Big Eye Mining & Milling Co. v. Livingston

171 P. 989, 19 Ariz. 436, 1918 Ariz. LEXIS 98
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 30, 1918
DocketCivil No. 1602
StatusPublished

This text of 171 P. 989 (Big Eye Mining & Milling Co. v. Livingston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Big Eye Mining & Milling Co. v. Livingston, 171 P. 989, 19 Ariz. 436, 1918 Ariz. LEXIS 98 (Ark. 1918).

Opinion

CUNNINGHAM, J.

The Big Eye Mining & Milling Company is the owner of certain valuable mines situate in Yuma county. In the operation of such mines prior to December 1, 1915, it incurred certain indebtedness, a portion of which indebtedness was owing to E'. F. Sanguinetti for supplies furnished the said company. On said December 1,1915, it made, executed, and delivered the promissory note sued upon, and the other named appellants indorsed said note before delivery. About the thirtieth day of May, 1916, one W. W. Reese paid [438]*438to E. F. Sanguinetti the principal of the note, and Sanguinetti indorsed and delivered the note to said Reese without recourse. Thereafter W. W. Reese indorsed and delivered said note to one W. D. Riley without recourse in payment to said Riley of an obligation Reese was then owing to Riley, and appellee Gus Livingston, on account of the sale of their corporate stock of the appellant corporation by Reese, the proceeds of which sale he had not accounted for. Riley and Livingston discharged the said account of $2,616, and paid Reese the difference between that sum and the principal of the note upon acquiring the same. The transaction of transfer of the note by Reese to Riley was consummated about July, 1916, after the note became due. Thereafter W. D. Riley indorsed the note to Gus Livingston. On November 4, 1916, Gus Livingston commenced this action.

The defendants Big Eye Mining & Milling Company, J. A. Ketcherside, and H. C. Johnson join in an answer. H. Y. Keteherside makes no defense, and the abstract of the record does not show that said last-named defendant was served in the case. The defense interposed by the said answering defendants is alleged to be that of payment resulting from the following: That one C. H. Kleinbeck and W. W. Reese as copartners, on the twenty-first day of December, 1915, and in the name of C. H. Kleinbeck, entered into a contract with defendant Big Eye Mining & Milling Company, whereby said mining and milling company leased its certain described mines to said partnership for a period of one year in consideration of a payment of $1 and the promise of said partnership to keep and perform other expressed covenants and agreements. The said lessees agreed to do the necessary assessment work for the years 1915 and 1916, and make statutory proof thereof; pay taxes on personal property for the year 1916. The rent reserved is stated as a royalty on the net returns from ore shipped; they agreed to make an expenditure tending to the development of the mines in the sum of at least $5,000 every 60 days until $25,000 has been so expended. “As additional compensation for said lease the said lessees agree to pay, on or before 90 days from the date hereof, certain indebtedness owing by the lessor,” including the note owing to E. F. Sanguinetti, the note in suit; also to pay on or before the exercise of a certain option executed of even date herewith (whereby said lessees herein have an option to purchase a block of stock [439]*439of about 500,000 shares of the Big Eye Mining & Milling Company from H. Y. Ketcherside, trustee) certain additional indebtedness of the lessor as set forth in the itemized statement attached hereto and marked Exhibit “B.”

The lease contains the forfeiture clause, wherein the parties agree that:

“Time is of the essence of this lease, .and in the event of the failure or refusal of said lessees to make any payments or perform any obligations herein contained on his part to be performed, then at the option of said lessor this lease shall become null and void, and of no effect, and this lessor shall be entitled to take immediate possession of said premises, and all moneys paid by said lessees to said lessor, or expended by said lessees on the property under this lease, . . . shall be forfeited to the lessor as liquidated damages. ... In the event that said lease shall be forfeited prior to the termination thereof, peaceable possession shall be delivered to the lessor of said premises, together with all machinery, etc.; . . . then and in that event upon such delivery said lessees shall be free from any further obligation to do or perform any act or make any payment under said lease. ...”

The answer, after setting forth a copy of said lease containing the above-quoted language, alleges that W. W. Reese was a partner with C. H. Kleinbeck in that lease; that the item of indebtedness shown in Schedule A is the identical item covered by the note sued on which Kleinbeck obligates himself to pay; that pursuant to said contract the lessees entered into possession of the property, and on or about the thirtieth day of May, 1916, the said Reese, acting for himself and Kleinbeck and “pursuant to and in obedience of the said contract and the covenants therein contained, in due course discharged the said note in full by paying the full amount due thereon to the payee named therein, ...” and so notified defendants; that thereafter on the third day of September, 1916, said Reese without authority indorsed said note to W. D. Riley; that Riley was informed of all of the foregoing facts, and had full knowledge of such facts before he acquired said note; that plaintiff Livingston was fully informed and had full knowledge of said facts before he acquired said note. Said defendants pray that the plaintiff take nothing by his action.

[440]*440The evidence may be conceded to fairly establish the following facts set forth in the special answer: That is, that Sanguinetti transferred said note to Reese for a valuable consideration before due, specially indorsed payable to W. W. Reese or his order without recourse; that Reese immediately informed the secretary of the Big Bye Mining & Milling Company of the transaction he had with Sanguinetti; that after the note became due, Reese negotiated it to W. D. Riley for a consideration, and without recourse, without informing the makers of his transfer; that Riley knew before accepting the note the terms and conditions of the lease of December 21, 1915, and Reese’s relation thereto; that likewise Livingston knew all the facts leading up to his possession of the paper. The evidence fairly tends to establish such facts and knowledge of the said facts by the parties. With such facts before the court, judgment was rendered for the plaintiff, and the answering defendants appeal.

The assignment of errors by the appellants is so general that we are not able to determine the specific error or errors relied upon for a reversal. I presume the appellants contend that the judgment is not sustained by the evidence, and therefore the judgment is contrary to law.

The controlling question presented by the defense is whether the note in question was discharged by the transaction between Reese and Sanguinetti on May 30, 1916, which was consummated by Reese’s paying to Sanguinetti the principal sum named on the face of the note and taking the paper specially indorsed to order without recourse. Assuming, as established by proof, that Reese acted in that transaction for and in behalf of Kleinbeek and himself as partners for the reason he was dealing with matters and funds belonging to and with which the partnership was concerned, and with partnership assets, Reese’s acts in the premises may fairly be regarded as partnership acts. If the note was discharged by the partnership payment to Sanguinetti, then certainly Reese had no right to reissue the note as the obligation of the original makers, and Gus Livingston having acquired the paper after it became payable, and chargeable with knowledge of the infirmity in the title of Reese, he cannot recover on the note.

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Bluebook (online)
171 P. 989, 19 Ariz. 436, 1918 Ariz. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/big-eye-mining-milling-co-v-livingston-ariz-1918.