Sturdevant v. Hooper

101 S.W.2d 379
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 7, 1937·No. No. 1817·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

ALEXANDER, Justice.

Sims Hooper brought this suit against G. H. Sturdevant, J. T. Carroll, Rentz Gullick, and George Colbath to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by him as a result of an automobile collision on a public highway. The plaintiff alleged that the defendants, Sturdevant, Carroll, and Gullick, were partners engaged in the purchase of fruits and vegetables in the Rio Grande Valley and the transportation to and sale thereof in Dallas and other' North Texas towns, and that Colbath,^ their servant, while driving an automobile truck for said firm, collided with plaintiff and injured him. The jury, in answer to special issues, found that a partnership relation existed among defendants, Sturdevant, Carroll and Gullick, in the handling of fruits and vegetables at the time in question; that the automobile truck which caused the damage was being used at the time to haul fruits and vegetables for said firm; and that the defendants and their servant were guilty of certain acts of negligence which proximately caused plaintiff’s damages. The trial court rendered judgment for the plaintiff against the defendants, jointly and severally, for the sum of $5,650, in accordance with the findings of the jury. The defendants sued out a writ of error to this court.

The plaintiffs in error contend that the evidence was insufficient to authorize the court to submit to the jury the issue as to a partnership relation among Sturde-vant, Carroll, and Gullick. All of the evidence on the issue of partnership came from the three alleged partners and is without dispute. This evidence shows that said three partners were engaged in the business of buying fruits and vegeta[380] bles in the Rio Grande Valley and transporting said produce to and selling the same in Dallas and other North Texas cities. Carroll furnished the capital for the purchase of said produce and an automobile truck for the transportation of same to Dallas and other North Texas cities. Sturdevant purchased the produce in the valley and transported it to the place of sale, making approximately two trips per week, and Gullick assisted in locating the place where the produce was to be bought, sold it after it was delivered at its destination, and kept the books for the business. After all expenses were paid, the profits were divided equally among the three parties. There never had been a loss, but it seemed to be the understanding that, if a loss should occur, it would be borne by Carroll alone, except that Sturdevant and Gullick would lose the timé and labor contributed by them. This relationship had existed and the business had been so carried on for two or three years prior to the time in question. We think the evidence established a partnership. It is generally held that those persons are partners who contribute property, money, labor, and skill or some or all of them to carry on a joint bfisiness for their common benefit, and who own and share the profits thereof in certain proportions. 32 Tex.Jur. 216; 47 C.J. 640; Thompson v. Schmitt, 115 Tex. 53, 274 S. W. 554. The evidence in this case discloses that the three parties in question were engaged in a common enterprise with a community of interests therein. Each contributed either money, equipment, skill, or labor. The business was prosecuted for the joint benefit of all the parties and each had a right to share in the profits, not merely as compensation for services rendered, but as joint owners thereof. Under these circumstances, a partnership relation existed among the parties. Freeman v. Huttig Sash & Door Co., 105 Tex. 560, 153 S.W. 122, 124, Ann.Cas.1916E, 446; Southern Surety Co. v. Texas Employers’ Ins. Ass’n (Tex.Civ.App.) 2 S.W.(2d) 310 (writ ref.), and authorities there cited; Giddings v. Harding (Tex.Com.App.) 267 S.W. 976. The fact that by special arrangement some of the members were not required to share the losses incurred in the capital invested did not necessarily render the combination any the less a partnership. Bivins v. Proctor (Tex.Civ.App.) 49 S.W.(2d) 824, Id., 125 Tex. 137, 80 S.W.(2d) 307; 20 R.C.L. 930; Ann.Cas.1916D, p. 825; L.R.A.1917E, p. 879.

Plaintiffs in error ‘contend that it was error for .the trial court to render judgment against Carroll and Gullick in the absence of a finding by the jury that Colbath, the driver of the truck, was their employee. The evidence was undisputed that Sturdevant, one of the partners, was authorized to employ an assistant to help drive the truck but that he was required to pay such employee out of his own share of the profits. He had, with the knowledge and consent of the other members of the firm, employed such helpers on other occasions. It is undisputed that Sturde-vant employed Colbath to drive the truck on the occasion in question and that Stur-devant was on the truck with Colbath at the time of the collision. It appears that the truck was being run day and night and that Sturdevant and Colbath were taking turn about, one driving while the other slept. They were hauling a load of produce for the firm at the time. Under these circumstances, the firm, and each member thereof, was liable for Colbath’s negligence. Since the facts establishing Col-bath’s agency were undisputed, there was no necessity of submitting the issue to the jury. 41 Tex.Jur. 1027, 1079.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Sturdevant v. Hooper, 101 S.W.2d 379 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

101 S.W.2d 379 (Sturdevant v. Hooper) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Asch v. First National Bank in Dallas
304 S.W.2d 179 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1957)
Holliday v. Taylor
249 S.W.2d 941 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1952)
Davis v. Gilmore
244 S.W.2d 671 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1951)
American Bankers Life Ins. Co. v. Barlow
127 S.W.2d 1026 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1939)