Southwest Steel Corp. v. Jumonville

81 So. 2d 875, 228 La. 240, 1955 La. LEXIS 1360
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedJune 30, 1955
DocketNo. 41567
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 81 So. 2d 875 (Southwest Steel Corp. v. Jumonville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Southwest Steel Corp. v. Jumonville, 81 So. 2d 875, 228 La. 240, 1955 La. LEXIS 1360 (La. 1955).

Opinion

MOISE, Justice.

John E. Jumonville appeals from a judgment of the district court rendered in favor of plaintiff, Southwest Steel Corporation, and against the defendant, John E. Jumonville, in the full sum of $5,500, with interest thereon at the rate of 4% per annum from November 11, 1948, until paid, together with an additional 10% on said principal" as attorney’s fees. He also prays that the award to him on his reconventional demand be increased from $472.50 to $5,700. - .

In answer to' the appeal, plaintiff prays' for'10% damages for a frivolous appeal: Article 907 of the Code of Practice.

On September 9, 1949,' Southwest Steel Corporation brought suit against John E.. Jumonville on two promissory notes executed by him .on November 11, 1948, each in the amount of $2,750, payable respectively in 60 and 90 days after date, to the order of the Southwest Steel Corporation, with interest at the rate of 4% per annum from date until paid, together with 10% as attorney’s fees.

The defendant filed an answer, in which he. denied the allegations of plaintiff’s.petit tion but admitted the execution of the notes in the amount sued on. Further answering, he showed that the notes were two of. a [243]*243series of three notes he gave plaintiff for the purchase of three LCI’s (Landing Craft-Infantry), Nos. 21, 94 and 86, for the sum of $8,250. He averred that plaintiff had been unable to furnish him with a clear and merchantable title to the vessels, and further stated, on information and belief, that other parties were claiming title to the vessels.

By way of reconventional demand, defendant claimed the sum of $3,700 for materials forming a part of the vessels in question, which he averred he purchased from plaintiff and did not receive. He also averred that he suffered damages in the sum of $2,000, representing the value of fifty tons of material lost because of a rise in the Mississippi River, contending that this loss arose out of the failure of plaintiff to deliver him a good title to the property.

Plaintiff, defendant in reconvention, filed exceptions of no cause and no right of action and a plea of estoppel to the reconventional demand, which were referred to the merits. The case proceeded to trial on the issues presented and judgment was rendered. This appeal followed.

This case involves purely a question of fact.

Southwest Steel Corporation purchased seven Landing Craft-Infantry vessels from the United States Government in 1947, and six were brought to Broussard’s Landing in 1948. Three of these vessels were sold to Patterson of New Orleans, and Nos. 21, 94 and 86 remained in the care of Nick Broussard.

Through negotiations with Lester Krieger, Vice-President of Southwest Steel Corporation, Field S. Jones purchased LCI No. 21 during August 1948. Payment of $6,000 was made with a check of Preston R. Lynn. The Act of Sale reads:

“For $6,000.00 check received we sell to Preston R. Lynn LCI No. 21 as is, where is, Plaquemine, La.”
“Lester Krieger
Southwest Steel Corporation”

Mr. Jones testified that LCI No. 21 was bought for the joint account of Mr. Lynn and himself, and that he had previously given Mr. Lynn a $3,000 cashier’s check for his share.

Mr. Krieger gave Mr. Jones the following memorandum:

“August 3, 1948
“S. Broussard
Broussards Landing
Plaquemine, La.
“Please release LCI No. 21 to Preston R. Lynn and Nos. 94 and 86 to Field S. Jones.
“Southwest Steel Corporation
Lester Krieger”

Mr. Jones and Mr. Krieger testified that Mr. Jones did not purchase LCI Nos. 94 and 86, but that they had an agreement whereby Mr. Jones was to dismantle them and receive the non-ferrous metals for his share of the work.

[245]*245Mr. Jones had LCI No. 21 dismantled, and the engines were shipped to Mr. Lynn in Florida. Mr. Jones further testified that Mr. Lynn owed him money, and that after selling the engines in August, 1948, Mr. Lynn released his interest to him in LCI No. 21.

Both Mr. Jones and Mr. Krieger testified that Southwest Steel Corporation reacquired its interest in LCI No. 21 within several weeks of August 3, 1948.

By notarial act dated November 11, 1948, John E. Jumonville purchased LCI’s Nos. 21, 94 and 86 — “together with any and all parts thereof that may have been dismantled and are now located on the batture of Broussard’s Landing. * * * ” He gave three promissory notes, each in the amount of $2,750, to cover the purchase price of $8,250. One note has been paid, and this suit involves the two remaining unpaid. Mr. Jumonville was given the following letter for delivery:

“Plaquemine, La.
November 11, 1948
“Memphis, Tenn.
Mr. Nick Broussard
Plaquemine
Louisiana
“Dear Sir:
“Please turn over the L.C.I. operation to John E. Jumonville.
“Yours truly •
Lester Krieger
Southwest Steel Corporation”

When Mr. Jumonville arrived at Broussard’s Landing, employees of Fields S. Jones were loading a truck with articles and material from the LCI’s. No protest was filed, but an inventory of the contents of the truck was made after contact with the sheriff. It included:

4 CO 2 bottles
1 Hose and rack
18 Port holes
4 Lengths water hose
1 Ice box

Preponderance of the testimony is to the effect that only one truck load of material and parts was removed from the vessels. Mr. Jones was not present, but the evidence discloses that immediately after Mr. Jumonville’s purchase he felt that he had some claim against Southwest Steel Corporation, and he also had an unsettled drag line bill.

Mr. Jumonville contacted Mr. Krieger, who sent him $2,300 to settle with Mr. Jones. The record contains the following notarial act and letter:

“State of Louisiana
Parish of Iberville
“Before me, the undersigned authority, personally came and appeared F. S. Jones, a single person of the age of majority, resident of Shelby County, Memphis, Tennessee, who declared that for and in consideration of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.-00) cash in hand paid by Southwest Steel Corporation, said Southwest Steel Corpor [247]*247ration being represented by J. E. Jumonville, he does hereby sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver, with full warranty of title, all of his right, title and interest in and to the three (3) L.C.I.’s located at Broussard’s Landing in the Parish of Iberville, being L.C.L Nos. 21, 96 and 84,.to-gether with all dismantled property or parts removed from said vessels and located at Broussard’s Landing.
“Vendor, F. S.

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Bluebook (online)
81 So. 2d 875, 228 La. 240, 1955 La. LEXIS 1360, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/southwest-steel-corp-v-jumonville-la-1955.