Prieto Lumber Co. v. Shoultz

111 So. 2d 857, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 952
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 27, 1959
DocketNo. 4806
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 111 So. 2d 857 (Prieto Lumber Co. v. Shoultz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prieto Lumber Co. v. Shoultz, 111 So. 2d 857, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 952 (La. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

LANDRY, Judge ad hoc.

Plaintiff, Prieto Lumber Company, a commercial partnership, has taken this appeal from the judgment of the lower court rejecting its demand against defendants, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Shoultz, for the sum of $440.19 allegedly due on open account for certain building materials purportedly sold [859]*859to and used by defendants in the construction of a residence.

Defendants resist the demand on the ground that the materials in question were not sold to them but to one William Holmes, a contractor employed by defendants to construct the dwelling on which the materials were used.

The evidence shows that during the early months of 1956, defendants entered into a written but undated contract with William Holmes pursuant to which Holmes obligated to construct a six room residence for defendants for the sum of $3,745.53.

Material used in the construction of the dwelling was supplied by plaintiff. The last date on which material was delivered on the job was June 2, 1956, as evidenced by a delivery ticket dated that day addressed to “Wm. Holmes, '% Mrs. Maurice Shoultz”; said delivery ticket was signed by Mrs. Shoultz.

Holmes did not pay for the materials delivered June 2, 1956, and to protect its interests, plaintiff, on August 1, 1956 (within the delay period provided for by law), filed a lien against the dwelling that Holmes constructed for defendants.

Subsequent to plaintiff’s filing the lien against defendants’ property, defendants instituted suit against Holmes, seeking judgment against Holmes for the sum of $686.71 (being the amount owed by Holmes to plaintiff and Poole Lumber Company for material used in construction of the Shoultz residence). Defendants’ suit against Holmes was filed February 1, 1957 (while plaintiff’s lien was still valid and outstanding against defendants’ property). The basis of defendants’ claim against Holmes is stated in the supplemental and amended petition filed in said matter in which the following allegations are made.

“2.
“That defendant is justly, truly, and legally indebted unto petitioners in the just, true and legal sum of Six Hundred eighty-six dollars and seventy-one cents ($686.71), which amount being what petitioners had to pay to Poole Lumber Company of Covington, Louisiana, and what is owed to Prieto Lumber Company of Mandeville, Louisiana, for materials purchased and received by defendant from them as per itemized statement hereto attached.
“4.
“That in accordance with the agreement, the plaintiff fulfilled their part thereof, but the defendant defaulted on his part and did not complete the job.
“5.
“That it was necessary for plaintiffs to pay the amount of Six hundred eighty-six dollars and seventy-one cents ($686.71) to Poole Lumber Company and Prieto Lumber Company and for this amount, the defendant is indebted to plaintiff.
“6.
“That plaintiffs made a number of demands upon defendant for this above amount without results.
“7.
“That plaintiffs filed a petition previous to the filing of this amended petition, whereas plaintiffs alleged the amount owed them as Six hundred eighty-six dollars and seventy-one cents (686.71) and stated in that petition that said amount was owed on an open account, and plaintiffs file this amended petition to show that this amount is owed as the results of a contract signed between defendant and petitioner, Mrs. Maurice Schultz.”

Defendants were successful in their suit against Holmes (the entire record of which was introduced in evidence in the case at bar) and on July 19, 1957, judgment was rendered therein in favor of present de[860]*860fendants and against said Holmes in the sum of $686.71.

Although plaintiff timely filed its lien against defendants’ property, plaintiff did not obtain judgment on same within a year of its filing date. Therefore, said lien prescribed August 1, 1957. Having lost the advantage of its lien, plaintiff instituted this action against defendants on October 24, 1957, contending the amount in suit is due on open account.

Plaintiff contends the materials were in fact purchased by defendants and not Holmes, the contractor. Unfortunately for plaintiff, this contention is not substantiated by the evidence of record.

Counsel for plaintiff strenuously argues that since Mrs. Shoultz signed the receipt for the materials delivered June 2, 1956, she accepted responsibility for the materials included thereon. This conclusion is not supported by the evidence for the reason that the ticket itself clearly and unmistakably indicates it was not addressed to defendants but to “Wm. Holmes '% Mrs. Maurice Shoultz”.

Clay Prieto, member of plaintiff partnership, testified that all of his dealings relative to sale of the material was conducted with Holmes and that at no time did he contact or negotiate with Mrs. Shoultz until after the last materials had been delivered. His testimony leaves us with the distinct impression that he sold Holmes the material not because defendants had assumed liability for Holmes’ account, but for the reason that from his past dealings with defendants, he assumed defendants would pay the account if Holmes did not. The following excerpt from his testimony is deemed significant:

“Q. Did Mrs. Shoultz ever say that this was purchased for her job? By that, I mean * * * when you talked to her on the two occasions, did she ever say that this material was to be paid for by her to you ? A. No, she didn’t.
“Q. And it’s your testimony that this was sold, or was to be sold direct to the Schoultz’s? A. That was my understanding with Holmes, and as far as the Schoultz’s were concerned, she has bought several times from me and I have had no trouble with her and I assumed it would be the same this time.”

As further evidence of the fact that defendants were the parties to whom the credit had been extended, plaintiff points .to a l.etter from Mrs. Shoultz dated October 22, 1956, addressed to plaintiff in which Mrs. Schoultz refers to the account in question as “my bill”, said letter reads in full as follows:

“Covington, La.
October 22, 1956
“Prieto Lumber Co.
“Mr. Prieto:
“If you would have mailed my bill to me as I ask you to do in my conversation on the telephone you would have been paid long before now. .Why send it to verious others and at at this date get around to mailing me one. Looks like you have turned it over to Mr. Pfeifer and he in turn turned it over to the court so now the only thing to do is wait and see what they say to do. It will be paid in due time.
“Yours truly,
Mrs. Maurice Schoultz”

Viewed in the light of the circumstances of this particular case, it cannot be logically argued that the foregoing letter constitutes an admission by Mrs. Shoultz that she was personally responsible for the account in dispute.

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Bluebook (online)
111 So. 2d 857, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 952, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prieto-lumber-co-v-shoultz-lactapp-1959.