PARAMOUNT PETROLEUM CORPORATION, Appellant, v. TAYLOR RENTAL CENTER, Appellee, 712 S.W.2d 534

Summary

Four different persons on four different occasions rented equipment from appellee equipment rental center for use in restoring a ship. The ship was owned by appellant corporation, but the persons renting the equipment represented themselves as agents of another corporation. Appellant disclaimed responsibility for the rental charges, claiming that the renters were not its agents. The trial court found in favor of appellee. On appeal, the court affirmed the trial court's judgment, finding that the evidence supported a finding that both corporations operated as a single business enterprise, having the same telephone number and post office box address, both corporations paid one of the renters for repair work, and employees of both companies referred to the corporations by the same name. The court further determined that the trial court had not abused its discretion in refusing to admit an exhibit that appellant had not produced in response to direct discovery requests, and that even if ...