Thresher v. Lopez
Thresher v. Lopez
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a judgment against the defendant for the sum of $780.44 and plaintiff’s costs.
The complaint alleges three causes of action. One is for money had and received; one for a balance due on a mutual open and current account, and one for the recovery of an alleged overpayment of money upon the ground that it was obtained upon false and fraudulent representations. The findings are applicable to support the first cause of action, and the evidence sustains those findings which concern *220 the first cause of action. It is true that there is a substantial conflict in the evidence, but, under such circumstances, it is elementary that the judgment of the trial court will not be reversed.
The plaintiff employed the defendant to perform certain work and paid therefor $3,126.85. The trial court found this to be an overpayment of $780.44. Finding IV is to the effect that the plaintiff believed that the amount which he paid was owing and payable from him to the defendant and that he did not know that he was overpaying the defendant, “but that on or about July 17, 1918, plaintiff learned for the first time that he had overpaid defendant by mistake for the doing of said work and labor; that within a short time after so learning for the first time of said overpayment, plaintiff demanded of defendant that he repay to plaintiff the sums so overpaid by the latter, but that defendant refused and has ever since refused to repay said overpayment to plaintiff or any part thereof.” The evidence amply supports this finding.
The cases cited by appellant to support his contention “that money voluntarily paid with full knowledge of all the facts and without fraud or coercion, cannot be recovered,” support that position, but are not in point here because the court found, and the evidence shows, that the plaintiff acted without knowledge of the facts and through a mistake. There is nothing to indicate that the act of Thresher in having overpaid Lopez has placed the latter in a position where a detriment would result by reason of his being required to refund. Under such circumstances it is inequitable and dishonest for defendant to retain the money.
*221
Judgment is affirmed.
Finlayson, P. J., and McCormick, J., pro tern., concurred.
A petition for a rehearing of this cause was denied by the district court of appeal on May 12, 1921, and a petition to have the cause heard in the supreme court, after judgment in the district court of appeal, was denied by the supreme court on June 9, 1921.
All the Justices concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GEORGE P. THRESHER, Respondent, v. P. L. LOPEZ, Appellant
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published