Sundt v. Tobin Quarries, Inc.

175 P.2d 684, 50 N.M. 254
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 20, 1946
DocketNo. 4939.
StatusPublished
Cited by34 cases

This text of 175 P.2d 684 (Sundt v. Tobin Quarries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sundt v. Tobin Quarries, Inc., 175 P.2d 684, 50 N.M. 254 (N.M. 1946).

Opinion

BRICE, Justice.

The plaintiff (appellee) sued the defendant (appellant), to recover damages alleged to have been sustained because of defendant’s breach of a contract, by the terms of which the defendant agreed to deliver to plaintiff approximately 10,000 cubic yards of screened sand, to be used by plaintiff in the preparation of sealing material for the resurfacing of two portions of state highways ; also to recover for the use of certain equipment used by defendant, and the value of labor performed for defendant by employees of plaintiff.

The facts found by the trial court necessary to a decision are substantially as follows :

On June'23, 1944, the plaintiff was awarded by the New Mexico State Highway Commission contracts for resurfacing two sections of highways in New Mexico, to be completed according to specifications within sixty “weather working days.” A part of the material required for the resurfacing projects was approximately 10,000 cu. yds. of screened sand. On July 5, 1944 the State Highway Commission notified the plaintiff to commence the work of resurfacing under his contracts, and in compliance therewith he commenced work on July 14, 1944. On July 24, 1944 he ordered in writing from the defendant 8913 cu. yds. of screened sand to be used on the road projects, which order the defendant accepted, and thereupon agreed to deliver the sand to plaintiff, F, O. B. Logan, New Mexico, for $1.25 per cu. yd.

The defendant was informed “at or prior to the time the orders were placed” that the plaintiff was under contract to complete the road projects within sixty “weather working days.” Although defendant may not have known the exact time limit on the contracts, it did know that the time for completing the resurfacing projects was short, and was approximately the time stated in the contracts; that is, “sixty weather working days.”

The plaintiff obtained the screened sand required for the resurfacing of the two highway projects mentioned, by other means and from other sources than from the defendant (except 938.9 cu. yds. furnished by defendant under the contract) at a cost in excess of the price at which defendant had agreed to furnish it. Upon being required to start the work of resurfacing under his contract, the plaintiff, on his own account and with his own labor and equipment, began the production of screened sand. By July 28, 1944, he had produced 660 cu. yds. In the latter part of August, and until September 6, 1944 he produced 976 cu. yds. Between September 8 and September 22, 1944, he produced 1492 cu. yds. Between September 1 and September 15, 1944 (at another mine) he produced 1443 cu. yds. The remainder of the screened sand necessary for completing plaintiff’s resurfacing contracts was bought on the market from dealers.

Commencing September 15, 1944, plaintiff could have obtained the full amount of screened sand from commercial producers in Amarillo, Texas at $1.15 per ton F. O. B. Amarillo. None of the screened sand was used in the highway resurfacing in question until October 7, 1944.

The defendant is indebted to the plaintiff in the sum of $2996.04 for the use of men and equipment in the production of screened sand in an attempt to carry out his agreement with plaintiff.

The following findings of the Court are copied in full, as it is asserted by defendant that they are not supported by substantial evidence, to-wit:

“IV. That although plaintiff was ready, willing and able, at all times while said highway projects were in course of construction, that is, from about July 24, 1944 to about November 21, 1944, to accept delivery of said sealing material and pay for same upon delivery as agreed, defendant wholly failed to deliver any of said sealing material ordered except 938.9 cubic' yards thereof.”
“XX. That plaintiff would have completed the two highway projects, for which it was under contract with the Highway Department of New Mexico, on or prior to October 12, 1944, had it not been for defendant’s breach of its contract with plaintiff.”
“XXI. That the delay in completion of the two highway projects by plaintiff, caused by defendant’s breach of contract, damaged plaintiff.”
“XXII. That the delay in completion of the two highway projects by plaintiff, caused by defendant’s breach of contract, damaged plaintiff to the extent of $1000.00.”
“XXIV. That the cost of the 1443 cubic yards of material produced by plaintiff between September 1, 1944 and September 15, 1944 was in excess of the contract price of the material to be furnished by defendant, considering freight.”
“XXVI. That the excess of the market price of sealing material, ordered by plaintiff from defendant but not delivered, over the contract price, considering freight, amounts to $13,678.89.”

The defendant is entitled to a credit of $1173.63 for the 938.9 cubic yards of sand delivered to, and accepted by, the plaintiff. That there is a balance due the plaintiff by the defendant of $16,501.30, for which he is entitled to judgment.

The defendant asserts that the trial court erred in refusing to make its requested findings of fact, numbers 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 24. Assuming that the facts therein stated were so conclusively proven that this court should accept them as true, we find that all except request No. 18 were statements of evidentiary facts. The trial court is required by the rule to make findings of ultimate facts only. We'do not find it necessary to consider these requests specifically, but see Christmas v. Cowden, 44 N.M. 517, 105 P.2d 484, 487, where we stated that “The trial court is called upon to make findings of the ultimate facts only.” See also Paulos v. Janetakos, 46 N.M. 390, 129 P.2d 636, 142 A.L.R. 1237.

Requested Finding of Fact No. 18 is as follows: “That on the evening of October 3, 1944, Gene Sundt called Chet Roweth by telephone and made certain agreements substantially as set forth in plaintiff’s Exhibit ‘o: ”

A finding of fact must be complete within itself, without reference to the testimony. If it was the intention of defendant by this request to propose a finding that would amount to a modification of the original contract, as we assume from defendant’s argument that it was, its requested finding should have stated that the contract had been modified and in what particular.

On October 4, 1944 plaintiff wrote defendant a letter in which he stated that the parties had a telephone conversation and “from this conversation it is our understanding that:

1.In spite of the fact that you now face a probable loss in this venture you are willing to go on through with these orders, and will permit the operation of the sealing material setup to be carried on simultaneously with the ballast operation so that there will be no further shut downs in sealing material production.

2.

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Bluebook (online)
175 P.2d 684, 50 N.M. 254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sundt-v-tobin-quarries-inc-nm-1946.