Whaley Lumber Co. v. Reliance Brick Co.

2 S.W.2d 911
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 4, 1928
DocketNo. 2917.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2 S.W.2d 911 (Whaley Lumber Co. v. Reliance Brick 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
Whaley Lumber Co. v. Reliance Brick Co., 2 S.W.2d 911 (Tex. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinions

HALL, C. J.

The Reliance Brick Company, hereinafter called brick company, sued the Whaley Lumber Company, hereinafter called the lumber company, and John Scott, alleging in substance that about the 18th day of August, 1025, the brick company sold John Scott 22,000 brick and 5,000 hollow tile of the value of $1,396; that Scott represented that he desired said brick and tile to use in constructing one or more houses on two certain lots in the town of Lubbock; that the lumber company had notice, at the time of the sale and delivery to Scott of said brick and tile, that Scott had not paid therefor; that, at the time of the sale and at all times since, the brick company had a constitutional. materialman’s lien upon said brick and tile and said lots to secure the unpaid purchase money; that the lumber company, without plaintiff’s consent, at some date later than August 18, 1925, took possession of the brick and tile and moved them off of said lots and converted them to its own use; that defendant Scott received said brick and tile and unloaded them on said lots, to be used in the erection of brick buildings thereon, but that said buildings were never erected and were abandoned; that about August 1, 1925, or prior thereto, Scott told the officers arid agents of the brick company that the buildings could not be completed and thereupon sold and transferred said brick and tile to the brick company in satisfaction of his debt to it; that, having no place to store said brick and tile, they were left on the lots by the brick company, with the consent of Scott, from which place they were moved by the lumber company shortly after August, 18, 1925. The prayer is for judgment against the lumber company for its debt, interest, and cost of suit, and in the alternative for ¿judgment against both defendants for its debt and a foreclosure of the mechanic’s lien, and for interest and costs and for such other relief; general and special, as it may show itself entitled to in law and in equity.

The defendant Scott answered, alleging that about August 18, 1925, he bought the said building material and agreed to pay therefor; that they were contracted for to be used in the erection of a house on the lots described in the petition, which belonged to him, and that it was agreed that the brick company was to have a materialman’s lien on said house and lots to secure the payment of said brick, and that he was arranging a loan to make the payments, and that the lumber company agreed to finance and pay for all brick and building material; that, for some reason, the loan did not go through and the lumber company refused to perform its agreement to furnish brick and materials, and, without his knowledge or consent, took the brick, hauled them off the lots, and appropriated them to its own use and benefit;, that the lumber company had full knowledge of all the facts with reference to the purchase of said brick and tile, knew they had not been paid for, and that they were to be used in the construction of a house on said lots, and knew that the brick company was claiming a lien on the brick; that the brick have not been paid for, but that the lumber company, through its officers and agents, took and appropriated said material and converted it to its own use and benefit, without his knowl-' edge, and that, by reason of that fact, the lumber company owes the brick company the amount claimed to be due for said brick. Scott’s prayer was that plaintiff take nothing against him, and that he recover against the lumber company the value of the brick, if plaintiff recovered judgment against him.

The lumber company answered by general demurrer and general denial, and, further, that it was the owner of the brick and tile, having purchased them in good faith for valuable consideration from John Scott in October, 1925; that Scott was indebted to the lumber company in the sum of $1,379.05 and was given credit upon his account for said amount, and that the brick and tile were then and there delivered to the lumber company; that Scott represented that said material was clear of liens, and that he was the owner thereof; that it had no notice nor knowledge that plaintiff was claiming any liens on dr interest in said brick when it acquired them. It further alleged, in the alternative, that, if it did not become owner of the brick and tile, it had a lien thereon for freight advanced to Scott in the amount of $382.40; prayed that plaintiff take nothing, and, in the alternative, that, if judgment was rendered against it, it be allowed *913 a credit of $382.40; and prayed further for general and special relief.

By way of answer to John Scott’s pleading, the lumber company answered by general demurrer and general denial, and, further, that in October, 1925, Scott was indebted to it in excess of $1,379.05, and in payment thereof did sell and deliver the brick and tile to it; that Scott had previously stated that he had on the cars in the railway yards at Lubbock several cars of brick and tile and was unable to pay the freight, and the lumber company advanced the money to pay said freight in the sum of $382.40; that the defendant Scott represented to the lumber company, at the time of the sale and delivery of the brick and tile to it, that he was the owner thereof, and that they were free and clear of all liens; that it believed said statements, relied thereon, and took the brick and tile in payment of the $1,379.05. The prayer is that the lumber company go hence without day and recover costs, and for judgment over against Scott in the event the brick-company should recover against it.

Trial was to a jury, and the" court submitted special issues, which, together with the answers of the jury, are, in substance, as follows:

(1) A.' A. Boggess (the lumber company’s manager) knew that the brick in question were purchased for use in buildings on lots 11 and 12 in block 2.

(2) Boggess knew that these brick were not paid for at the time the lumber company took possession of them.

. (3) John Scott turned the brick in question back to E. B. Caylor (the brick company’s agent) for the Reliance Brick Company.

(4) The brick were turned back (to the brick company) prior to the time the lumber company bought them from John Scott.

(5) The brick were turned back in satisfaction of the debt of the Reliance Brick Company.

(6) Scott abandoned lot 11 as his homestead before the lumber company took possession of the brick.

In addition to these findings, the court found that the lumber company converted 'the brick to its own use and rendered judgment in favor of the brick company against the lumber company for $1,013.58, with interest from June 1, 1926, at 6 per cent, per annum, and costs of suit, and further decreed that the lumber company recover against John Scott the sum of $1,379.05, with interest from January 1, 1926.

The first three propositions urged challenge the action of the court in permitting plaintiff’s counsel to ask Scott leading questions while Scott was upon the witness stand as the plaintiff’s witness. Reference to the bill of exceptions shows that the questions objected to related to the abandonment by Scott of his homestead claim to lot 11 and inquiries concerning his intention to appropriate it as a home.

We think these propositions relate to an immaterial matter. Erom the record it would seem that the lot upon which the brick and tile were to be used had been impressed by Scott with the homestead character.

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2 S.W.2d 911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whaley-lumber-co-v-reliance-brick-co-texapp-1928.