Thompson v. Gambino

109 So. 2d 115, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 769
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 20, 1959
DocketNo. 21120
StatusPublished

This text of 109 So. 2d 115 (Thompson v. Gambino) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. Gambino, 109 So. 2d 115, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 769 (La. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinion

McBRIDE, Judge.

The plaintiff alleges that defendants, Anthony Gambino, Sr., and Anthony Gam-bino, Jr., as operators of the meat department of “All Nite Food Store,” are indebted unto him for the sum of $140.01. The averment is made that on July 22, 1956, plaintiff furnished certain labor and parts to the walk-in cooler and display case of defendants to the amount of $16.48, and that on August 26, 1956, he furnished labor and parts in the sum of $52.53, said two charges aggregating $69.01. Plaintiff further alleges that on July 13, 1956, he loaned the defendants a 1J4 h. p. motor and on August 13, 1956, loaned them a Westinghouse fan for use inside the walk-in cooler; that the consideration for said loan was that defendants would hire plaintiff to do certain repair work to their cooler; that defendants failed to give the repair job to plaintiff and, therefore, plaintiff is entitled to charge rental for the motor at the rate of $1 per day, or $66, and for the fan at the rate of 35^ per day, or $15, or a total rental charge of $81. Defendants are given credit for a [117]*117$10 payment on account of the labor and parts bills.

Plaintiff alleged he has a repairman’s privilege under LSA-R.S. 9:4501 on the walk-in cooler and display case, and prayed for a writ of provisional seizure directed to the Constable of the First City Court commanding him to seize and to take into his possession said equipment; plaintiff also prayed for a writ of sequestration directing the Constable to sequester and take into his possession the l]/2 h. p. motor and the Westinghouse fan which the petition alleges are still in the possession of defendants.

The court below ordered the issuance of the writs as prayed for, and evidently the provisional seizure was issued because we notice that defendants had the provisional seizure released upon their execution of a forthcoming bond in the sum of $110; the record does not disclose whether the writ of sequestration was ever issued or that the Constable took possession of the property sought to be levied on under said writ.

The defendant Anthony Gambino, Sr., filed answer in which he denied that he was indebted unto the plaintiff for any sums whatever; he averred specifically that he had no interest in the business and that the same was solely owned and operated by Gambino, Jr.

Gambino, Jr., answered denying any indebtedness tmto plaintiff and setting up as a defense that the work performed by plaintiff was defective and as a result of such defective work he suffered a loss in excess of $200 as a result of food spoilage. Gambino, Jr., then set up a recon-ventional demand in which he seeks to recover that sum from plaintiff. However, Gambino, Jr., abandoned the reconventional demand.

After a trial below plaintiff recovered judgment against Anthony Gambino, Sr., for $84.01, with recognition of plaintiff’s right of ownership and possession of the property seized under the writ of sequestration. This indicates convincingly that the amount of the judgment was an allowance for rental charged for the motor and fan; however, we notice plaintiff only claimed $81 for such rental. The judgment dismissed the suit insofar as Gambino, Jr., is concerned.

Anthony Gambino, Sr., has appealed from the judgment. Plaintiff did not take an appeal and, therefore, Anthony Gam-bino, Jr., is not before the court and we are only concerned with plaintiff’s claims as against Anthony Gambino, Sr. Plaintiff has answered the appeal and the nature of said answer will be the subject of discussion hereafter.

Gambino, Sr., claims that he had no interest in or connection with the meat department of the food store, and the evidence tends to bear out this contention. The All Nite Food Store was a business enterprise owned and operated by one De-Peco, with whom Gambino, Jr., entered into an agreement whereby the latter would operate the meat department and all profits accruing from such operation were to be shared equally between Gambino, Jr., and DePeco. While Gambino, Sr., had no proprietary interest in the business or the equipment therein, he admits he was interested in helping his son get a start in business. The record reveals that he went so far in his zeal to help his son as to lead plaintiff to believe that he, Gambino, Sr., owned the business and that whatever work the plaintiff was to do on the walk-in cooler and equipment would be chargeable to him and he would pay the bills. The walk-in cooler and display case were very old models and plaintiff testified that it was difficult to obtain parts in connection with keeping them in service. The equipment was almost constantly in need of repairs, and when young Gambino entered into the venture with DePeco, an agreement was made between plaintiff and Gambino, Sr., that plaintiff would service the walk-in cooler and a display case for $4 per month. [118]*118The nature of the contract was that plaintiff would keep the cooler and display case in good operating condition for said monthly charge, and if repairs were necessary, he would furnish the same and charge Gambino, Sr., only for the amount of parts installed but not for his labor.

Plaintiff was called upon under the agreement to do other work on the equipment on dates prior to the dates of the two bills upon which this suit is based, and Gambino, Sr., admits that he paid these prior bills himself. Plaintiff stated he was under the impression, from his dealings with Gam-bino, Sr., that the latter was the owner of the business and that the son, Gambino, Jr., had been placed in -the establishment by his father as manager. Plaintiff claims he had no contract with Gambino, Jr., at all, as all his dealings were with the boy’s father, and it was necessary “to get an o. k. on the job” from Gambino, Sr., when work was to be done.

On his cross-examination Gambino, Sr., testified as follows :

“Q. Did you not state, * * * that you made a contract or an agreement with Mr. Thompson to do the maintenance work on this box and any other work necessary to keep it going? A. That’s right and to bring me the bill when he got through and I would pay for it. I said, ‘bring me the bill when you get through and I will pay you for it.’ ”

Appellant is legally obligated to plaintiff for the amount of the two bills although he in fact was not the owner of or a partner in the All Nite Food Store. The liability springs from the fact that in his dealings with plaintiff appellant’s actions and conduct led plaintiff to believe he was the owner and that plaintiff’s services were being rendered to him and he would pay the bills therefor. Gambino, Sr., personally settled several prior bills rendered by plaintiff and he never at any time apprised plaintiff that he was paying them for his son’s account. He at all times appeared to plaintiff as being the proprietor of the business, and he is es-topped from now setting up as a defense to this suit that he has no interest in the business and is not liable for the bills, all to the detriment of plaintiff who dealt with him in good faith.

The trial judge made an allowance for rental charges for the motor and fan, but Gambino, Sr., is not liable therefor. It is true plaintiff placed the two articles in the establishment on a loan basis, and it is likewise true that he did not get the expected order from Gambino, Sr., for the repair work, but we think that Gam-bino, Sr., was within his rights in refusing to give the job to plaintiff, for the simple reason Gambino, Sr., was able to secure a much lower bid from another repairman.

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Bluebook (online)
109 So. 2d 115, 1959 La. App. LEXIS 769, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-gambino-lactapp-1959.