Berry v. McFarland

278 P.3d 407, 153 Idaho 5, 2012 WL 1918408, 2012 Ida. LEXIS 129
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedMay 29, 2012
Docket37951-2010
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 278 P.3d 407 (Berry v. McFarland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berry v. McFarland, 278 P.3d 407, 153 Idaho 5, 2012 WL 1918408, 2012 Ida. LEXIS 129 (Idaho 2012).

Opinions

EISMANN, Justice.

In this case, a jury returned a special verdict that: (a) awarded damages against an attorney and his girlfriend based upon the jury’s finding that they had breached their fiduciary duties to a former client of the attorney by purchasing half of his stock in a closely held corporation for less than its fair market value, and (b) cancelled debts owing by the corporation to the attorney and his girlfriend based upon the jury’s finding that they had breached their fiduciary duties to a shareholder, the former client’s widow, by making loans to the corporation. The district court granted a new trial on the ground that there was insufficient evidence to justify the verdict, and this appeal followed. We affirm the grant of a new trial.

I.

Factual Background.

The Captain’s Wheel Resort, Inc., located on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille, was incorporated in 1996 with 400 shares of stock. The corporation’s assets consisted of real property, a business that included a restaurant and bar, and personal property associated with such business. Originally, 200 shares of stock were issued to Norman and Susan Nordstrom, husband and wife, and 200 shares were issued to James and Jean Campbell, husband and wife.

In June 2000, Jerry Berry purchased the Nordstroms’ shares of stock for $50,000. At that time, Mr. Berry and Karletta Berry had been married for about three years. Later, Mi’. Berry had judgments entered against him in the state of Washington due to a failed business venture there. Michael McFarland, an attorney who practices bankruptcy law, and his girlfriend, Karen Zimmerman, frequented the resort, and Mr. Berry became acquainted with them. In late 2000 or early 2001, Mr. Berry went to Mr. McFarland’s law office to consult with him about filing bankruptcy and whether he could retain his stock if he filed bankruptcy. Mr. McFarland informed him that the stock was not exempt property and would not be protected in a bankruptcy proceeding. Mi’. Ber[7]*7ry decided not to pursue bankruptcy and left without asking Mr. McFarland to perform any other legal services for him.

In 2003, Mr. Berry had the opportunity to purchase the Campbells’ stock for $100,000, and Mr. McFarland agreed to lend him the money to do so. On July 25, 2003, Mr. Berry picked up $40,000 from Mr. McFarland at his law office. The receipt signed by Mr. Berry stated that the money was for “advance (partial) on loan to be secured by stock.” A portion of the $40,000 was provided by Ms. Zimmerman. On August 4, 2003, Mr. Berry received the remaining $60,000 from Mr. McFarland. That money was obtained by Ms. Zimmerman, who borrowed money pursuant to an interest-only loan secured by her mother’s house. When they made the loan, Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman thought that the resort would sell in a few years and they would be repaid. That did not happen.

In 2006, Mr. Berry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he was hospitalized from June 17 to 21, 2006, due to adverse effects of the chemotherapy. On June 21, 2006, Mr. McFarland delivered two proposed stock purchase agreements to Mrs. Berry. Under one proposed agreement, Mr. Berry would sell the 200 shares of stock he had purchased from the Campbells to Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman for the $100,000 they had loaned him. Under the other proposed agreement, Mr. Berry would sell all 400 shares of stock to Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman for the $100,000, and they would hold 200 shares in trust for Mrs. Berry, and upon her death for her son. Both agreements were back dated to August 9, 2003. Mr. McFarland told Mrs. Berry that Mr. Berry had to sign one of the two proposed agreements.

On July 4, 2006, Mr. Berry went to Mr. McFarland’s residence with a third proposed agreement. It provided: that the 200 shares acquired from the Campbells would be collateral for the $100,000 loan; that upon the sale of the corporation, the loan would be repaid with interest at 10% per annum; that until the loan was repaid, Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman could use the services provided at the resort, such as dining, refreshments, and moorage, at no expense to them; and that at his discretion Mr. Berry could repay the loan, plus interest, by transferring the 200 shares of stock to Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman. After considering and discussing all three proposed agreements, Mr. Berry, Mr. McFarland, and Ms. Zimmerman executed the Stock Purchase Agreement by which Mr. Berry sold the 200 shares of stock to Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman for the $100,000.

On October 15,2006, a special meeting was held of the three shareholders in the corporation: Mr. Berry, Mr. McFarland, and Ms. Zimmerman. They elected themselves and Mrs. Berry as directors. The directors then met and, among other things, resolved that the shareholders would be Mr. and Mrs. Berry jointly owning 200 shares and Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman jointly owning 200 shares. Prior to then, Mrs. Berry had not been a shareholder in the corporation.

Mr. Berry died on November 4, 2006. After Mr. Berry’s death, Mr. McFarland took control of the corporation. He had the locks to the resort changed and did not give Mrs. Berry a key. On November 12, 2006, the day after the memorial celebration for Mr. Berry at the resort, Mr. McFarland went to Mrs. Berry’s home and presented her with a proposed special resolution in lieu of a director’s meeting. When she would not agree to it, he later gave her untimely notice of a special meeting of the board of directors. That meeting had to be rescheduled when she objected that the notice was not timely.

The special meeting of the directors was held on November 29, 2006, with the three remaining directors present. Prior to his death, Jerry Berry held the offices of president and treasurer in the corporation. At the meeting, Mr. McFarland was nominated for president, Ms. Zimmerman was nominated for treasurer, and Mrs. Berry was nominated for both president and treasurer. Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman were elected by majority vote (2-1). The directors then approved the following resolutions: (a) granting the treasurer full access to all corporate bank accounts (2-1); (b) acknowledging that Mr. McFarland had made loans to the corporation totaling $8,000 (3-0); and [8]*8(c) listing the corporation for sale with the real estate agency where Ms. Zimmerman was employed (2-1).

Pursuant to Mr. Berry’s instructions, Mrs. Berry had been receiving $200 per week from the resort. In December’ 2006, Mr. McFarland terminated those payments. He also informed the management that she could no longer sign for meals for her guests. After receiving notice of a special directors’ meeting to remove her as a director for cause, Mrs. Berry filed this action on February 14, 2007. The special meeting was held on the following day, and Mrs. Berry was removed for cause as a director by a majority vote (2-1). The alleged cause was that Mrs. Berry had taken and refused to return corporate records and that she had the bank sending the corporation’s bank statements to her house.

On February 16, 2007, Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman held a special meeting of the directors and resolved to sell one share of stock to each of two Captain’s Wheel employees for the sum of $100 per share. The following day, the employees each purchased one share of stock. The resort closed for business on January 4,2010.

The complaint alleged various causes of action against Mr. McFarland and Ms. Zimmerman, but the case was submitted to the jury on three theories: (1) that Mr. McFarland breached his fiduciary duty as Mr.

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Berry v. McFarland
278 P.3d 407 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
278 P.3d 407, 153 Idaho 5, 2012 WL 1918408, 2012 Ida. LEXIS 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berry-v-mcfarland-idaho-2012.