Pantaze v. Farmer
Pantaze v. Farmer
Opinion of the Court
E. D. Farmer sued J. D. Pantaze and N. Yratis to recover rents alleged to be due on a storehouse in Ft. Worth and for a foreclosure of a landlord’s lien on the furniture, fixtures, and other personal effects situated in the building. Plaintiff’s claim for rents and landlord’s lien was predicated upon a certain written lease contract between him and the defendants, dated March 20, 1915, by the terms of which the premises were left to Pantaze Bros., a firm composed of J. D. Pan-taze and N. Yratis from March 1,1915, to July 31, 1916, for a consideration of $4,125, payable in equal monthly installments of $275. The lease was duly executed by plaintiff and defendants. ' Among others, the lease contained a stipulation to the effect that default in payment of rents for 5 days after the same became due or the subletting of the premises without the written consent of the landlord would give plaintiff the right, without notice or demand, “into said premises to re-enter, and the same to have again, repossess and enjoy as in Ms first and former estate; and thereupon this lease and everything therein contained on the said lessor’s behalf to be done and performed, shall cease, determine and be utterly void.” The lease also contained the following stipulation:
“That for the whole of said rents to be paid by said lessees as aforesaid, a lien is hereby reserved npon the premises hereby leased, the interest of said lessees in and to the same, and the property of the said lessees upon said premises, in favor of the said lessor or his assigns prior and preferable to any and all other liens thereupon whatsoever.”
In his answer to the petition defendant Pantaze denied that he was ever a partner with defendant Yratis in leasing the property, and alleged that the lease was in fact made to Vratis, and that he executed the lease contract under an agreement with plaintiff that he did so only as a surety or guarantor for Vratis; that Vratis rented the property for restaurant purposes, and was the sole proprietor of the business therein conducted, and owner of the personal property therein used from March 20, 1915, until December 6, 1915, on which latter date he turned back to Pantaze the fixtures, furniture, and appliances in consideration of the cancellation of notes Pantaze held against him for the purchase price of said property, which Pantaze had sold to Vratis prior to the execution of the lease, and thereupon Pantaze sold the business, furniture, and fixtures to A. A. C'ontos, who then under an agreement with plaintiff to look to as his tenant, took charge and control of the premises and 'business, and continued to operate same until January 20, 1916, on which date he was dispossessed of said premises and personal property by the constable acting under and by virtue of a distress warrant sued out by plaintiff.
Pantaze further alleged that at the time of the levy of the distress warrant he held the vendor’s lien notes of Oontos against the property levied on, which lien was impaired as a result of said levy, and that he will probably lose his debt as a consequence, and that the writ was sued out by plaintiff maliciously without probable cause. Based on those allegations Pantaze prayed for judgment against plaintiff for actual damages in the sum of $3,000 and for exemplary damages in the same amount. In the alternative he also prayed for judgment against Oontos for the agreed purchase price of the personal effects sold to him.
Plaintiff filed an amended petition, which was substantially to the same purport as his original petition, and in which he made Oon-tos a party defendant also, upon allegations that Contos was setting up some claim of interest in the property levied on, wMch plaintiff prayed be precluded by the foreclosure of the landlord’s lien asserted.
*523 Contos also filed an answer, alleging the sale of the furniture and fixtures to him by Pantaze, the transfer of the lease to him by and with the consent of plaintiff, his occupancy of the premises as plaintiff’s tenant from December 6, 1915, to January 20, 1916, when he was dispossessed toy the officer levying the distress warrant. He further alleged that the distress warrant was sued out maliciously and because of his refusal to pay certain hack rents owing by Vratis, which were past due more than 30 days, and by reason of that fact and the fact that more than 30 days had elapsed since Vratis vacated the premises plaintiff had lost any lien on the furniture and fixtures he may have had theretofore, and that by reason of the wrongful levy of the writ and the wrongful ouster of him from the possession of said premises and furniture and fixtures he had sustained actual damages in the sum of $6,524.75, for which he sued plaintiff, and he also claimed exemplary damages in the sum of $6,000.
The distress warrant which was sued out January 20, 1916, was quashed by order of court on June 20, 1916, because of a defective bond given by plaintiff as a basis therefor. The record shows that when the warrant was levied the constable making the levy not only took possession of the furniture, fixtures, and other effects then on the premises, but also took possession of the storehouse which he locked up and held, to the exclusion of the defendants, and none of the defendants was ever thereafter restored to possession of either the place of business, or its contents levied on.
Plaintiff recovered judgment against Pan-taze for $2,350, which was the full amount of unpaid balance of the contract price of the lease for its entire term, and also for foreclosure of plaintiff’s landlord’s lien on the furniture, fixtures, and other effects situated in the building when the distress warrant was levied. Judgment was also rendered, denying to Pantaze and Contos any recovery against plaintiff, and further denying to Pan-taze any recovery against Contos on his plea over against the latter. From that judgment Pantaze and Contos hare prosecuted this appeal jointly upon a joint appeal bond and joint assignments of error.
