South Texas Cotton Co-operative Ass'n v. Burgess

103 S.W.2d 1095, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 514
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 26, 1937
DocketNo. 13541
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 103 S.W.2d 1095 (South Texas Cotton Co-operative Ass'n v. Burgess) 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
South Texas Cotton Co-operative Ass'n v. Burgess, 103 S.W.2d 1095, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 514 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

DUNKLIN, Chief Justice.

B. S. Burgess recovered a judgment against the South Texas Cotton Co-operative Association for $700, claimed by him as salary due under defendant’s contract of employment.

I In his first amended original petition, on which he went to trial, it was alleged that at a regular meeting of-the board of directors of the defendant South Texas Cotton Co-operative Association, hereinafter referred to as South Texas Association, held on January 23, 1934, he was elected secretary and treasurer of the association for the years 1934 and 1935; that on March 6, 1934, there was another meeting of the board of directors of that association at which plaintiff submitted a proposed budget which he had prepared, in which was set out the operating expenses and salaries to be paid each employee, including the salary to be paid plaintiff. This budget was duty adopted by the board as evidenced by a resolution carried into its minutes; and thereafter on July 1, 1934, the president of the association executed a contract with the plaintiff providing for his employment as general manager, secretary and treasurer of the South Texas Association for a period of one year from that date at a salary of $4,500, payable in semimonthly installments, conditioned on the execution of a satisfactory bond by plaintiff to insure the faithful performance of his duties, and a recovery was sought on that written contract.

It was further alleged that on July 11, 1934, the board of directors of the South Texas Association held a meeting at which a resolution was adopted approving a proposed agreement with the American Cotton Co-operative- Association, hereinafter called American Association, by the terms of which certain portions of the operations of the South Texas Association would be un[1096]*1096der the complete control of the American Association at the expense of the latter. The plan further stipulated that plaintiff should remain general manager of the South Texas Association, in charge of certain portions of its operations. The resolution so adopted authorized an executive committee of the South Texas Association to execute a contract with the American Association to carry out said plan.

Plaintiff alleged that thereafter a contract was executed by the two associations in accordance with that plan, by reason of which the American Association became liable to pay plaintiff’s salary. The American Association was also made a party to the suit, and recovery was prayed for against both defendants jointly.

The petition contains these further allegations :

“That thereafter on the 11th day of October A. D. 1934, a resolution was passed by the South Texas Cotton Co-operative Association, acting by and through its officers, asking for the resignation of plaintiff, to become effective on Januáry 1, 1935, said resolution being substantially in words and figures as follows:
“ ‘Resolution.
“ ‘Whereas, it seems advisable that the services of B. S. Burgess be discontinued, and,
“ ‘Whereas the American Cotton Co-operative Association, through Mr. E. F. Creekmore, has agreed to pay the salary and necessary expense of B. S. Burgess until January 1, 1935. in order to permit him. to handle the affairs of the affiliated organization to the best advantage.
“ ‘Now, therefore, be it resolved, that B. S. Burgess be removed from the office of Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and General Manager of this Association, effective as of this date.
“ ‘There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
“ ‘ /s/ O. F-. Hartman,
“ ‘Vice-President.’
“That pursuant thereto, plaintiff’s connections with said corporation were dissolved on January 1, 1935, though he stood ready and willing to carry out his agreement under said contract, and that by reason thereof said defendants, jointly and severally, became bound to plaintiff for the balance due him under the terms of his employment contract of the South Texas Cotton Cp-operative Association, and that there is due and owing to him compensation for six months, amounting to the sum of Two Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($2,250.00).”

In addition to a general demurrer, special exceptions and a general denial, the defendant filed a special answer, denying authority in J. E. Montgomery, president of the So.uth Texas Association, to employ plaintiff as general manager of that association, and to execute that contract, with further allegations that under the charter and bylaws the board of directors of the South Texas Association had exclusive authority to enter into contracts such as the one sued on, and that said board did not authorize its president to execute the same.

It was further alleged that plaintiff took part in promoting the organization of the South Texas Association and in preparation of its charter and the adoption of its bylaws, and was therefore fully informed of their provisions.

The case was tried to the court without a jury. The trial was concluded on March 13, 1936, and the case taken under advisement until March 23d, at which time the court announced that the evidence showed plaintiff’s right of recovery of the salary sued for, but that the same could not be awarded under plaintiff’s pleadings. On March 24th, by leave of the court, plaintiff filed a trial amendment, without further evidence than that submitted on the original hearing. Judgment was then rendered in plaintiff’s favor against the South Texas Association for the $700 salary sued for, but denying him a recovery against the American Association.

The trial amendment begins as follows:

“Now comes B. S. Burgess, and with leave of the court first had and obtained, files this, his trial amendment to his first amended original petition and would thereby show unto the court, in addition to the matters in said pleading, set forth the following :
“And plaintiff would further show unto the court, pleading in the alternative and the alternative only, that should the court find he not be entitled to recover on the written contract as hereinbefore alleged, then, in that event, he should be entitled to recover out of the oral contract of employment.”

Then follows a repetition of allegations in his former pleading of his election as secretary-treasurer, which included the duties of gen'eral. manager, the submission [1097]*1097and approval of the budget fixing the salaries of plaintiff and other officers; the duties of his office and his dismissal from service on January 1, 1935, through no fault on his part.

Defendant strenuously objected to permission given to the filing of the trial amendment on the following grounds: That the amendment set up a new cause of action; that defendant’s witnesses had been excused; that the amendment was not in response to any ruling of the court during the trial upon exceptions to the pleadings; or exclusion of testimony for lack of pleading ; and, further, because the case was not tried upon the theory set out in the trial amendment.

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103 S.W.2d 1095, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/south-texas-cotton-co-operative-assn-v-burgess-texapp-1937.