Thomas v. Gulf Banana Dispatch Co.

26 S.W.2d 665, 1930 Tex. App. LEXIS 274
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 12, 1930
DocketNo. 3374.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 26 S.W.2d 665 (Thomas v. Gulf Banana Dispatch Co.) 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
Thomas v. Gulf Banana Dispatch Co., 26 S.W.2d 665, 1930 Tex. App. LEXIS 274 (Tex. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

RANDOLPH, J.

This suit was filed by the Gulf Banana Dispatch Company, hereinafter called plaintiff, against J. J. Thomas, alleged to be doing busi-' ness under the name and style of Thomas Fruit Company, and the City National Bank, hereinafter styled defendants. From a judgment in favor of the plaintiff, the defendants have appealed to this court.

The plaintiff instituted this suit to recover the sums of $497.43 and $383.50 claimed to be due and owing it fox two cars of bananas, numbered respectively IG-58041 and NRC-3248, f. o. b. New Orleans, which the defendant is alleged to have purchased by order from the plaintiff through its agent N. Nigro & Co. That said cars were shipped and left New Orleans on September'20 and September 28, 1926, respectively. Plaintiff also seeks to recover for said account from the defendant Ibank as guarantor of the payment of same by the defendant.

The defendants, by separate answers filed in the cause, consisting of general and special exceptions and special pleadings, by way of defensive matter to plaintiff’s cause of action, alleged that in attempting to fill defendant’s order, the plaintiff shipped car 10-58041 by way of the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway Company; that .upon arrival of said car it was discovered that the contents were badly chilled; that by reason of the chilled condition of the bananas it was impossible to ripen same, which rendered said bananas un-merchantable and virtually worthless and valueless to defendant Thomas; that said bananas were inferior in quality to those ordered, etc. That the defendant, when iti was found that the 'bananas were in a chilled condition, notified the plaintiff and the carrier thereof; that the defendant undertook to dispose of and sell same as best he could and received therefor $141.50, which represents the gross receipts from the sale of the bananas contained in said car after deducting the freight charges therefrom, and defendant Thomas tendered said $141.50 to plaintiff in full payment for said car, which plaintiff refused to accept, and defendant here and now tenders same to it. The defendant further alleges that he did, on or about the 23d of September, 1926, order f ro'm plaintiff, through its agent, N.,Nigro & Co., one car of green bananas, being car NRO-3248, which upon' arrival and inspection were found to be blackened in appearance and overripe, and by reason of same being overripe, they were unsalable and could not be disposed of. That defendant thereupon rejected said car and refused to receive them. Further, that there is a general custom and usage among the importers, dealers, brokers, jobbers, wholesalers, and purchasers of bananas in carload lots to the effect that when bananas are purchased by telegraph or otherwise," it is understood and known that the fruit is to be shipped and to arrive at destination in green condition,' unless the order for same specifically calls for “turnings,” in order that the purchaser thereof may ripen the fruit at his will and in sufficient quantities and at such times as to enable him to profitably sell and dispose of same. That said custom and usage was general and prevalent and has been for a great many years an established custom and usage in the states of Louisiana and Texas. That the 'defendant Thomas had theretofore and since purchased bananas of the plaintiff company, and said bananas had always arrived at destination in a green condition; that the plaintiff company had knowledge of the existence of such custom and usage and was aware that the defendant Thomas was relying upon the same and ordered and expected to receive the bananas in a green condition upon their arrival at destination. The defendant then pleaded failure of consideration in part as to the purchase of said two cars, also pleading negligence on the part of plaintiff’s agent, N. Nigro & Co., in said shipments, in that they caused to be placed too much ice, to wit, 6,000 pounds in car 10-58041 at Dallas, and had too little ice in car NRO-3248. The defendant also pleaded breach of warranty, and further impleaded the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway Company, alleging that it was a necessary and proper party in that as a common carrier for hire; if the bananas were in good and. merchantable condition when placed in charge of said railroad for shipment, the said railroad carelessly and negligently caused the bananas to become chilled while in transit to the extent that they were unfit and unsuitable for the purposes for which they were ordered, and prayed that in the event plaintiff recovered judgment against him, he recover against the railroad company a like judgment.

The defendant bank pleaded want of privity of contract between the parties, that their part of the transaction was only “accommodation paper” and wholly without consideration, etc.

The case was submitted to a jury upon special issues, a number, of which were given in the court’s main charge, and the others were tendered by the defendant Thomas.

In answer .to the numerous issues submitted, the jury, in part, found: That the bana *667 nas in car IC-5S041 were of tlie kind and character of bananas contracted for when shipped from New Orleans; that the bananas in said car were the kind and character contracted for by defendant Thomas at the time they were diverted at Dallas, Tex.; that the bananas in car NBC-3248 were such as contracted for by defendant Thomas at the time they were shipped from New Orleans; that the bananas in said last-named car were not of the kind and character contracted for by the defendant at the time they were diverted at Dallas, Tex.

The defendant’s special issues given by the court were answered, by the jury: That N. Nigro & Oo. were the agents of the plaintiff at the time of the purchase of said two cars; that the bananas contained in car 10-58041 were in a merchantable condition and suitable for the purpose for which they were ordered when they were delivered to the carrier at Dallas; that the bananas contained in car NRO-3248 were not in a fit and merchantable condition and suitable for the purposes for which they were ordered when they were delivered to the carrier at Dallas, Tex.; that the carrier transported the contents of said car safely to defendant Thomas at Wichita Falls; that N. Nigro & Co. represented to the defendant Thomas before the purchase of said bananas that they were in good and merchantable condition, this as to both cars; that the bananas in car IC-58041 were in merchantable condition when it arrived at Wichita Falls, but that car NRO-3248 was not in such condition on arrival at Wichita Falls; that there was a custom or usage in trade among banana dealers, wholesale and retail, in the states of Louisiana and Texas, that when bananas were ordered in carload lots, they were to arrive green at their destination, and that such custom was known to the plaintiff and its agent; that N. Nigro & Oo. did represent to defendant Thomas in, their negotiations with them that the bananas in can- NBC-3248 were “turnings” and that defendant Thomas ordered “turnings” at the time of the purchase of said car.

The defendant Thomas makes the objection to the court’s charge that it fails to submit to the jury a charge on the burden of proof.

We cannot bonsider this question.

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Bluebook (online)
26 S.W.2d 665, 1930 Tex. App. LEXIS 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-gulf-banana-dispatch-co-texapp-1930.