Winn-Lee Masonry Co. v. McClendon Construction Co.

305 S.W.2d 823
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 19, 1957
DocketNo. 6984
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 305 S.W.2d 823 (Winn-Lee Masonry Co. v. McClendon Construction 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
Winn-Lee Masonry Co. v. McClendon Construction Co., 305 S.W.2d 823 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

FANNING, Justice.

Winn-Lee Masonry Company, Inc., a subcontractor, filed suit against McClendon Construction Company, a partnership composed of C. C. McClendon and J. C. Mc-Clendon, Jr., as general contractor, for work, labor and material allegedly furnished and performed under a written sub-contract for masonry work upon three school buildings. Under the written sub-contract in question the contractor agreed to pay the sub-contractor for performance of said work and materials and related articles at the following rate, to-wit: Face brick furnished and laid $121 per thousand; common face brick furnished and laid $107 per thousand; common brick furnished and laid $102 per thousand; Haydite block 8 x 8 x 16 furnished and laid $569 per thousand; Haydite blocks 12x8x16 furnished and laid $982 per thousand; Haydite blocks. 4x8x 16 furnished and laid $446 per thousand ; glazed tile furnished and laid, including shapes, $629 per thousand; fire bricks-furnished and laid $242 per thousand; and. all necessary wall ties and scaffolding $3,538-for all three buildings, total. Said contract further provided that the contractor pay sub-contractor every 30 days for work done- and materials furnished; said contractor-withholding 10% of such work done and: material supplied to be paid 5% upon substantial completion, and the remaining such money retained until on or before 60 days-after completion as certified to by the architect.

Plaintiff in its first amended original petition pleaded to the effect that under said' contract it had furnished and laid certain-enumerated numbers of face brick, common, face brick, common brick, Haydite blocks-8x8x16, 12 x 8 x 16, 4 x 8 x 16, glazed tile-including shapes, and fire brick, at the respective per thousand contract rates, amounting to $133-,289.57. It further contended that it had furnished and laid other-materials consisting o-f cast stone, Haydite lintels and Haydite Lite Crete brick at a price of $1,120.16, that it was entitled to the-contract price of $3,538 for all necessary wall ties and scaffolding, and in the fifth paragraph of its above said pleading, sued' for certain alleged “extras” which plaintiff pleaded were allegedly furnished at the request of the contractor, amounting to a total of $1,319.31, one of which items reads as-follows: “Forty hours labor on C. C. Mc-Clendon’s house, $175.00.” The total of plaintiff’s claim was $139,267.04. Plaintiff in-its pleadings gave defendant credit for $129,790.51 cash paid as progress payments, paid by the contractor to the sub-contractor and also allowed the contractor other credits, amounting to $558.35-, with, the total oE [825]*825the credits allowed to the contractor being :$130,348.86. After allowing the credits above stated, plaintiff sued for the alleged balance due, towit, the sum of $8,918.18, plus attorney fees, interest and costs.

Appellee denied liability and filed a cross-action contending that plaintiff had been overpaid by the amount of $5,728.62.

Trial was to the court without a jury. The trial court rendered judgment that plaintiff recover nothing and that defendant recover nothing on its cross-action and divided the costs between both parties. No findings of fact or conclusions of law were filed by the trial court. Plaintiff has appealed from the judgment rendered against it.

Appellant presents four points on appeal, which read as follows:

“1. The trial court erred in not rendering judgment for appellant in the amount sued for as the judgment so rendered by the court is contrary to the law and the undisputed evidence of this •cause.
“2. The trial court erred in not rendering judgment for the extras sued on by appellant as the judgment so rendered by the court is contrary to the law and the undisputed evidence in this ■cause.
“3. The trial court erred in its interpretation of the written contract between appellant and appellee, as such ■contract is unambiguous and appellant is entitled to recover the amount sued upon as such judgment of the trial court is contrary to the law and the undisputed evidence.
“4. The trial court erred in the form and manner of judgment rendered, as such judgment so rendered by the trial court amounts to the trial court not having heard or considered the undisputed evidence and is tantamount to appellant not having received a fair trial, such undisputed evidence so introduced before the trial court not being considered, adjudged or decided in whole or part by the trial court in favor or against either party.”

We are inclined to the view that appellant’s points are rather general and are not briefed in accordance with the briefing rules. See the following authorities: Rules 418 and 322, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure; Louisiana & Arkansas R. Co. v. Robinson, Tex.Civ.App., 302 S.W.2d 665, wr. ref., n. r. e.; Arana v. Gallegos, Tex.Civ.App., 284 S.W.2d 958; Smith v. Weindorff, Tex.Civ.App., 287 S.W.2d 740; Novita Oil Co. v. Smith, Tex.Civ.App., 247 S.W.2d 151; Carmichael v. Williams, Tex.Civ.App., 286 S.W.2d 456. However, we have carefully considered appellant’s points and all the statements and the authorities in appellant’s brief, and have carefully studied the record in this case, and have reached the conclusion that there is no reversible error in the record, and that the judgment of the trial court should be affirmed.

The sub-contract in question clearly provides payment at the respective rates per thousand for the masonry items in question that are furnished and laid. However, the contract is silent as to the method of ascertaining the number of the masonry items “furnished and laid”. The sub-contract did not provide the means or method of counting the brick, nor did it provide for a count of brick satisfactory to both parties.

Appellant in its statement under its first point states:

“The contract provided that the Contractor Appellee agreed to pay the subcontractor for the performance of the work and furnishing of materials and related articles on the above-described rates per thousand brick laid. The paramount question being, ‘How many bricks were laid?’ Appellee wanted to measure the brick laid by taking sq. ft. and multiplying the same for a wall count. Appellant testified that the only accurate method of ascertaining the number of brick that went into the job [826]*826was on a delivery ticket invoice basis, and then at the completion of the job taking’ an inventory of the remaining brick and giving the contractor credit for the brick remaining on the job. Appellant testified that this was the only accurate method because there were many brick and fill-in brick on the inside of the wall which could not be accurately counted in a wall count.
“Appellant’s theory on this accurate basis of counting was supported by Mr. Jack Rucker, Expert Estimator for Henry Beck, and Mr. Joe M. Carpenter as another expert contractor. Based upon this undisputed evidence, Appellant should have been awarded judgment in the court below.”

Appellee in its statement under its first counter-point states:

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305 S.W.2d 823, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/winn-lee-masonry-co-v-mcclendon-construction-co-texapp-1957.