WT Burton Company v. Keown Contracting Company

353 S.W.2d 909, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 30, 1961
Docket6507
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 353 S.W.2d 909 (WT Burton Company v. Keown Contracting 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
WT Burton Company v. Keown Contracting Company, 353 S.W.2d 909, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473 (Tex. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinions

McNEILL, Justice.

This is an action by appellant W. T. Burton Company, Inc., against appellees, Keown Contracting Company and Keown Supply Company, to recover upon an endorsement placed by appellees upon three certain due bills or non-negotiable notes executed by Texas Portland Cement Company, payable to Keown Contracting Company. Before trial the parties, under Rule 263, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, made an agreed statement of facts and filed it with the clerk. The statement provided 'that there was no issue of fact to be submitted to a jury, and the only issue was the legal one of whether appellees, as assignors of the due bills, were liable to appellant as assignee. Motion was made by appellant for judgment upon the agreed case; but the trial court overruled appellant’s motion, and over its objection heard oral testimony to the effect that when the endorsement and assignment of the notes were made it was agreed between the parties that appellant would not hold appellees liable for nonpayment of the notes or due bills. This issue was submitted to the jury and the jury found that such an agreement existed. Thereupon appellant filed its motion for judgment non obstante veredicto, which was overruled, and the court rendered judgment for appellees.

Appellant urges five points here, all of ■which are to the effect that since the parties stipulated as to the facts, entered into [911]*911an agreement thereon as provided in Rule 263, T.R.C.P., and expressly stated there was no issue of facts to he submitted to a jury, the court erred in considering any evidence or testimony outside of the said agreed facts and erred in submitting such question to the jury, and in failing to render judgment for appellant. Appellees contend in answer to this that the trial court correctly heard evidence and submitted the issue since there was an irreconcilable conflict in the agreed case between the legal effect of endorsement of the instruments involved and the written assignment of the instruments which accompanied the transfer of the notes to appellant.

It has been held in numerous cases that the court is not warranted in disregarding the agreed statement of facts made by the parties under Rule 263, supra, but must decide the case thereon. Wyss et al. v. Bookman (Com.App.), 235 S.W. 567; Cousins v. Cousins, Tex.Civ.App., 42 S.W.2d 1043; Aetna Life Ins. Co. v. Smith, Tex.Civ.App., 293 S.W. 243; 3 Tex.Jur.2d 4. Of course, if there is a irreconcilable conflict between material facts in an agreed case so that one such fact would dictate a judgment for plaintiff while the other would dictate a judgment for defendant, and the conflict could not be resolved otherwise, the trial court probably could not render judgment without some testimony or evidence that would change the situation. However, no written evidence was offered at the hearing on the issue submitted in the present case but only the parol testimony of two witnesses. While this testimony has been held inadmissible, Evans v. Swartz, Tex.Civ.App., 264 S.W. 234, as being in conflict with the endorsement, objection to this testimony was not made on this ground but upon the ground that it was at variance with the agreed stipulations. We think the objection made was good. But appellees insist there is an irreconcilable conflict between the duties created in the two writings.

Was there such conflict between the liability imposed by the endorsement on the back of the notes and the liability created by the written assignment as to justify evidence being heard? In order to properly present the question, we copy the endorsement on the notes:

“Pay to the order of W. T. BURTON COMPANY, INC.
KEOWN SUPPLY COMPANY
By: Alvin V. Keown
President
KEOWN CONTRACTING COMPANY
By: Alvin V. Keown
President”

The assignment reads:

“STATE OF LOUISIANA

PARISH OF CALCASIEU:

“NOW, THEREFORE, KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT:

“KEOWN CONTRACTING COMPANY, in consideration of the sum of ONE DOLLAR cash in hand paid and other valuable considerations, does hereby collaterally ASSIGN, TRANSFER AND SET OVER, unto W. T. Burton Company, Inc., all of Assignor’s right, title and interest in and to those certain Due Bills, to-wit:

Due Bill #18 — dated August 1, 1956 $14,803.20
Due Bill #19 — dated September 1, 1956 9,600.00
Due Bill #22 — dated October 3, 1956 1,080.00

in the total amount of TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE and 20/100 ($25,483.20) DOLLARS issued by the TEXAS PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY of Orange, Texas to KEOWN CONTRACTING COMPANY of Orange, Texas.

“The undersigned warrants that there has been no prior or superior protected assignment of said Due Bills or any part thereof; and that he has the right to receive the full amount thereof; in accordance with the terms thereof.

[912]*912“The undersigned agrees to mark all ledger sheets or other records to show that said account receivable has been assigned to W. T. BURTON COMPANY, INC., by this instrument; and the undersigned further agree that ASSIGNEE may notify in writing the obligor of said due bills of the assignment and have payment made directly to said Assignee.

“Executed this 3rd day of October, A.D. 1956.

“KEOWN CONTRACTING COMPANY

By: Alvin V. Keown

Alvin V. Keown, President

KEOWN SUPPLY COMPANY

Alvin V. Keown, President”

Art. 571, R.C.S.1925, provides that the assignee of a non-negotiable instrument shall be entitled to recover from any previous assignor thereof, but in order to hold the assignor or endorser as surety for the payment of the instrument Art. 570 provides that the assignee shall use due diligence to collect the same from the maker. By their endorsement of the due bills sued upon appellees became liable as sureties for the payment thereof. The question of due diligence is not involved, as after the issuance of these due hills by it the Texas Portland Cement Company was placed in reorganization proceedings by the U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in 1958. After these notes were transferred to appellant, all creditors were enjoined by that court from bringing suit against Texas Portland Cement Company upon any debt held. However, claim on these notes or due bills has been properly filed with the Receivers in the Federal Court as provided by law.

Whether the transferor of a nonnegotiable instrument endorsed the note itself is immaterial upon the question of liability for payment thereof for the reason that Art. 571 provides that the assignor of such instrument is liable. See 9 Tex.Jur.2d 94—96. We take this to mean that any person making a written assignment of such instrument becomes liable as surety for payment thereof unless he qualifies his liability by the phrase “without recourse” or words, of similar import.

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WT Burton Company v. Keown Contracting Company
353 S.W.2d 909 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
353 S.W.2d 909, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wt-burton-company-v-keown-contracting-company-texapp-1961.