Villarreal v. Boggus Motor Company

471 S.W.2d 615, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2097
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 16, 1971
Docket635
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 471 S.W.2d 615 (Villarreal v. Boggus Motor Company) 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
Villarreal v. Boggus Motor Company, 471 S.W.2d 615, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2097 (Tex. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinions

OPINION

NYE, Chief Justice.

This is a suit brought by Issa E. Villarreal and her husband Melvin Villarreal to rescind the sale of an automobile. The trial was to a jury resulting in special issue verdict in favor of the plaintiffs. Boggus Motor Company, Inc. of Harlingen filed a motion for judgment non obstante veredicto and a motion to disregard the special issue findings of the jury. These motions were granted by the trial court. Plaintiffs appeal.

The plaintiffs purchased a 1966 Ford Thunderbird automobile on March 19, 1966, paying $6,084.29 to the defendant motor company. The plaintiffs alleged that defendant, through its salesman, represented to them that the automobile was of top quality. In addition they received from the Ford Motor Company a written guaranty against defects in workmanship, all of which caused the plaintiffs to assume that the automobile was reasonably fit and suitable for its intended purpose of reliable transportation.

Shortly after plaintiffs purchased the automobile, a speed control device which permits a person to drive without keeping his foot on the accelerator, failed to function. It was never repaired. Some three or four months after they had purchased the car, the car stalled and refused to start. They summoned the McAllen Ford agency who picked up the car and repaired it for them. About four months later, in November 1966, the electrical system broke down again. They called the same McAllen Ford agency which picked up the car and fixed it. In September 1967, ten months later, the vehicle’s electrical system again caused the car to stall. It was again taken to the McAllen Ford agency and fixed. During this same interval of time, the stereo player stopped working. This was replaced by the defendant company from Mr. Boggus’ own car. Later, the horn ring became loose because a screw had fallen out. This was fixed by the defendant. Following this [617]*617trouble, the windshield wipers started up without being turned on. The defendant fixed the windshield wipers although the actuating handle was never properly aligned with the other buttons on the control panel. Several months later the speedometer broke down. It was repaired, although it continued to make some noise thereafter. A very few months after the car was purchased, the clock refused to work accurately, and although repairs were attempted by the defendant, it never became a reliable timepiece. Finally, on October 10, 1967 (some eighteen months after the vehicle was purchased), something went wrong again with the electrical system for the fourth time. The plaintiffs were able, however, to drive the car to defendant’s place of business in Harlingen. There they left the car, claimed the right to rescind the original transaction and, by their suit, demanded the return of the full purchase price paid by them. The vehicle is still parked on the property of the defendant and has not been driven since 1967. The plaintiffs did not tender or offer to tender the certificate of title to the vehicle, nor did the plaintiffs make any offer to return the value of any benefit that they may have derived from the use of the vehicle.

The plaintiffs’ sole point of error is directed to the trial court’s granting of the judgment non obstante veredicto. The first issue requested by the appellants was:

"SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 1 Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the automobile in question was entirely worthless for the purpose which it was known to the seller that the buyer intended to place it? Answer ‘it was entirely worthless’ or ‘it was not entirely worthless’
We, the Jury, answer: ‘It was entirely zvorthless’ ”

They argue that there was sufficient evidence to justify the jury’s findings in favor of plaintiffs.

A judgment entered notwithstanding a jury verdict can only be upheld on appeal, when a directed verdict would have been proper. The trial court cannot disregard any special jury findings unless there is no support in the evidence. As to whether or not the evidence supports the jury’s findings the appellate court must determine that there is no evidence of probative value upon which the jury could have made the findings adverse to the ap-pellees. Burt v. Lochausen, 151 Tex. 289, 249 S.W.2d 194 (1952); Leyva v. Pacheco, 163 Tex. 638, 358 S.W.2d 547 (Tex.Sup. 1962). In doing this we must consider only the testimony which tends to support the jury’s issues and disregard all evidence contrary thereto. Le Master v. Fort Worth Transit Company, 138 Tex. 512, 160 S.W.2d 224 (1942).

It was in Dillard v. Clutter, 145 S.W.2d 632 (Tex.Civ.App.—Amarillo 1940, wr. ref.) that our Texas court said that:

“There is no general rule of law better established in this State than that, in the absence of fraud or an express agreement to take back an article or property sold under a warranty, the vendee cannot return the article and recover back all of the purchase money or that part of it which he has paid, (citing cases).
The only condition under which a buyer has the right of rescission by reason of the warranty of the seller, in the absence of fraud or an agreement for a rescission, is where the article or property purchased proves wholly unsuitable for the use or purpose to which it is known by the seller that the buyer intends to place it, or the identity of the article and it proves to be something other than that which was purchased. In that event it may be returned and the contract of purchase rescinded upon an agreement of warranty. * * * ” (emphasis supplied).

This law was first laid down in Wright & Clark v. Davenport, 44 Tex. 164 (1875). [618]*618The Court in the Davenport case went on to say:

“ * * * But if the warranty goes to the degree of fitness or to quality, and it proves to he of an inferior quality or fitness, the goods cannot be returned, and the remedy is by action for damages, the measure of which is the difference between the value of the article as it is and as it was represented to be * *

The Court gave this example. It said:

“ * * * Thus, if a machine is sold for a particular purpose, and it will perform none of the functions, it may be returned; but if it only perform them badly the remedy is by action for damages.”

These rules have never been deviated from, until the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code by the State of Texas. Since this particular cause of action arose prior to the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code, the above-cited pre-code law is applicable here.

The only witnesses that testified during the course of the trial were the plaintiffs. It was undisputed that there was no claim of fraud or misrepresentation nor was there any alternative plea for damages by way of breach of contract. Therefore, since the purchasers elected to attempt to rescind the contract and to recover their purchase price, we are relegated to the law governing a suit for rescission of an original contract.

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Villarreal v. Boggus Motor Company
471 S.W.2d 615 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
471 S.W.2d 615, 1971 Tex. App. LEXIS 2097, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/villarreal-v-boggus-motor-company-texapp-1971.