Opinion ID: 498236
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 18 Appellants both contend that the district court erred by not granting them judgments as a matter of law. On reviewing whether a motion for directed verdict or judgment notwithstanding the verdict should have been granted, we must both examine the evidence in the light and draw all reasonable inferences most favorable to the party opposing the motion. Boeing Co. v. Shipman, 411 F.2d 365, 374-75 (5th Cir.1969) (en banc). Having done so, we find that appellants' contentions border on the frivolous.
19 Although D & B chose to insist that there could not be a separate contract between D & B and Mercer because Mercer was at all times Tejuoso's agent, there is no legal principle per se precluding overlapping contracts, and that is apparently precisely what the jury found. 1 It is true that, under Alabama law, consideration will not be found from something the promisee was already legally bound to do. See Little v. Redditt, 264 Ala. 371, 88 So.2d 354, 357 (1956); Gregory v. Hardy, 53 Ala.App. 705, 304 So.2d 209, 214 (1974). That principle, however, has no application here, for as Mercer has contended all along, he was bound by his contract with Tejuoso only to selectsome contractor, not to select D & B. Indeed, Mercer's discussion of the fee arrangement in the initial negotiation sessions suggests that he probably would not have selected Davis' firm had Davis not agreed to the fee arrangement. Mercer's selection of D & B could thus have constituted new and valuable consideration; it clearly qualified as an act of the plaintiff from which the defendant derived a pecuniary benefit. Files v. Schaible, 445 So.2d 257, 260 (Ala.1984); see also Hodge v. Joy, 207 Ala. 198, 92 So. 171, 176 (1922) (adequate consideration presumed where contract is in writing). 20 D & B also argues that the evidence was insufficient to establish the meeting of the minds required for a valid contract. Given the explicit language of the telexes, we simply do not agree. Although mere offer and acceptance language is not of itself conclusive in proving a contract, see City of Montgomery v. Maull, 344 So.2d 492, 494 (Ala.1977), an unambiguous written agreement will be enforced where the parties' intent can be gleaned from the documents themselves or from the parties' conduct. Schmidt v. Ladner Construction Co., 370 So.2d 970, 972 (Ala.1979); Mayo v. Andress, 373 So.2d 620, 624 (Ala.1979). Davis' October 28 return telex verifies that the $175,000 was for consulting fees (not for foreign exchange for the client, as he testified). Furthermore, Davis paid Mercer's fees for the Afolabi project, and his explanation of how that situation differed--he had heard that Mercer had obtained the promissory notes--goes only to a particular term and in fact belies his claim that there was no contract. The intent of the parties was not in doubt from the telexes, and the court was entirely correct to deny D & B's motions for directed verdict and judgment notwithstanding the verdict. 21 D & B's final argument with respect to Mercer's contract claim is that if indeed there was a contract, D & B was still entitled to judgment as a matter of law because there was no dispute that Mercer never obtained a signed promissory note from Tejuoso and thus himself breached the contract's terms. Again, D & B's argument is only half correct. Although it is true that Mercer admitted he had never turned over a promissory note to D & B, Mercer also insisted throughout his testimony that it was not his responsibility to D & B to do so. Hence, there was a conflict in the evidence over the contract terms, and D & B was not entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
22 The district court was also correct in denying Roy Davis' motions for directed verdict and judgment notwithstanding the verdict. In order to prove his case of fraud, Mercer needed to show (1) that by giving Mercer the $75,000 check, 2 Davis promised to pay him without any intent to do so and with an intent to deceive; (2) that he justifiably relied on that promise; and (3) that he was damaged thereby. See Marshall Durbin Farms, Inc. v. Landers, 470 So.2d 1098, 1101 (Ala.1985); Kennedy Electric Co. v. Moore-Handley, Inc., 437 So.2d 76, 80 (Ala.1983); Ala.Code Sec. 6-5-104(a), (b)(4) (1977). Davis quarrels with Mercer's showing on all three elements, but the evidence was sufficient in every respect. 23 Davis' mere failure to honor the check he gave Mercer, had it stood alone, would not have been sufficient to prove his intent not to honor it at the time it was given. See Russellville Production Credit Ass'n v. Frost, 484 So.2d 1084, 1086 (Ala.1986). However, a combination of failure to perform and other circumstances evidencing ill intent may suffice. See Brock v. Brock, 90 Ala. 86, 8 So. 11, 13 (1890); Bracewell v. Bryan, 57 Ala.App. 494, 329 So.2d 552, 555 (1976). Those additional circumstances were present here. There was testimony that Davis asked Mercer to hold the check until the end of February, coincidentally after Mercer's work in Nigeria would be done, and that he notified Mercer on March 1 that payment had been stopped. Moreover, Davis testified at his deposition that he never intended to honor the check. At trial, he said he would have honored it had Mercer gotten the promissory notes. Thus, even if Davis' deposition testimony is considered only for impeachment purposes, Davis' waffling on precisely what his intent was constitutes evidence that it might have been anything but honoring the check. See, e.g., id., 329 So.2d at 555 (defendant liable where he initially promised 6% commission, later said commission rate would vary, and at trial denied any commission whatever was owed). 24 The evidence establishing justifiable reliance and damage was also sufficient to reach the jury. Mercer testified that he remained in Nigeria working on the project and refrained from taking any other action to obtain his fees in the belief that the check was good. This testimony alone was sufficient to establish Mercer's reliance on the promise, and although it left the amount of damages in question, as we will discuss later, it also established that Davis' promise caused Mercer to incur expenses he otherwise would not have.