Noyes v. F. A. Noullet & Co.

43 So. 539, 118 La. 888, 1907 La. LEXIS 824
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedApril 1, 1907
DocketNo. 16,087
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 43 So. 539 (Noyes v. F. A. Noullet & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noyes v. F. A. Noullet & Co., 43 So. 539, 118 La. 888, 1907 La. LEXIS 824 (La. 1907).

Opinion

Statement of the Case.

MONROE, J.

In August, 1901, defendants (F. A. Noullet & Co.) undertook to build, for the city of New Orleans, a house of detention (otherwise called police jail) and in October following they made a subcontract with plaintiff (who signed same as agent of the Diebold Safe & Lock Company, of Canton, Ohio), whereby the later undertook to furnish part of the material and labor needed for the execution of the principal contract, to wit, “to erect and place in position, in good working order, all cages, cells, metal iiartitions, iron gratings, iron stairways, newel posts and railings, set all box framed iron doors, * * * erect all hammock supports and all iron shutters, substantially, as described in the specifications, etc., at the agreed price of $22,750.00,” and plaintiff, in turn, subcontracted with Charles Bedell and Joseph Sutton & Son, of New Orleans, the Carnegie Company, of Pennsylvania, and the Diebold Safe & Lock Company, of Canton, Ohio, for the cast-iron work and the cell work, as called for by his contract with defendants.

At a certain stage in the progress of the work, plaintiff demanded a payment on account, and was met with a counter demand for damages alleged to have been sustained by defendants, by reason of his (plaintiff’s) failure to conform to his contract. The parties, then (on June 4, 1902), through their respective counsel, entered into what may be called an operating agreement, whereby, on certain conditions and without prejudice to the original contract, it was stipulated that plaintiff should be paid, in cash for certain east and wrought iron work, upon the acceptance of the same by the city engineer. The execution of this agreement was guarantied by the counsel, respectively, and was followed, on July 24, 1902, by another agreement, similar in character. In January, 1903, plaintiff brought suit on the agreement of June 4th, and some nine days later brought another suit on the agreement of July 24th, and the two suits having been consolidated, he filed an amended petition, purporting to set forth his entire claim, substantially, as follows, to wit:

[891]*891Amount called for by contract.. $22,750 00
Less cash received................$11,682 71
“ freight paid................. 1,246 78
“ amount paid for columns... 87 00 13,016 49
Balance due on contract. $ 9,733 51
Extra work — In connection with
roof and porch... $ 200 00
*• « —Rendered necessary
by reason of discrepancies between building, as constructed, and specifications .... 608 60 708 60
Total amount claimed.... $10,442 11

The parties made defendants were Noullet & Go., their attorneys (as guarantors of the contract of June 4, 1902), the National Surety Company (which signed the bond of Noullet & Co. with the city), and the city of New Orleans. The suit was discontinued as to the attorneys of Noullet & Co., and no complaint is made of the judgment of the district court, in so far as it rejects the demand of the plaintiff against the surety company, or in so far as it condemns the city of New Orleans. , Noullet & Co., after having answered in each of the suits mentioned, filed an answer, in the consolidated case, which purports to set forth their position with reference to the whole matter, including their demands in reduction of the claim asserted against them, and, in reconvention, for various items representing the loss and damages alleged to have been sustained by them by reason of the manner of execution or inexecution of plaintiff’s contract. In this answer, they omit a claim, asserted in a previous answer, for damages alleged to have been sustained by reason of delay, in July, 1902, in the delivery of certain cast-iron columns, but, as the matter was litigated in the district court, at the instance of plaintiff (under circumstances which will be explained hereafter), and has been dealt with,‘'throughout, as though presented by the final answer referred to, it will be so dealt with here. The items constituting defendant’s claim in reduction and reconvention (including that for damages sustained by delay in July, 1902) are, substantially, as follows:

1. Cash paid.................................. $11,682 71
2. Freight paid.............................. 1,246 78
3. Taking down and putting up columns.. 61 50
4. Cement, lost.............................. 195 96-
5. Painting iron and steel work........... 331 40
6. Paid Bedell, for iron work............... 354 55
7. Shortage in weight of iron.............. 247 79
8. Wages of watchmen and foremen, December to April......................... 704 00
9. Salary of bookkeeper, December to April ................................... 140 00
10.Time lost by defendants, December to April .................................... 2,800 09
11. Damages caused by delay in July, 1902. Expenses per day, July 1 to July 14: Three watchmen at $1.50 ............. $ 4 50
Two clerks........ 9 50
One bookkeeper... 1 15
Kent of hoisting machine ......... 3 33
Engineer .......... 2 75
Time of defendants 30 00
Wear and tear, etc 50 00
Total per day.. $101 23
Total for 14 days ......... $1,417 23
Paid Bedell, for columns,. 87 00 1,504 23
12. Increased cost of brick work through delay .................................... 3,000 00
13. Increased cost of slating, through delay .............'.......................... 594 00
14. Damage to business and reputation.... 5,000 00

The explanation above referred to is as follows:

Joseph Sutton & Son, subcontractors, or undertakers (under plaintiff), for certain of the wrought and cast iron work, brought suit against plaintiff for a balance of $1,290.43, which they alleged was due them, to which suit plaintiff answered that Noullett & Co. were claiming damages of him on account of the alleged failure of Sutton & Co. to execute their subcontract, and he prayed that Noullet & Co. be called Into the case. Noullet & Co. thereupon (after excepting) appeared and answered that, by reason of delay and failure in the execution of that part of plaintiff’s contract which had been sublet to Sutton & Son, they had sustained loss and damage to the amount of $1,504.23. And, subsequently, through receivers and liquidators (who had been in the meanwhile appointed to take charge of the affairs of the firm), they further answered that their claim against [893]

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Bluebook (online)
43 So. 539, 118 La. 888, 1907 La. LEXIS 824, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noyes-v-f-a-noullet-co-la-1907.