Rhodes v. Livesay

245 S.W. 738, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 274
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 23, 1922
Docket1374.
StatusPublished

This text of 245 S.W. 738 (Rhodes v. Livesay) 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
Rhodes v. Livesay, 245 S.W. 738, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 274 (Tex. Ct. App. 1922).

Opinion

HIGGINS, J.

The statement of the nature and result of this suit as stated in appellant’s brief and conceded by appellee to be substantially correct is as follows:

“This was a suit instituted in the county court at law of El Paso county, Tex., by the appellee, T. E. Livesay, and against the appellant, A. H. Rhodes, for the recovery of the sum of $250, alleged by plaintiff to be due him by defendant for wages covering a period of 10 months at $25 per'month, plaintiff alleging services rendered under express contract for the payment of wages at the rate of $25 per month. By a second count of the petition, plaintiff alleged that, if he be in error as to an express contract to pay wages in the sum of $25 per month, at defendant’s instance and request he worked for defendant during a period of 10 months, and that the services rendered were of the reasonable value of $25 per month. Plaintiff further alleged that he had made written demand for payment of the wages alleged to be due; that payment thereof was refused, and he had been compelled to place the claim in the hands of an attorney and bring suit to enforce payment, and prayed judgment for his debt, attorney’s fees and costs.
“The defendant, this appellant, answered by general exception arid general denial and a special answer, in which he alleged that by express agreement between plaintiff and defendant, entered into about February 1, 1920, plaintiff and defendant mutually agreed that wages theretofore paid plaintiff by defendant were to be, from that date, discontinued, and plaintiff was to look solely to the joint poultry business of plaintiff and defendant for compensation for any services thereafter rendered while on the farm of defendant. By way of cross-action this appellant alleged that on or about February —, ‘1919, he entered into an agreement with plaintiff to conduct a poultry business, by the terms of which he furnished plaintiff a house to live in and premises upon which to conduct the poultry business, also furnished him with chickens, turkeys, and ducks, and the sum of $100 in cash to start said business, and they were to share equally in the profits thereof; that thereafter, in violation of their agreement, and without defendant’s knowledge or consent, plaintiff bought lumber for houses and coops for poultry on the credit of this defendant, and ftír which defendant was compelled to pay and did pay. Defendant further alleged that plaintiff converted to his own use barley in excess of one ton, and of the value of $2.25 per hundred pounds, and alfalfa of the value of $75; that plaintiff converted to his own use the full revenues of said business, in excess of $400, and thereby became indebted to defendant in the sum of $200; that upon the dissolution of said joint poultry business, plaintiff converted to his own use more than one-half of the poultry then on hand; and that by reason of his conversions as aforesaid plaintiff was due and owing to this defendant the sum of $550, for which he prays judgment.”

The case was submitted upon special issues as follows:

“Question No. 1. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence before you that, oh or about the 1st day of February, 1920, A. H. Rhodes, employed T. E. Livesay to work upon his ranch near Canutillo, Tex., for 10 months, at an agreed sum of $25 per month? Answer Yes or No.
“If you have answered question No. 1, No, but not otherwise, then you will answer the following question:
“Question No. 2. Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence before you that the plaintiff worked for the defendant during the year of 1920, 10 months, upon defendant’s farm near Canutillo, Tex.? Answer Yes or No.
“Question No. 3. Do you find that the defendant received and accepted said work of the plaintiff?
“If you have answered questions No. 2 and No. 3, Yes, thén you will answer question No. 4.
“Question No. 4. What do you find from a preponderance of the evidence to be the reasonable value of the labor of said plaintiff per month ?
“If in answer to question No. 4 you have answered $25.00 per month, and in* answer to question No. 2 you have answered that the plaintiff worked 10 months for said defendant in the year 1920, then, but not otherwise, you will answer question No. 5.
“Question No. 5. Do you find that a written demand was made upon the defendant for payment for said amount more than 30 days prior to October 25, 1921? Answer Yes or No.
“If you have answered question No. 5 in the affirmative, then, but not otherwise, you will answer question No. 6.
“Question No. 6. What do you 'find to be a reasonable attorney’s fee for representing the plaintiff in this suit?
“In answering question No. 6 the court instructs you that, if you answer question No. 6, the amount stated in your answer must not exceed $20.00.
“Question No. 7. What do you find from a. preponderance of the evidence before you to be the value of the money and other property placed in the poultry business, by the defendant, A. H. Rhodes?
“Questibn No. 8. What do you find to be the value of the money and other property received by the defendant from the poultry business conducted by the plaintiff and the defendant?
“Question No. 9. What do you find to be *740 value of the money and other property received by the plaintiff from the poultry business conducted by the plaintiff and the defendant ?”

Immediately following question 9 the court charged:

“In answering the last foregoing three interrogatories you will please state the various items, and the value thereof composing your answer, and then total the various items, if any, and their value, so found by you.”

The jury returned this verdict:

“Value of money and other property put in poultry business by defendant:
Chickens .$ 25 00
Cash . 100 00
Barley . 47 25
$172 25

Value of property received by the defendant as follows:

Poultry and eggs.$101 84
Amount due defendant.. $ 70 41
“Value of money and other property received by plaintiff as follows:
Copartnership funds.$26 00
Bank balance . 18 15
$42 15
One-half of which Is-due defendant.
Amount due plaintiff for material furnished for defendant. $12 65
Due defendant . $70 41
One-half of $42.15 due defendant. 21 08
' $91 49
Less amount furnished from personal funds by plaintiff for defendant’s farm use.

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Bluebook (online)
245 S.W. 738, 1922 Tex. App. LEXIS 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rhodes-v-livesay-texapp-1922.