Vratis was never served with process, and plaintiff’s suit as against him was dismissed. Pantaze and Contos also filed pleadings against the constable and George Beggs, plaintiff’s agent, who acted for him in suing out the distress warrant, asking for damages against them jointly with plaintiff for the wrongful levy of the writ and the ouster of Contos from possession of the building and furniture and fixtures, but neither of those persons was served with process, and accordingly such pleas over as to them was dismissed. Certain employes in the restaurant intervened, and judgment was rendered in their favor for claims for labor, of which no complaint is made on this appeal by any of "the parties.
Following are the special issues submitted to the jury and findings thereon, to wit:
“Question 1. Was the bill of sale to the property in controversy, made by J. D. Pantaze on December 6, 1915, to A. A. Contos, made in good faith? That is, did the said J. D. Pantaze actually intend thereby to convey to said A. A. Contos, and did the said A A. Contos in good faith accept and agree to pay therefor the said property in controversy? Answer: Ño.
“(b) Or was the said transaction a fraudulent and simulated one between the said J. D. Pan-taze and said A. A. Contos made for the purpose of hindering, delaying, or defrauding the creditors of said business? Answer: Ves.
“Question 2. Who was the actual owner of the property in controversy on 20th day of January, 1916? Answer: J. D. Pantaze.
“Question 3. Had J. D: Pantaze abandoned the premises in controversy on 20th day of January, 1916? Answer: Ves.
“Question 4. What, if anything, was the amount of the respective claims for labor performed of the following persons, to wit: George Vratis, Tom Mitchell, Tony Theos, and Emma Miskill? Answer: George Vratis $96.60; Tom Mitchell $2.50; Emma Miskill $5.16; Tony Theos $3.00.
“Question 5. Did Tol Johnson, the constable, act under the directions of George Beggs, the agent of the plaintiff, in making the levy in the manner in which it was made under the distress warrant? Answer: No.
“Question 6. What was the reasonable market value of the personal property levied upon by the constable at the time of the making of the levy? Answer: $2,500.00.
“Question 7. Did the business conducted upon the premises have any value apart from the personal property connected therewith at the time of the making of the levy; if so, what was its reasonable market value at the time? Answer : No.
“Question 8. What was the reasonable rental value per month of the personal property levied upon, at the time of the levy, if same had been removed from the premises where it was levied on? Answer: It had no rental value.
“Question 9. Whs the levy of the distress warrant maliciously made at the instance of the agent of the plaintiff, with the intent to injure, harass, and annoy the defendants Pan-taze and Contos, or either of them ? And if yes, then state which one, or, if both, so state. Answer: No.
“Question 10. If you answer the preceding question in the affii’mative, you are instructed that it is your privilege to assess what is known as exemplary or punitive damages herein, and, if you so find, you will, in reply to this question state what amount you so assess. Answer:
“Question 11. What was the reasonable value of the merchandise levied upon by the constable? Answer: $50.00.”
“Question 13. Did George Beggs at any time, either by his words or actions, agree that A. A. Contos, as the owner of said business, should occupy the premises in controversy or accept the said A. A. Contos as his tenant? Answer: No.”
“The undisputed testimony shows that George Beggs, acting as agent for the plaintiff, received rent payments from defendant Contos, and called upon him for further payment.”
*525 Even if that statement be true, it would j not necessarily have the effect of binding the plaintiff to the proposition that he had accepted Oontos as his tenant, and therefore the objection so urged did not present the specific question contained in the assignment now under discussion.
In the first place, the decree of foreclosure of the landlord’s lien was required by the verdict of the jury, and the question whether or not the evidence was sufficient to support the verdict cannot be raised by an assignment of this character. In the second place, the proposition that in no event could a foreclosure be decreed for an amount in excess of $608.33. is not germane to the assignment, in that the assignment is to the effect that no foreclosure at all should have been decreed. For these reasons the assignment is overruled.
By another assignment it is insisted that the court erred in denying to Pantaze a recovery against Contosi on the cross-action of the former against the latter. This assignment is contained in the brief signed by counsel for both Pantaze and Contos, thus indicating that it is the desire of both that such a judgment should be rendered. To have rendered such a judgment would have been inconsistent with the judgment holding in effect that the alleged sale to Contos was simulated. Besides, courts are organized for the purpose only of determining controversies between parties. If there is no controversy between Pantaze and Contos with the respect to the alleged sale and the amount due thereon, no reason is perceived why they cannot adjust the matter satisfactorily out of court without the aid of a judgment.
For the reasons stated the judgment is affirmed.
Affirmed.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- PANTAZE Et Al. v. FARMER
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published