Henry Darling Inc v. Harvey-given Co

• Decision Date: 23 January 1930
• Docket Number: (No. 19734.)
• Citation: 40 Ga.App. 771,151 S.E. 518
• Parties: HENRY DARLING, Inc. v. HARVEY-GIVEN CO.
• Court: Georgia Court of Appeals

40 Ga.App. 771

151 S.E. 518

HENRY DARLING, Inc.

v.HARVEY-GIVEN CO.

(No. 19734.)

Court of Appeals of Georgia, Division No. 2.

Jan. 23, 1930.

(Syllabus by the Court.)

Error from Superior Court, Floyd County; James Maddox, Judge.

Suit by the Harvey-Given Company against Henry Darling, Inc. Judgment for plaintiff, and defendant brings error. Affirmed on condition.

Harvey-Given Company brought a suit upon account against Henry Darling, Inc. The defendant demurred generally and specially, and, subject to the demurrer, filed an answer denying each paragraph of the petition. After amendment of the petition, the demurrers were overruled. The case was submitted for trial before the judge without a jury, and resulted in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant then brought the case to this court, assigning error upon the overruling of the demurrer, the rejection of evidence, and the finding and judgment of the trial judge.

It is necessary to set forth the pleadings at length in order to insure a clear understanding of some of the questions raised. Omitting formal parts, the petition was as follows:

"The petition of Harvey-Given Company, a corporation, respectfully shows to the court:

"First. That Henry Darling, Inc., is a corporation having officers and agents within said State and county, and having its principal place of business therein.

"Second. That said Henry Darling, Inc., is indebted to your petitioner in the sum of $2,217.67 principal, together with the further sum of $450.46 as interest to this date, and together with future interest at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum upon said principal sum from this date, upon a certain open account for insurance delivered to and accepted by the said Henry Darling, Inc., a statement of said account being hereto attached, marked Exhibit A and made a part of this petition.

"Third. Petitioner shows that said account is Just, past due, and unpaid, and that demand has been made for the payment of the same, which said demand has been refused.

"Wherefore, the premises considered, your petitioner prays, " etc.

The following is a copy of the account referred to in the petition:

                -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                |"January 1, 1927.                                                  |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |"Henry Darling, Inc., in account with. Harvey-Given Company, Rome, |         |
                |Ga.                                                                |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Elevator Liability                                                 |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |10—6—23 to 10—6—24 Pol L421734 Globe Indemnity             |$ 97.60  |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |10—6—24 to 10—6—25 Pol L425922 Globe Indemnity             |97.60    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |10—6—25 to 10—6—26 Pol L428293 Globe Indemnity             |92.32    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |                                                                   |287.52   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Contingent Liability                                               |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |5—14—24 to 5—14—26 Pol AP 790387 Globe Indemnity           |56.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |5—14—25 to 5—14—26 Pol AP 850590 Globe Indemnity           |48.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |                                                                   |104.00   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Garage Liability                                                   |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |9—26—24 to 7—26—25 Pol AG408778 Globe Indemnity            |124.00   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |10—1—24 Audit AG407121 Globe Indemnity                         |206.14   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |(Payroll $28.166.83—Rate 1.106)                                  |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—26—25 to 7—26—26 Pol AG409393 Globe Indemnity            |262.50   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |9—1—25 Audit AG408778 Globe Indemnity                          |202.81   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |(Payroll $29,314.91—Rate 1.05)                                   |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—26—26 to 7—26—27 Pol AG409417 Globe Indemnity            |185.65   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |                                                                   |981.10   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Workmen's Compensation                                             |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—26—24 to 7—26—25 Pol UC538002 Globe Indemnity            |79.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |10—1—24 Audit UC447654 Globe Indemnity                         |128.82   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |(Payroll $26,306—Rate.79)                                        |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—25—25 to 7—25—26 Pol UC572090 Globe Indemnity            |96.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |9—1—25 Audit UC538002 Globe Indemnity                          |185.35   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—25—26 to 7—25—27 Pol UC607341 Globe Indemnity            |172.80   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |                                                                   |661.97   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Fire Insurance                                                     |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |5—25—24 to 5—25—25 Pol 6819203 London 2000. Fur & Fix      |53.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—24—24 to 7—24—25 Pol 477775 Firemans 1000. " & "         |26.50    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—24—24 to 7—24—25 Pol 255438 Concorida 1500. " & "        |14.25    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |5—24—25 to 5—24—26 Pol 6838724 London 2000. " & "          |53.00    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—14—25 Add Prem. Above Policy 1000. Increase                  |22.08    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |7—24—.25 to 7—24—26 Pol 255514 Concorida 1500. Fur & Fix   |14.25    |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |                                                                   |183.08   |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Total                                                              |$2,217.67|
                -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                

The plaintiff's amendment to the petition, made before the court rendered judgment upon the demurrer, alleged "that the insurance policies referred to in said petition were delivered by petitioner to either the president or secretary of said corporation, being officers authorized to receive and accept such insurance."

The grounds of the demurrer were as follows:

"(1) That the averments of the petition are insufficient to show any cause of action in the plaintiff or any right of the plaintiff to recov er for the items alleged In the statement of account.

"(2) That the statement of account or bill of particulars attached as an exhibit to said petition, is vague, indefinite and uncertain and equivocal and fails sufficiently to set forth or describe the items charged to defendant; does not show what articles were sold to defendant, for which it would be liable to plaintiff; does not show who issued the insurance referred to, in what name the alleged contracts of insurance were made, or how or in what way plaintiff was in any way interested therein; does not disclose the nature of the insurance, the rate charged there for, what property was covered thereby or where the same was located, what officer or authorized agent of defendant authorized the same to be written; and in general is too vague and indefinite to put defendant upon notice of what is claimed as the basis of liability for the amount sued for.

"(3) It demurs specially to the averments of the second paragraph of the petition to the effect that insurance was delivered to and accepted by defendant, on the grounds that the same is vague, indefinite and uncertain in that it is not alleged to what officer or au-thorized agent of defendant said insurance was delivered to or accepted...