Manning Auto Parts, Inc. v. Souza

• Court: Rhode Island Supreme Court
• Writing for the Court: PER CURIAM
• Citation: Manning Auto Parts, Inc. v. Souza, 591 A.2d 34 (R.I. 1991)
• Decision Date: 22 May 1991
• Docket Number: No. 90-508-A,90-508-A
• Parties: MANNING AUTO PARTS, INC. v. Dennis SOUZA d/b/a Denny's Auto. ppeal.

Page 34

591 A.2d 34

MANNING AUTO PARTS, INC. v. Dennis SOUZA d/b/a Denny's Auto.

No. 90-508-Appeal.

Supreme Court of Rhode Island.

May 22, 1991.

E. Martin Stuchfield, Winograd, Shine & Zacks, P.C., Providence, for plaintiff.

Charles J. Vucci, Providence, for defendant.

OPINION

PER CURIAM.

On April 16, 1991, the defendant, by his counsel, appeared before a panel of this court to show cause why his appeal from the grant of the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment should not be denied and dismissed.

As the name Manning Auto Parts indicates, plaintiff is a supplier of automobile parts. The defendant, Dennis Souza, who operates a service station, has been a customer of plaintiff's for many years. In January 1986, when defendants' account had grown to almost $29,000, plaintiff split the account in the hopes that defendant would sign a $25,000 promissory note. Although the note was never signed, plaintiff maintained the two separate accounts: one that was opened with a $25,000 balance (the "note" account) and one that represented the balance of the original account, $3,980.32.

In May 1988 plaintiff filed a complaint in the Superior Court in which it sought to recover $50,560.93. Later in January 1990 plaintiff filed a motion for summary judgment. The defendant conceded owing money to plaintiff but disputed the amount.

The plaintiff's president and treasurer submitted an affidavit in which he explained how he had split the accounts and showed that every payment made by defendant had been credited to his account. The "note" account, which originally had had a balance of $25,000, showed two credit payments of $500 each. The other account, the one that had had a balance due of $3,980.92, continued to grow; and after all the payments and credits were entered, the...