Case Citation
Legal Case Name

H. Russell Taylor's Fire Prevention Service, Inc. v. Coca Cola Bottling Corp. Case Brief

California Court of Appeal1979Docket #2028240
99 Cal. App. 3d 711 160 Cal. Rptr. 411 27 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1312 1979 Cal. App. LEXIS 2366 Contracts Remedies Torts Civil Procedure

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A company kept another’s gas cylinders after their business relationship ended. The owner waived the tort of conversion and sued for their value as a fictional sale. The court held this “implied-in-law” sale was a “contract for sale” under the UCC, making the suit timely.

Legal Significance: Establishes that the UCC’s four-year statute of limitations for contracts for sale (UCC § 2-725) applies to quasi-contracts (contracts implied-in-law), such as when a plaintiff waives a tort like conversion and sues in assumpsit for the value of the goods.

H. Russell Taylor's Fire Prevention Service, Inc. v. Coca Cola Bottling Corp. Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Plaintiff H. Russell Taylor’s Fire Prevention Service, Inc. (Taylor) supplied carbon dioxide cylinders to Defendant Coca Cola Bottling Corp. (Coca Cola) under an oral agreement. The agreement stipulated a service charge per refill in lieu of any demurrage or rental fees for the cylinders. The parties terminated their business relationship on September 23, 1971. Following the termination, Taylor demanded the return of its outstanding cylinders, but Coca Cola failed to return 246 of them. On June 4, 1975, more than three years after the demand, Taylor filed suit. Taylor’s primary cause of action was indebitatus assumpsit, wherein it elected to waive the tort of conversion and treat Coca Cola’s wrongful retention of the cylinders as a fictional purchase and sale. Coca Cola moved for summary judgment, arguing the claim was barred by the three-year statute of limitations for conversion (Code of Civil Procedure § 338(3)). The trial court, however, found for Taylor, determining that the action was based on an implied-in-law contract of sale and was therefore timely under the four-year statute of limitations provided in California’s Uniform Commercial Code § 2725. Coca Cola appealed.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does the four-year statute of limitations for an action for breach of a “contract for sale” under California’s Uniform Commercial Code § 2725 apply to a quasi-contractual action in indebitatus assumpsit arising from a waiver of the tort of conversion?

Yes. The court affirmed the trial court’s judgment, holding that the four-year Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in volupta

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Legal Issue

Does the four-year statute of limitations for an action for breach of a “contract for sale” under California’s Uniform Commercial Code § 2725 apply to a quasi-contractual action in indebitatus assumpsit arising from a waiver of the tort of conversion?

Conclusion

This case expands the scope of UCC Article 2 by holding that Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris ni

Legal Rule

An action in indebitatus assumpsit, based on a waiver of tort and Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo conseq

Legal Analysis

The court first established that the nature of the right sued upon, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et

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Flash Summary

  • When a plaintiff waives the tort of conversion and sues in
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sun

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