Texas Auto Co. v. Clark

12 S.W.2d 655
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 13, 1928
DocketNo. 719.
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 12 S.W.2d 655 (Texas Auto Co. v. Clark) 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
Texas Auto Co. v. Clark, 12 S.W.2d 655 (Tex. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinions

GAEIiAGHER, C. J.

This appeal is prosecuted by appellant, Texas Auto Company, from a judgment rendered against it in favor of appellee, W. O. Clark, in the county court for the sum of $89.94. The case was tried to a jury. There were several conflicts in the .evidence, but the jury accepted in the main the testimony of appellee and his witnesses. Appellee purchased a Chevrolet car from appellant in Corpus Christi, Nueces county, Tex. He made a substantial cash payment, but was not able to reduce the balance due to the amount a finance corporation was willing to carry on the car. He therefore executed and delivered to appellant two notes for $50 each, and secured them by a mortgage thereon. Said notes provided for the payment of principal and interest and all expenses incurred in the collection thereof. Said ’mortgage provided, among other things, that appellee should not remove said car from Nueces county without the written consent of appellant; that, in event he did so, appellant, or its authorized agent, should have the power and right to enter upon his or any other premises where the same might be located and search for and seize the same with or without legal process; that all claims for trespass, or damage resulting therefrom, were expressly waived; that appellant or its authorized agent should also have authority to sell the same at public or private sale and apply the proceeds of such sale to the satisfaction of its debt and expenses incurred in that connection, paying the remainder, if any, to appellee; that, in event appellant repossessed such car under the authority so given, and the same was not at the time in a merchantable condition, appellant might have it put in such condition and the expense of doing so should constitute a further lien thereon. Appellee left Corpus Christi and returned to his former home at Streetman in Freestone county. He, without the consent of appellant, took the oar with him. He failed to pay the first of said two notes at maturity, and appellant, under the provisions contained therein, declared them both due. Appellant sent its agent, Cobb, to Streetman to repossess said car. He did so under circumstances which will be hereinafter recited, and returned the same to Corpus Christi. Appellee went to Corpus Christi and paid to appellant both said notes and other charges demanded of him. The car was then turned over to him. He returned to Freestone county and instituted this suit. The facts with reference to the issues of law discussed will be recited in connection therewith. The case was submitted on special issues, and, upon return of a verdict, the court rendered judgment against appellant and in *657 fayor of appellee for the sum of $89.94. Hen.ce this appeal.

Opinion.

Appellant presents as ground for reversal the action of the court in refusing his request for a peremptory instruction. Appellant contends in this connection that it had, under the terms of its mortgage, the right to the possession of said car, that it was therefore not guilty of trespass in seizing the same and that it cannot be held liable in damages for such action. Appellee, in reply to, such contention, claims that the mortgage lien was discharged prior to the seizure by an effective tender of the amount of the debt due appellant and secured by its mortgage. Ap-pellee testified that on every occasion he offered to pay the $100 due, with interest thereon, and that appellant’s agent, Cobb, refused to accept such payment, and stated he had been sent to get the car. Appellee’s wife testified that, when Cobb approached them about the matter, he told appellee “he came to get the car and be damned if he didn’t get it”; that appellee had the money in his pocket to pay the amount due, hut that Cobb would not accept it; that appellee told Cobh that, if he would not accept the money, he (appellee) would go to Corpus Ohristi and pay it to appellant there; that Cobb told him not to go to Corpus Christi, for they could send him to the pen anyway; that they were preparing to go to Corpus Christi to redeem the car. The testimony further discloses that appellee carried Cobb in the ear to the bank; that he left the car and went in to cash a check, leaving Cobb in the car; that, as soon as appellee disappeared into the building, Cobb took the steering wheel and started the car and left at full speed. Appellee testified that he had refused to give Cobb possession of the car. Cobb testified that appellee claimed he did not have the money to pay the debt; that he waited about four hours for appellee to try to raise the money, and that appellee failed to do so; that he then drove the car away while appellee was inside the building. He further testified that he did not take the car by force.

The jury, in response to the special issues submitted, found, in substance: (a) That ap-pellee did not make a tender to said agent by actual presentation to him of the amount of money due on said indebtedness; (b) that appellee had the money to pay the amount due at the time; (c) that Cobb told appellee that he had instructions to repossess the car,, and that he would not accept payment of said indebtedness; (d) that Cobb would not have accepted payment of said indebtedness if ap-pellee had actually presented the amount thereof in money.

An effective tender can be made without actually producing, exhibiting, and counting the money at the time of the offer to pay. When an offer of payment is made in good faith and the party making such offer has the money to make actual payment of the claim, and the party to whom it is offered declares that he will not accept such payment, the actual production and exhibition of the money is waived and a valid and effective tender is shown. Such a tender was shown by the evidence in this case. All the elements of such a tender were expressly found by the verdict of the jury except an offer by appellee to pay to appellant’s agent the amount due, and a finding to that effect must be implied under the provisions of Article 2199, Revised Statutes. Poff v. Miller (Tex. Com. App.) 235 S. W. 570, 572, par. 1, and authorities there cited; Creager v. Beamer Syndicate (Tex. Civ. App.) 274 S. W. 323, 328, par. 4. The tender to appellant’s agent of the amount of indebtedness owed by ap-pellee to it discharged the lien on the car securing the same and revoked the right of seizure granted in the mortgage. Meyer & Kiser v. French (Tex. Com. App.) 288 S. W. 405, 406, par. 5; Poff v. Miller, supra; Florence v. Warren (Tex. Civ. App.) 293 S. W. 226, 227, par. 1; Bledsoe v. Palmer (Tex. Civ. App.) 81 S. W. 97, 98, par. 3; 5 R. C. L. pp. 457, 458, § 93; 11 C. J. p. 679, §§ 452, 453; 26 R. C. L. top page 645.

Appellee, in further reply to appellant’s contention, claims that the testimony shows that the seizure of the car by appellant’s agent, Cobb, was done in such an improper manner as to constitute a trespass and to deprive appellant of the right to justify the same by the authority given in the mortgage. There was evidence tending to show that appellant agreed to go at once with Cobb to-Corpus Christi in said car; that his wife was to accompany them; that, while she was .dressing for the trip, appellee went to the bank to cash a check for additional funds; that he took Cobb with him in the car; that, when appellee got out of the car to go into the bank, Cobb seized the opportunity afforded by his momentary absence to take-possession of the ear; that appellee under.stood that the proposal for him and his wife and Cobb to go to Corpus Ohristi together in the car was satisfactory to Cobb. The-jury in response to special issues found, in substance: (a) That appellee did not.

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12 S.W.2d 655, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-auto-co-v-clark-texapp-1928.