Polk v. Grogan's Wholesale and Retail Lumber

325 S.W.2d 201, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2485
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 21, 1959
Docket3628
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 325 S.W.2d 201 (Polk v. Grogan's Wholesale and Retail Lumber) 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
Polk v. Grogan's Wholesale and Retail Lumber, 325 S.W.2d 201, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2485 (Tex. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

This cause, (non jury) is one for accounting. At the conclusion of the testimony the trial court awarded the defendant judgment on its cross-action. In the Judgment we find this recital: * * * “the Court * * * is of the opinion that plaintiff, Reuben W. Polk, should take nothing by his cause of action as against all defendants, and is further of the opinion that cross-plaintiff, Grogan’s Wholesale & Retail Lumber should have and recover of and from the cross-defendant, Reuben W. Polk, its just damages in the sum of Sixty-Six Thousand Five Hundred Thirty-Eight and 42/100 Dollars ($66,538.42), together with interest thereon from and after the 1st day of January, 1957,” and decreed accordingly.

Polk, in open Court, excepted to the decree and gave notice of appeal to the First Supreme Judicial District Court, and seasonably perfected his appeal to that Court, and the cause is here on transfer.

*202 Appellant in his brief says the judgment should be reversed and the cause remanded on three grounds, they are substantially to the effect:

1. Because there was no competent evidence introduced to meet the measure of proof required to prove appellee’s case under the pleadings on which the case was tried.
2. Because there is no evidence of a probative nature to establish by a preponderance of the evidence any agreement on the part of appellant to pay the appellee any money for anything.
3. Because the pleadings and the proof failed to establish a case on open account and failed to establish a case in quantum meruit.

* A comprehensive statement is necessary. Appellant went to trial on his original petition and his answer to the cross-action. In his original petition he alleged among other things that he was a building contractor constructing residences and other types of buildings for the owners of lots; that Grogan’s Wholesale and Retail Lumber, a corporation, has for some period of time been engaged in the business of selling lumber and other building supplies at retail to builders and contractors, and in the conduct of such arrangement in the manner hereinafter set forth to finance contractors in the construction of improvements by advancing payroll for material for specific jobs and taking collateral security therefor until permanent financing is arranged.

In paragraph III appellant sets out what he designates as some nine (9) separate transactions wherein he names the owners of the property and gives the description of the property, and alleged with some detail the transaction made with the owner of the lot with reference to constructing certain improvements thereon, and further alleges that defendant, Grogan’s Wholesale & Retail Lumber, during the course of the construction financed payroll and materials that went into the construction of the building, and he alleges specifically how each transaction was handled and how the debt and lien was handled, and when -the matter was finally closed, the amount of money that was paid to Grogan’s. In paragraph V of his original petition he alleges substantially that Grogan’s, and the other defendants herein named, have obtained most of the money paid to them by asserting false and spurious claims as to the amounts, quantities, grades and prices of materials furnished to the several construction jobs; that plaintiff relied upon the integrity and honesty of defendants at all times, and did not suspect that defendants were making fraudulent and false claims against him as to the amount of money he owed them until he learned of the filing of false assignments and fraudulent affidavits that defendants filed with Stewart Title Company.

In paragraph VI he further alleges substantially that the defendants wilfully neglected and refused to provide plaintiff with itemized invoices furnished by Gro-gan’s on each of the jobs referred to and did not furnish him invoices stating the nature of the merchandise furnished, and did not describe the same by grade nor quantity or unit price, and refused to furnish him with delivery tickets signed by an authorized agent or employee of this plaintiff; that plaintiff, being a building contractor and actually engaged in the business, knew the cost of the various types and grades of building materials and supplies that went into the construction of the improvements referred to, and that by reason thereof he claims that defendant, Grogan’s has been amply paid for all materials furnished it on various jobs listed in paragraph III above, and has collected through false and fraudulent claims asserted against plaintiff not less than $35,000 more than defendant Grogan’s was entitled to receive from the plaintiff for such building materials and supplies. He prayed for recovery against Grogan’s and the other defendant in the sum of $35,000, and interest and *203 ■cost. Plaintiff made oath to his petition to the effect that the statements and allegations therein are true and correct. The defendants, Victor Von Baden and K. M. Zettle filed an original joint answer which ■consisted of a general denial. Defendant, Grogan’s, went to trial on his first amended original answer and cross-action; the defendant, Grogan’s, admitted that Stewart Title Company paid over to him the sum of $21,189.66, but specially denied the allegations in plaintiff’s petition to the effect that the assignment dated June 30, 1956 from plaintiff to this defendant, and the liens securing such note in the sum of $22,400 was a forgery, and specially alleged that the plaintiff, Polk, did execute such assignment and that it was valid and genuine in every respect. Defendant also admitted that it did affix to the land in question set out in paragraph III F a valid mechanic’s lien, and says it has been paid the amount due it for an advance of materials, to which it is entitled, in the sum of $20,-516.48. With respect to item III G of plaintiff’s original petition, defendant denied the allegation that it had been paid for advances of material, but on the contrary alleges that there is due it by plaintiff the sum of $11,854.21, and that this sum is secured by a mechanic’s lien described in plaintiff’s petition in said paragraph III F. Defendant specially denied the allegations in paragraph III H to the effect that it had been paid for the advance of materials in connection with the contract described in said paragraph. With respect to allegations in paragraph III I, defendant admitted on the date alleged that defendant did affix a valid mechanic’s lien against the property therein described in the sum of $11,842.40, for advance of materials in connection with the improvements therein described.

With reference to paragraph IV of plaintiff’s original petition, defendant alleged that it advanced materials in the sum of $11,998.29, on this contract, and that said amottnt of money is due and owing to the defendant Grogan’s by plaintiff, and that defendant is entitled to a mechanic’s lien against the improvements constructed by virtue of the advance of materials, and that a valid mechanic’s lien existed in favor of this defendant for such sum. Defendant Grogan’s specially plead that in its course of dealings with plaintiff that it had advanced to him as construction money and materials the gross sum of $129,815.74, and had been paid only the sum of $63,277.-32, and that plaintiff is indebted to it in the sum of $66,538.42, for which sum it sues. It attached an Exhibit to its pleadings and marked it Exhibit “A”.

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Bluebook (online)
325 S.W.2d 201, 1959 Tex. App. LEXIS 2485, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/polk-v-grogans-wholesale-and-retail-lumber-texapp-1959.