Traylor Bros., Inc. v. Alford

230 N.E.2d 336, 142 Ind. App. 294, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 303
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 19, 1967
Docket20,270
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 230 N.E.2d 336 (Traylor Bros., Inc. v. Alford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Traylor Bros., Inc. v. Alford, 230 N.E.2d 336, 142 Ind. App. 294, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 303 (Ind. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinions

Carson, P. J.

— This is an appeal from the Superior Court of Vanderburgh County, the honorable Benjamin E. Buente, Judge.

The issues were formed by the appellee’s complaint in five paragraphs, the appellant’s answer in two paragraphs, the second paragraph containing also a counterclaim, and the [295]*295appellee’s answer and reply to the defendant’s second paragraph of answer and counterclaim, the appellant then filed an amended second paragraph of answer and counterclaim to which the appellee filed answer and reply.

Each paragraph of the plaintiff-appellee’s complaint related to a different highway project or contract. The appellant-defendant below was the general contractor with the State of Indiana on the various projects and appellee-plaintiff below was a subcontractor under a written contract.

The issues as condensed by the appellant in appellant’s brief are as follows:

Paragraph I.
“This related to the highway project near Spencer, Indiana. There was a claim for work performed under the written contract and for extra work done at the special instance and request of the Appellant. The ad damnum was $9,756.46.
Paragraph II.
“This was the highway project near Aurora, Indiana. In it there was a claim for work done under the contract with the Appellant, together with a claim for extra work performed at the special instance and request of the Appellant. The ad damnum was in the amount of $21,988.55.
Paragraph III.
“This related to the highway project near Crothersville, Indiana. In it the Appellee claimed damages for work performed under the written contract, together with extra work performed at the special instance and request of the Appellant. The ad damnum was in the amount of $11,077.89.
Paragraph IV.
“This related to the highway project near Seymour, Indiana. In it the Appellee claimed damages for work performed under the terms of the contract, together with extra work performed at the special instance and request of the Appellant. Such damages were claimed to be in the amount of $11,093.00. In addition the Appellee claimed that he was prevented from completing his subcontract work by the failure of the Appellant to prepare the terrain by bringing it to grade level and failing to acknowledge indebtedness [296]*296to the Appellee for extra work and labor furnished the Appellant by Appellee; the Appellee claimed that he had been damaged in the sum of $13,000.00 by reason of the Appellant thus preventing him from completing his contract. The total ad damnum in this paragraph was $24,093.00.
Paragraph V.
“This is in connection with the highway project near Mill-town, Indiana. In it the Appellee claimed damages for work performed under the terms of the contract, together with extra work performed at the special instance and request of the Appellant. Such damages were claimed to be in the amount of $37,584.01. In addition the Appellee claimed that he was prevented from completing his subcontract work by the failure of the Appellant to prepare the terrain by bringing it to grade level and failing to acknowledge to the Appellee for extra work and labor furnished the Appellant by Appellee; the Appellee claimed that he had been damaged in the sum of $5,000.00 by reason of the Appellant thus preventing him from completing his contract. The total ad damnum in this paragraph was $42,584.01. The total ad damnum of the complaint was $109,499.91.
“The affirmative answers filed by the Appellant alleged that the extra work alleged to have been performed by the Appellee in his complaint was actually work which he was required to perform under the terms of his subcontract and that the Appellee had been fully paid for his work.
“The counterclaims filed by the Appellant claimed that the Appellant was due money for loss of profits because the Appellee did not complete his subcontract as to the Seymour and Milltown highway projects (these were the projects covered by Paragraphs IV and V of the Appellee’s Complaint). The Appellant also filed Paragraphs of Counterclaim based on the payment of salaries by the Appellant on behalf of the Appellee, based on the payment of suppliers of materials by the Appellant on behalf of Appellee, and based on agreements whereby the Appellant promised to pay, on behalf of Appellee, suppliers of materials to the Appellee.
“The entire ad damnum of the counterclaims, as amended, was $35,581.45.”

Upon motion of the plaintiff-appellee, the court directed a verdict as to that part of the appellant’s counterclaim which [297]*297related to an agreement in writing whereby appellant promised to pay a supplier of material on behalf of the plaintiffappellee.

All the other issues raised by the complaint and counterclaims were submitted to jury for determination. The jury was furnished twelve forms of verdict, five of which related to the five paragraphs of complaint and seven of which related to the seven paragraphs of counterclaim. The jury returned a verdict under which the plaintiff-appellee was awarded the full damages claimed as to each paragraph of the complaint, and found for the appellee as to certain paragraphs of the appellant’s counterclaim and awarded damages to the appellant as to certain other paragraphs of the counterclaim. The net result was that the jury awarded plaintiff-appellee $109,499.91 on the complaint and awarded the defendant-appellant $14,101.78 on the defendant-appellant’s counterclaims. Consistent judgment was entered by the court on the jury’s verdict.

After the filing of motions for new trials by both the appellant and the appellee, the court overruled the appellant’s motion for a new trial, but because the court considered the jury’s verdict on Paragraph V of áppellee’s complaint to be excessive, the court indicated it would sustain the appellant’s motion for a new trial unless the appellee would agree to a remittitur of $3,586.20. This was accepted by the appellee and the court then overruled the appellant’s motion for a new trial and reduced the judgment making the net judgment in favor of the plaintiff-appellee against the defendant-appellant in the amount of $105,913.71.

From a careful examination of the appellant’s brief, it appears that the appellant has waived twenty-one of the specifications of error set out in his motion for a new trial by his failure to support those specifications by argument and citation of authorities in his brief.

[298]*298The eleven (11) specifications remaining which the appellant does attempt to present to the court by argument and citation of authorities are as follows:

“6. The verdict of the jury, on, and as to paragraph I of the plaintiff’s complaint is contrary to law.”
“7. The verdict of the jury on, and as to, paragraph II of the plaintiff’s complaint is contrary to law.”
“8. The verdict of the jury on, and as to, paragraph III of the plaintiff’s complaint is contrary to law.”
“9. The verdict of the jury on, and as to> paragraph IV of the plaintiff’s complaint is contrary to law.”
“10.

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Traylor Bros., Inc. v. Alford
230 N.E.2d 336 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
230 N.E.2d 336, 142 Ind. App. 294, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/traylor-bros-inc-v-alford-indctapp-1967.