Hutchinson v. Millers Flying Service, Inc.
Hutchinson v. Millers Flying Service, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from an order overruling appellant’s plea of privilege to be sued in Lipscomb County, the county of his residence. Appellee, Millers Flying Service, brought suit in the County Court of Hale County against Ralph Hutchinson to recover on a sworn account and in the alternative on a cause of action of fraud based on the misrepresentation of appellant that he would pay for the airplane radio when it was installed. Plaintiff’s controverting affidavit asserted venue in Hale County under Subdivision 7 of Article 1995, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St., the exception relating to fraud. Appellee’s controverting affidavit asserts only tthe alternative cause of action of fraud.
Marlin Miller, one of the owners of the appellee company, was the only witness. In the latter part of 1965 or early January of 1966 Miller and Hutchinson traded airplanes. Shortly thereafter, Hutchinson called Miller in Plainview from Amarillo and informed him of some difficulty he was having with the radio in the airplane he acquired from appellee. Miller then
It is settled that in order to maintain venue under Subdivision 7, the burden is on the plaintiff to allege and prove a false representation made by the defendant ; the reliance thereon by the plaintiff; action and reliance on such misrepresentation; and damages resulting to the plaintiff. Madison v. Harper (Tex.Civ. App.) 395 S.W.2d 842; Trinity Universal Insurance Co. v. Soliz (Tex.Civ.App.) 241 S.W.2d 625.
The misrepresentation alleged was that Hutchinson represented “that such check would be paid” by the drawee bank. In order to prove actionable fraud the evidence must support the trial court’s implied finding that Hutchinson had no intention of paying the check at the time he secured the radio. McDonald v. Peebles (Tex.Civ.App.) 267 S.W.2d 476; Waller Peanut Co. v. Lee County Peanut Co. (Tex.Civ.App.) 209 S.W.2d 405. There is no evidence in this record to support this implied finding. In fact, the circumstantial evidence and reasonable inferences from Miller’s own testimony tends to support the contrary conclusion. Hutchinson gave the check in controversy at the time the first new radio was installed. He used it two or three days at which time another new radio was installed. Complaints were made that neither radio worked properly. There is no evidence when or why Hutchinson issued his stop payment order. We conclude there is no evidence that actionable fraud was committed.
The judgment of the trial court overruling appellant Hutchinson’s plea of privilege is hereby reversed and judgment entered directing the clerk to transfer the cause to the County Court of Lipscomb County, Texas.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.