Opryshek v. McKesson & Robbins, Inc., 16165

• Decision Date: 26 April 1963
• Docket Number: No. 16165,16165
• Citation: 367 S.W.2d 357
• Parties: John OPRYSHEK, Jr., Appellant, v. McKESSON & ROBBINS, INC., Appellee.
• Court: Texas Court of Appeals

Page 357

367 S.W.2d 357

John OPRYSHEK, Jr., Appellant, v. McKESSON & ROBBINS, INC., Appellee.

No. 16165.

Court of Civil Appeals of Texas, Dallas.

April 26, 1963.

Brown & Elliott, George M. Elliott, Dallas, for appellant.

Scott & Anderson, J. M. Anderson, Dallas, for appellee.

BATEMAN, Justice.

Appellee sued appellant John Opryshek, Jr., and his son, J. H. Opryshek, on sworn account for merchandise allegedly sold and delivered to the defendants and recovered judgment against them, jointly and severally. Appellant recovered judgment over against his son for the same amount. The son has not appealed. Appellant urges reversal of appellee's judgment against him on the ground that appellee failed to prove either that the merchandise was delivered or that the prices charged therefor were usual, customary or reasonable.

No finding of fact or conclusions of law were filed by the trial judge. The case having been tried to the court without the aid of a jury, we must determine whether there was any evidence to support the judgment and the implied findings of fact incident thereto, and in doing so will consider only the evidence most favorable, and disregard that opposed, to these issues. Renfro Drug Co. v. Lewis, 148 Tex. 507, 235 S.W.2d 609, 23 A.L.R.2d 1114.

Appellant filed a sworn denial of the account sued on, which placed the burden on appellee to prove its case as at common law. Burtis v. Butler Bros., Tex.Civ.App., 243 S.W.2d 235, no wr. hist. J. E. Earnest & Co. v. Word, 137 Tex. 16, 152 S.W.2d 325. Essential elements of such proof are inter alia (1) sale and delivery of the merchandise and (2) that the amount of the account is just, or, in other words, that the prices charged are in accord with agreement or, in the absence of agreement, that they are usual, customary or reasonable.

By his first six points of error on appeal appellant urges that there is no evidence, and that the evidence is insufficient, to prove those two essential elements. The judgment must be affirmed if there is any evidence to support the implied findings that the merchandise was delivered and that the prices were usual, customary or reasonable. Our examination of the statement of facts reveals that there is at least some evidence, more than a scintilla, to support the former but none to support the latter.

FACTS

Appelant, a resident of Austin, Texas, and a retired oil company employee, bought a retail drug store in Dallas and installed his son J. H. Opryshek, who was a pharmacist, as manager. He turned $10,000 over to his son, of which about $7,600 was used to purchase the business. The son bought merchandise on credit from appellee, the balance at one time amounting to $4,157.77, and made payments from time to time and merchandise was returned for credit from time to time. The amount sued for was $1,437.72. Appellant testified that his son was not authorized to buy merchandise on credit, as the balance of approximately $2,400 of the $10,000 was intended as working capital which would enable him to pay cash for all merchandise purchased. After about nine or ten months the business failed, the son left, and appellant operated the store for a short time. Attached as an exhibit to appellee's petition was a voluminous account consisting of approximately 186 pages, duly verified in conformity with Rule 185, Vernon's Texas R.C.P. As stated, appellant denied by his sworn answer that the account was just or true, in whole or in part. The account itself was never offered in evidence. At one...