Hellmann v. Smith-Mayflower

The storage company appellee received into its warehouse approximately 10,000 pounds of appellant’s personal property in May, 1971. Four years later, on May 10, 1975, when storage charges were long overdue and exceeded $2,000, the company sold the property at public auction for $760. In June 1978, appellant filed a two million dollar lawsuit against the company, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for alleged breach of contract, conversion and fraud. The warehouseman counterclaimed for the balance due above the net proceeds of sale. After a two-day bench trial, the court (Latham, J.)…