Stratton v. Shaffer Oil & Refining Co.

1924 OK 483, 228 P. 772, 103 Okla. 28, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 226
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 22, 1924
Docket13291
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1924 OK 483 (Stratton v. Shaffer Oil & Refining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stratton v. Shaffer Oil & Refining Co., 1924 OK 483, 228 P. 772, 103 Okla. 28, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 226 (Okla. 1924).

Opinions

Opinion by

PINKHAM, C.

This action was commenced in the district court of Oklahoma county by the Shaffer Oil & Refining 'Company, against A. J. Stratton, to recover a balance of $11,967.80, and interest, on a series of promissory notes executed by the defendant in July, August, and September, 1920.

The defendant filed an unverified answer alleging, in substance, that said notes were without any consideration.

The reply of the plaintiff is a general denial.

Upon the trial of the case before a jury the plaintiff offered the notes, which were received in evidence without objection and plaintiff rested its case.

The defendant testified that he had received no consideration of any kind for the notes. Upon cross-examination the defendant identified his signature to two certain instruments and they were admitted in evi *29 deuce over tlie objection of defendant, who testified that they had been materially altered.

The eonsideratioin for the execution of said notes is evidenced by these two written agreements entered into by and between the plaintiff and defendant.

At the conclusion of the defendant’s testimony counsel for defendant requested the court to strike from the record the two instruments referred to for the reason that they were altered after the signature of the defendant, which was overruled by the court and exception taken.

Defendant then rested and counsel for plaintiff demurred to the evidence offered on the part of the defendant for the reason that the same, under the law, is not sufficient to constitute a defense to the i'lain-tiff’s action.

The court thereupon sustained the plaintiff’s demurrer to the evidence.

Judgment was duly rendered for plaintiff in the sum of $12,513, with interest. Motion for new trial wa-s overruled, to which action of the court defendant excepted. The cause comes regularly on appeal to this court.

The first proposition discussed by defendant in his brief is that the court erred in sustaining the plaintiff’s demurrer to the defendant’s evidence.

The record discloses that the defendant was the only witness in the case. The .execution of the notes sued upon was not denied and the defendant in hisi evidence admitted that he .entered into the written agreements introduced in evidence with the plaintiff, and that the subject-matter of these written agreements is the money that defendant received from the plaintiff and which were evidenced by the notes upon which the suit was based. These agreements show that the defendant, received the plaintiff’s money and thereby became indebted to it.

The said agreements also show that the defendant became the owner of certain oil and gas leases purchased by him with the money that he obtained from the plaintiff, and that the defendant assigned the said leases to the plaintiff as collateral security for the debts.

The defendant testified to the effect that the plaintiff’s agent informed him before he executed the notes that “it was just a mere matter of form; that the Chicago office would like to have this evidenced by notes.”

It is contended that this testimony is competent. to prove that the notes sued on were without any consideration; that they were signed by request of the plaintiff acting by its agent with the assurance to the defendant that it was a mere matter of form to show where the money had been used and that this money was paid to defendant for the express purpose of paying for the leases; that it was so used by him and that he did not receive any benefit for himself. ,

The case of Jesse French Piano & Organ Co. v. Bodovitz, 73 Okla. 87, 174 Pac. 756, is cited in support of defendant’s contention.

We' do not think the case relied upon lends any support to the position taken by defendant. In that case this court announced the rule in the first paragraph of the syllabus as follows:

“Where an oral agreement, is partially reduced to writing and the writing evidencing it is not a complete and .final settlement of the entire transaction parol evidence not inconsistent with such written contract is admissible to show the full agreement.”

In the instant case the contract between the plaintiff and defendant being complete and unambiguous it cannot be altered by parol evidence except for fraud or mistake, Garrison v. Kress, 19 Okla. 433. 91 Pac. 1130.

There was no evidence of fraud or mistake in the execution of the notes and no such claim is made in the brief of defendant.

“The execution of a contract in writing whether the law requires it to be in writing or not, supersedes all oral negotiations or stipulations concerning its matter which precluded or accompanied the execution of the instrument.” Section 5035, Comp. Stat. 1921.

In the case of Metz v. Winne, 15 Okla. 1, 79 Pac. 223, it is held in the second paragraph' of the syllabus:

“It is not error to sustain a demurrer to an answer which alleges no consideration for a note and which pleads the special facts from which such conclusion is deduced, when from such specific facts it is apparent that such conclusion is erroneous, and that such note is based upon a sufficient consideration.”

In the above case, as in this case, it was claimed by the defendant that the notes were without consideration. Defendant in his answer and testimony admitted the execution of the notes. The written contracts were in evidence and their execution was admitted by the defendant. These written agreements evidence the entire transaction between the parties and show, we think, a *30 valuable consideration for the execution of the notes sued upon.

Th© testimony of the defendant in respect to an oral understanding had with the plaintiff’s agent prior to the execution of the notes, and of the written agreements, was an attempt to vary the terms of the contract. This testimony was received over the objection of the plaintiff.

In the ease of Clinton National Bank v. McKennon, 26 Okla. 836, 110 Pac. 649, it is said:

“It is the duty of the court in directing a verdict to lay out of consideration incompetent testimony received over objection.”

It -is further contended that the court erred in holding that there was no competent evidence tending to prove the material alteration in the contract .entered into tween plaintiff and defendant prior to the execution of the notes.

It is sufficient to say that the court, after an inspection of the original agreements introduced in evidence, found that the instrument offered did not show a material alteration on its face and an objection to its introduction was overruled.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1924 OK 483, 228 P. 772, 103 Okla. 28, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 226, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stratton-v-shaffer-oil-refining-co-okla-1924.