Court Opinion

ID: 9812482
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:40:10.166984+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:25:01.511959
License: Public Domain

*36OlaRK, 0. J.,
dissenting: Not controverting in the least the propositions of law set ont in the opinion in chief, it would seem, that the Judge submitted and the jury passed upon tlie ideútical question wbicb the case is now sent back to try, i. e., whether the written contract (which, on its face, made Ferrell an independent contractor) was bona fide or in fact a pretext and an evasion. The court gave both prayers of the defendant, that if Ferrell was getting out timber under the written contract he was an .independent contractor, and to answer the issue “No,” adding, “provided you find that he Avas an independent contractor and that the defendant had no control or direction over him, and in passing on that question you Avill take into consideration the evidence bearing on this question.” The jury found, under this charge, that, notwithstanding the written contract, as a matter of fact and in truth he was not an independent contractor. There Avas ample evidence to justify such finding. The pay rolls were sent to the lumber company, at Norfolk, Va., and then the money for that amount was sent Ferrell to pay off the hands. The teams belonged to said company; the right of way and the track belonged to the company; the logs were shipped by the lumber company. Ferrell had been their employee prior to this contract, and the contract does not seem in any Avay to haA^e changed his method of dealing with the company. There was other evidence, pro and con, and the verdict of the jury, under the charge, can be understood only as a finding that Ferrell was not a bona fide independent contractor. It should not be necessary to try that question over again.