Richard Cocke & Co. v. New Era Gravel & Development Co.

168 S.W. 988, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1053
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 11, 1914
DocketNo. 340.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 168 S.W. 988 (Richard Cocke & Co. v. New Era Gravel & Development Co.) 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
Richard Cocke & Co. v. New Era Gravel & Development Co., 168 S.W. 988, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1053 (Tex. Ct. App. 1914).

Opinion

HARPER, C. J.

Appellee brought this suit against the appellant for $477.96, alleging that either in the latter part of 1911 or early part of 1912 it entered into a contract to deliver gravel to the appellant in payment of a loan of §1,000, at the rate of $1.90 per cubic yard, on a basis of 3,000 pounds to the cubic yard; that there was delivered to appellant 1,034.326 cubic yards at said price; and thafby special agreement for a special grade of gravel 37,466 cubic yards were sold at $2 per cubic yard. In addition to the foregoing plaintiff alleged that it paid $24 demurrage due to the fault of the defendant; that thereafter by agreement plaintiff delivered to defendant certain other gravel -at $2 per cubic yard, on the basis of 2,800 pounds to the cubic yard; that after giving defendant such credits as he was entitled to there was a balance of $477.06 due and unpaid. In separate count he alleges his cause of action upon quantum meruit for gravel sold 'and delivered at $2 per cubic yard on the basis of 2,800 pounds per cubic yard.

Defendant answered by general denial; by special answer alleged: That about November 23, 1911, the defendant and plaintiff, by its duly authorized agent, made and entered into a contract, by the terms of which plaintiff sold and delivered to the defendant the gravel sued for, but for $1.90 per cubic yard car measurement of 3,300 pounds to the cubic yard; that the defendant advanced to the plaintiff $1,000 in cash, and that, by the terms of the agreement, whenever the gravel furnished by the plaintiff should equal the cash advanced, then the plaintiff should continue to furnish to defendant gravel at $1.90 per cubic yard upon a basis of 3,300 pounds; that, as soon as the gravel delivered aggregated in value the sum advanced, defendant offered to settle with plaintiff, and tendered his check for $66.68, which was refused, without objection to the form of tender. Defendant further set up counterclaim for $11.50 for a ton of coal furnished and $23.23 for one car of gravel, and one ton of coal, $11.50, and coal furnished, $24.50, and freights paid, etc., al: leging that there was a balance due of $40.18 to plaintiff.

Tried before a jury, and verdict for plaintiff for $407.56, from which judgment this appeal is perfected.

The first assignment charges that:

“The court erred in its general charge as follows: ‘Now, if you find from the evidence that, as claimed by plaintiff, it had a contract with the defendant to furnish gravel on a basis of $1.90 per cubic yard of 3,000 pounds each, and a subsequent contract to sell defendant gravel at $2 per cubic yard of 2,800 pounds each, then you will let your verdict be for the plaintiff for the amount of gravel which you may find. it sold defendant on the basis of $1.90 per cubic yard of 3,000 pounds each, and also for such amount of gravel as you may find it sold to defendant on a basis of $2 per cubic yard of 2,800 pounds each, and if you find from the evidence that any of said larger weight per cubic yard gravel was sold to defendant at a basis of $2 per cubic yard, you will make such allowance in your verdict,’ in that: (1) There was no evidence upon which said charge could be based that plaintiff had a contract with the defendant to furnish gravel to the defendant on a basis of $1.90 per cubic yard of 3,000 pounds each; and (2) there was no evidence upon which to base said charge that the plaintiff had a contract with defendant to furnish the defendant gravel at $2 per cubic yard of 2,800 pounds each; and (3) there was no evidence upon which to base the said charge that the plaintiff had a contract with the defendant to furnish him gravel at $2 per cubic yard of 3,000 pounds each.”

This paragraph of the court’s charge affirmatively and fairly presents the plaintiff’s case, as pleaded in the first count of the petition, and, without quoting it because it could serve no good purpose, the evidence is sufficient to require the court to submit the issues therein enumerated. And is not subject to the criticism that, when construed with other portions of the charge quoted by appellant, it is a direct charge to find for the plaintiff.

The second assignment is that the court erred in submitting to the jury the $24.50 de-murrage item: (a) Because there was no pleading; and (b) because there was no evidence to support a finding for plaintiff by the jury.

Attached to plaintiff’s petition is an itemized statement which includes the item of $24.50 demurrage, and the evidence is sufficient to require the charge given.

[1] The third complains of the charge of the court which submitted the plaintiff’s plea on quantum meruit, because there was no evidence to authorize it thus to permit the jury to ignore the testimony of the parties as to the terms of the agreement between them, as to the price and weight, and find for plaintiff for the reasonable market value and the actual weight per cubic yard of gravel.. It further charges that the charge given was an affirmative charge to find for the plaintiff, and is therefore upon the weight of the evidence.

The minds of the parties must meet upon the essential terms before there can be an express contract. In this case the plaintiff alleged a contract defining its terms up to full payment of the $1,000 advanced, and then that it notified defendant of the advance in price to $2 per 2,800 pounds per yard. Defendant denies that he entered into any such agreement, and denies that he was notified of any change in the contract, and alleges a different agreement as to a material *990 element in the contract, viz., the weight of gravel per cubic yard. The plaintiffs’ evidence tracts to the letter the contract alleged, and defendant’s likewise, if believed, by the jury, established the terms as he alleged them; so it is apparent that the minds of the parties were never together. Both parties introduced evidence upon the question of reasonable market value and the actual weight of the gravel per cubic yard. Defendant admitted that he received the gravel and appropriated it to his own use. It was therefore proper for the court to submit the case as was done, and the charge given is not subject to the criticism that it is upon the weight of the. evidence. This also disposes of eighth and ninth assignments, except as to second proposition under the eighth, which is disposed of in its order hereinafter.

[2] The fifth complains that the court erred in charging the jury not to allow defendant anything in the item of $24.23 for a car of gravel which had to be cleaned. The proposition is that there was evidence in the record tending to support appellant’s claim. It was therefore error to charge the jury to find against him.

The testimony quoted by appellant in support of his proposition is: Plaintiff testified:

“The item of $24.23 set out in my answer for a car of gravel was one which plaintiff shipped to me. It was muddy. I delivered this gravel to Lisle & Dunning on the Dooley job in this city. I did not consider the gravel worth anything, and I charged the price of it back to the company.”

Marsac testified:

“Yes; I know about the gravel you inquire about which Richard Cocke refused to pay for, claiming that it was not good gravel. That was some gravel that was delivered by me for Richard Cocke to Lisle-Dunning Company at the Dooley Building, in this city.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
168 S.W. 988, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1053, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-cocke-co-v-new-era-gravel-development-co-texapp-1914.