Porazzo v. Rietzl Porsch-Audi, Inc.

1980 Mass. App. Div. 151, 1 Mass. Supp. 652, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 70
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedSeptember 19, 1980
StatusPublished

This text of 1980 Mass. App. Div. 151 (Porazzo v. Rietzl Porsch-Audi, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Porazzo v. Rietzl Porsch-Audi, Inc., 1980 Mass. App. Div. 151, 1 Mass. Supp. 652, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 70 (Mass. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

Rider, J.

The report is deficient in another, major respect. It contains no report of the evidence other than certain responses of the defendant to plaintiffs Requests For Admission filed under Dist./Mun. Cts. R. Civ. P., Rule 36, and certain answers of the defendant to interrogatories propounded by the plaintiff. The report states that it “contains all of the evidence and material to the question reported,” but we do not agree.

The plaintiff introduced in evidence the following Requests For Admissions and the responses of the defendant:

1. That the plaintiff, his agents, servants, or employees delivered a 1969 Porsche, two door convertible, Model 911 S, serial No. 119310048, registered in the name of the plaintiff, to defendant on or about 3 March 1972.

This is an action of contract or tort which was brought in the Second District Court of Plymouth on November 11, 1974, was removed to the Plymouth Superior Court upon motion of the defendant, and was remanded on September 27,1978 to the Second Plymouth Division of the District Court Department (St. 1978, c. 478, § 2) for trial under G.L. c. 231, § 102C. Plaintiffs declaration alleges breach by the defendant of a contract of bailment, and negligence of the defendant, in allowing plaintiffs motor vehicle to be stolen while in its possession for repairs. The report does not include the nature of the defenses raised by the defendant.

Admitted.
2. That defendant received delivery of the auto described above.
Admitted.
3. That defendant held said auto for plaintiff for the special purpose of repairing the auto.
Admitted.
4. That said repairs were done for consideration.
Admitted.
5. That plaintiff, by virtue of completing delivering his auto to defendant for the purpose of repairing the auto for consideration, entered into a bailor/bailee relationship with defendant.
Admitted.
6. That the auto'described in statement one was stolen from defendant’s premises at about one or two P.M. on March 15, 1972.
Admitted.
[152]*1527. That at the time plaintiff s auto was stolen it was in the “customer pick-up area” on defendant’s premises and said area was not an enclosed area.
Admitted.
11. That defendant did not report plaintiffs auto stolen to the police until more than one hour after defendant, his agents, servants or employees saw that the plaintiffs auto had been driven off defendant’s premises.
Admitted.”

The plaintiff also introduced in evidence the following interrogatories propounded to the defendant and the defendant’s replies thereto:

5. As part of its function and business, does the defendant corporation maintain a place of business for the servicing of certain motor vehicles?
Answer: Yes.
7. On or about March 3, 1972, did the defendant corporation, through its agents, servants or employees acquire the custody of a 1969 Porsch, two door convertable [sic], Model 91 IS, serial number 119310048, registered in the name of the plaintiff?
Answer: Yes.
10. If the motor vehicle described in interrogatory number 7 was brought to the place of business of the defendant corporation for servicing, please state whether this servicing was to be done gratuitously by the defendant corporation or for hire.
Answer: For hire.
14. When the motor vehicle described in interrogatory number 7 was delivered to the defendant corporation on or about March 3, 1972, were the keys to the said motor vehicle similarly delivered to the defendant corporation, its agents, servants or employees?
Answer: Yes.
15. Please state where the motor vehicle of the plaintiff, as described in interrogatory number 7, was stored for safekeeping by the defendant corporation while in its custody.
Answer: Overnight inside garage, during day, parking for finished cars to be picked up.
17. When and where was the motor vehicle described in interrogatory number 7 last seen by the defendant corporation its agents, servants or employees?
Answer: A salesman, Norm Brust, observed the plaintiff vehicle heading in an easterly direction on Route 228, at the Queen Anne’s at about 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. on March 15, 1972.
19. Was the motor vehicle described in interrogatory number 7 stolen while in the care and custody of the defendant corporation, its agents, servants or employees?
Answer: Yes
21. What precautions, if any, did the defendant corporation have in effect on or about March 15, 1972, to protect the motor vehicles of its customers from theft?
Answer: The vehicle was locked and ready for pick up in the customer pick up area. The vehicle is visible to the defendant and the car keys are secured in the defendant’s service department.”

At the conclusion of the trial and before argument, the plaintiff filed twelve requests for rulings of law, of which three were allowed and nine were denied.

The trial judge found for the defendant and filed these findings of fact:

[153]*153The facts of this case are found to be as follows: On or about March 3,1972, a Porsche Model 91 IS belonging to the plaintiff, Daniel Porazzo, was towed to the defendant, Rietzl Porsch-Audi, Inc., pursuant to an agreement between the defendant and a former owner of the vehicle, one Studley. The defendant was to perform certain repairs, including work on the fuel injection pump, for which Studley was to make payment, and the plaintiff was to be allowed to pick up the vehicle upon completion of the repair work. The plaintiff had only one car key, which was left with the defendant. While the Porsche was in the possession of the defendant, it was stored inside the defendant’s garage at night and parked a few feet outside the service department entrance in an unsecured area during normal business hours.
On March 15, 1972, the vehicle was locked and parked four to five feet from the service entrance at twelve Noon when several employees went to lunch. At 2:00 P.M., the plaintiffs vehicle was discovered missing. At this point, the vehicle had been repaired, and the former owner, Studley, had been notified that such was the case and that the amount due was over Four Hundred($400.00) Dollars. At first it was thought that the plaintiff might have picked up the vehicle. Efforts to contact the plaintiff were unsuccessful, and it was not until several hours later when the theft was verified that the defendant notified the police.

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

Related

Waldor Realty Corp. v. Planning Board of Westborough
241 N.E.2d 843 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1968)
Knowles v. Gilchrist Co.
289 N.E.2d 879 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1972)
Hale v. Massachusetts Parking Authority
265 N.E.2d 494 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1970)
Saphier v. Devonshire Street Fund, Inc.
227 N.E.2d 714 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1967)
Zaleski v. Zaleski
111 N.E.2d 451 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1953)
Krinsky v. Pilgrim Trust Co.
149 N.E.2d 665 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1958)
Hanna v. Shaw
138 N.E. 247 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1923)
Kennedy Bros. v. Bird
192 N.E. 73 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1934)
Barttro v. Watertown Square Theatre, Inc.
34 N.E.2d 696 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1941)
Rabinovitzch v. Sea Crest Cadillac-Pontiac, Inc.
335 N.E.2d 698 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1975)
Fairfield's Motors, Inc. v. Fitz-Inn Auto Park, Inc.
297 N.E.2d 514 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1973)
American Auto Sales, Inc. v. Massachusetts Port Authority
308 N.E.2d 781 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1974)
Pettinella v. City of Worcester
39 Mass. App. Dec. 7 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div., 1967)
Morville v. Villemaire
45 Mass. App. Dec. 132 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div., 1970)
Tranfaglia v. Security National Bank
53 Mass. App. Dec. 25 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div., 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1980 Mass. App. Div. 151, 1 Mass. Supp. 652, 1980 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/porazzo-v-rietzl-porsch-audi-inc-massdistctapp-1980.