one Dow Johnson, and that he failed and refused to pay the purchase price.

The trial court erred in its oral charge to the jury, as to the measure of damages, in Avhich it was said:

“If the jury should find a verdict for the plaintiff, the measure of damages would be the price agreed to be paid for the note and mortgage if a price ivas agreed upon, in controversy, with interest thereon from the time the contract was made by the defendant for the purchase of the note and mortgage up to the time of trial.”

This instruction was correct as applied to count 2, and to one phase of the evidence that there was a completed sale of the note and mortgage except as to the payment of the purchase price; but it was incorrect as applied to count 3, and to that phase of the evidence which tended to show that the plaintiff never parted with the title to the note and mortgage, but asserted title thereto, after the contract to purchase. Counts 3 and á proceeded upon the theory that the plaintiff never parted with the title to the note and mortgage for the reason that the defendant failed to perform his part of the contract or agreement to purchase; that is, these counts sought to recover the damages which the plaintiff suffered on account of the defendant’s failure to comply with his contract to purchase. In fact, these [38]*38counts proceed upon the theory that the title to the note and mortgage is still in plaintiff, because defendant failed and refused to accept the note and mortgage and to pay the purchase price. Under these counts the measure of damages was not necessarily the agreed price to be paid therefor, but the damages which the plaintiff suffered in consequence of the defendant’s alleged breach of contract. The plaintiff might have collected, or been able to collect, the full amount of the note, which was more than $400, from Dow Johnson, or might have sold the same to some other person for what the defendant agreed to pay, or for more or less; that is to say, there was no fixed amount which the plaintiff was entitled to recover under these two counts, as there was under count 2. The damages might have been nominal only, under counts 3 and 4, and hence it was error to direct the jury, as the court did in the oral charge, that the jury, if they found for the plaintiff, must find for the fixed amount promised to be paid, or claimed to be promised, with interest thereon.

There was alleged and proven a sufficient consideration to support the sale and the promise of the defendant, if the jury believed the plaintiff’s evidence.

The contract of sale was not within the statute of frauds; there was no promise to answer for the debt, default or miscarriage of another. The plaintiff’s evidence, if believed, showed a straight-out sale of the account due the plaintiff from Dow Johnson, which account was evidenced by a note and mortgage. It is true that the contract of sale was at first conditioned upon Dow Johnson’s moving onto the defendant’s place and being allowed to carry the mortgaged property thereupon, but after this condition happened the contract became absolute; and, if the plaintiff’s evidence is to be believed, the defendant requested time in which to pay the pur[39]*39chase price, $290, agreeing to pay interest if the time was extended, and the plaintiff so agreed. The consideration moving to plaintiff was the ownership of the account, note, and mortgage. The account, note, and mortgage were not delivered or transferred to the defendant, but this' of course was not to be done until he paid for them.

The defendant denied in toto the contract of sale or purchase by him of the account, note, and mortgage, or that he requested or obtained an extension of the time of payment, or agreed to pay interest, or that he ever promised to pay the amount of $290, or any other amount.

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Bluebook (online)
65 So. 371, 187 Ala. 33, 1914 Ala. LEXIS 532, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/norman-v-bullock-county-bank-ala-1914.