Thomason v. King , 1924 Tex. App. LEXIS 1062 ( 1924 )

DUNKLIN, J.

[1] G. W. and Y. L. Thoma-son instituted this suit against Harry Tom King and W. C. Jackson, practicing law under the copartnership firm name of King & Jackson, to recover the sum of $250, which plaintiffs alleged was paid to the defendants as part of the agreed consideration for legal services to be rendered by the defendants in behalf of the plaintiffs in seven different suits pending in the district court of Stephens county, in which plaintiffs in this suit were interested as interveners.

The defendants were resident citizens of Abilene, Taylor county, at the time the suit was instituted in Haskell county, and they interposed a plea of privilege to be sued in the county of their residence. That plea was sustained, and from that ruling this appeal has been prosecuted.

Upon the trial of the plea of privilege, after plaintiffs had introduced their evidence, the court granted the defendants’ motion for an instructed verdict in favor of the plea, in the absence of any evidence offered by the defendants, and the judgment rendered was in accordance with the verdict returned in obedience to the instruction.

According to the evidence introduced by the plaintiffs, they employed the defendant firm, acting through defendant King, to perform the services alleged in their petition, and paid a cash considération of $250 in part payment for the services to be so rendered. According to further evidence offered by the plaintiffs, the money so paid was paid to the defendant King in the town of Haskell county, and King then and there for his firm agreed to perform the services alleged in plaintiffs’ petition; but within about 10 days thereafter King notified plaintiffs by letter that he would withdraw from the alleged suits and would not represent plaintiffs any longer, and did not perform any of the services which he had contracted to perform, and thereafter refused to reimburse plaintiffs for the consideration so paid by them.

In plaintiffs’ controverting affidavit to the plea of venue, it was alleged that at the time King received from plaintiffs the cash fee of $250, he had no intention of performing the services contemplated in the contract of employment, and that his demand for and receipt of the cash fee with such an intention constituted a legal fraud on the plaintiffs; and that since the same was committed in Haskell county that county was the proper venue for the suit, which was instituted in the county court of Haskell county upon that theory of legal right.

Whether or not defendant King had no intention to render the services which he had contracted to perform, at the time he received the cash consideration of $250 from plaintiffs, was a matter peculiarly within his own knowledge. The following letter from him, which was written 10 days after he received the money, was introduced:

“Abilene, Tex., Nov. 13, 1920.

“Mr. G. W. Thomason, Haskell, Texas — Dear Sir: In re McEntire v. Thomason. Referring further to my Breckenridge firm in connection with these cases: Matters have arisen which makes it at least inexpedient for*me to remain in these cases. For one thing we differ so much about the merits of these cases and the manner in which they should be tried that I feel like that you feel like that I cannot do them justice, and you may be correct about it. Therefore I give you this notice. I wish you every success in the matter, and as you ask me to suggest the name of some lawyers at Breckenridge, may I not suggest the name of Judge Charles E. Coombs who now lives at Cisco and who has been in the oil game for twelve or fifteen months. You know him, as he was for a while district judge in the district’ just west of you.

“Very truly, Harry Tom King.’’

Another letter written by Mr. King to Judge McConnell, who was the leading counsel for the plaintiffs in this case and inter-veners in other cases, appears in the record. That letter shows that the firm of King & Jackson had already performed services for G. W. and Y. L. Thomason in those cases prior to the receipt of the $250 mentioned above; and it is quite probable that Mr. King retained the $250 as compensation for the service already rendered.

It is evident that he did not consider that plaintiffs had made out a prima facie case as against the plea of venue, and for that reason did not consider it necessary to offer any rebuttal testimony. However, we have reached the conclusion that we are unable to say that as a conclusion of law the evidence introduced by the plaintiffs, in the absence of any testimony in rebuttal from the defendants, did not tend to show proper venue of the case in Haskell county, under allegations in plaintiffs’ petition in connection with the allegations contained in plaintiffs’ controverting affidavit, filed in reply to the plea of venue. Chicago, T. & M. Ry. Co. v. Titterington, 84 Tex. 218, 19 S. W. 472, 31 Am. St. Rep. 39; Rapid Transit Ry. Co. v. Smith, 98 Tex. 553, 86 S. W. 322; M., K. & T. Ry. Co. v. Day, 104 Tex. 237, loc. cit. 243, 136 S. W. 435, 34 L. R. A. (N. S.) 111; Johnson v. Cole (Tex. Civ. App.) 258 S. W. 850.

Accordingly, the Judgment of the trial court sustaining the plea of privilege is reversed, and the cause is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with the conclusions here announced.

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