Burke v. Wagner

17 S.W.2d 113, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 578
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 9, 1929
DocketNo. 1836.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 17 S.W.2d 113 (Burke v. Wagner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burke v. Wagner, 17 S.W.2d 113, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 578 (Tex. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

O’QUINN, J.

Appellee sued appellant for $30,000, the alleged purchase price of stock in the E. J. Burke Company, a corporation. Appellee’s petition is rather lengthy. In substance, he alleged that, when |;he E. J. Burke Company was organized, appellant solicited him to purchase stock in same, and agreed that, if appellee would buy said stock, he (appellant) would, upon the written demand of appellee, at the end of the first fiscal year of said company, purchase said stock from him at its then book value, the transfer of said stock and the payment therefor to be made within six months after said written demand; that, in pursuance of this agreement, appellee did buy 300 shares of said stock of the par value of $100 per share; that at the instance of appellant appellee was elected as a director, and an executive officer of said company, and thereupon entered upon the duties of his said position and continued in the performance of same until about April 13, 1927, when appellant expressed dissatisfaction with the results obtained for the company by the department of which appellee had charge, and it was then and there agreed between appellant and appellee that appellee should resign his position with the company and in consideration of the fact that appellee was dependent upon his assets represented by the said 300 shares of stock in said company, for his business operations and livelihood, appellant then and there, by a written instrument of that date, agreed, promised, and became obligated to pay appellee, upon appellee’s resigning from his said position with said company, the par value of appel-lee’s said stock, $30,000, with interest thereon from the date of the purchase of same by appellee from said company at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum, such purchase by appellant of said stock from appellee to be consummated within six months from said April 13, 1927, either by cash payment or part cash and the balance in secured lien notes, the value of which was to be approved by appellee, and appellant, and the legal title to the lien property to be approved by the Houston Title Guaranty Company, or, at the option of appellant, payment in full to be made in such lien notes.

Appellee further alleged that on October 13, 1927, same being the expiration of six months from April 13, 1927, he demanded of appellant that he purchase appellee’s 300 shares of stock of said corporation as per his written agreement, but that appellant failed to do so, and on November 29, 1927, in writing, denied to appellee that he had any contract with appellee to purchase said shares of stock, but offered to procure the purchase of said stock by said corporation, the E. J. Burke Company, by the transfer to appellee of certain lien notes, the property of said corporation. He further alleged that he never had any contract with said corporation for the purchase of his said stock, and that the lien notes as security offered or tendered him by appellant on said date, property of said eoz’poration, were not acceptable to appellee, tendered the certificate of his said shares of stock into court for appellant as a compliance with the contract of appellee to sell same to appellant, subject to the decree of the court, and prayed for relief, gen'eral and equitable.

“t Briefly summarized, the plaintiff’s petition alleged: (a) That on April 13, 1927, defendant, by written instrument bearing said date, ¿greed, promised and became obligated to pay to plaintiff $30,000, the par value of his said stock, with 8 per cent, interest, such purchase to be consummated within six months from said date, either by cash payment or part cash and the balance in secured lien notes, the value of which was to be approved by plaintiff and defendant, or, at the option of defendant, payment in full to be made by such lien notes; (b) that on October 13, 1927, plaintiff demanded of defendant the purchase of said stock, but that defendant failed to comply with his said agreement of purchase, and pursued a course of negotiations with plaintiff; (c) that by written notice to plaintiff, dated November 29, 1927, defendant denied that he had any contract for the purchase of plaintiff’s stock; (d) that in said written notice defendant offered to procure the purchase of said stock by the corporation and the transfer by said corporation to plaintiff of a list of certain lien notes; (e) that the tendered lien notes were not acceptable to appellee for certain reasons; and (f) the petition prayed judgment for $30,000 and interest and delivery of the stock into the registry of the eourt in compliance with plaintiff’s obligation under said contract with appellant for purchase and sale thereof, subject'to the decree of the court.

Appellant answered by general demurrer and general denial. The cause was tried to the court without a jury. Appellant’s general demurrer was overruled, and judgment rendered for appellee for $33,269.61, same being for the par value of the stock and 8 per cent, per annum interest thereon from the date of the purchase of said stock to the date of judgment, and that said sum bear interest at the rate of 8 per cent, from that date; *115 and further that said judgment thus rendered for appellee was secured by the seller’s lien on said stock tendered into court and foreclosed said lien on said stock and ordered same to be sold as under execution, the proceeds to be applied on said judgment. This appeal is from that judgment.

At the request of appellant, the court made and filed his findings of fact and conclusions of law, which are:

“Findings of Fact.
“1. I find that on November 5th, 1926, the plaintiff, Seymour Wagner, and the defendant, E. J. Burke, entered into an agreement, a copy of which is made a part hereof, whereby said Burke agreed to purchase from Wagner the stock to be purchased from the E. J. Burke Company at the end of the first fiscal year at the then book value of the stock; I find that thereafter the said Wagner subscribed for $25,000.00 worth of stock, and that subsequent to that ’time he subscribed and paid for $5,000.00 worth of stock in addition to the first stock purchased.
“2. I find that thereafter the plaintiff severed his connection with the E. J. Burke Company, by whom he had been employed, at the rate of $500.00 per month, and that he at that time in writing requested the defendant to carry out his said agreement above referred to, executed on November 5th, 1926.
“3. I find that thereafter the plaintiff and defendant entered into an agreement dated April 13th, 1927, a copy of which is incorporated herein and made a part hereof, by the terms of which agreement the defendant obligated himself to pay plaintiff par value for his stock with 8 per cent, thereon from date of purchase, within six months of said date, either by cash payment or part cash and the balance in negotiable notes.
“4. I find that the defendant has failed and refused to purchase said stock.
“5. I find that the stock referred to has been tendered into court.
“6. I find that on November 29th, 1927, defendant tendered certain second lien notes to the plaintiff in part payment for said stock, the evidence showing that said notes belonged to the E. J. Burke Company, and not to E. J. Burke personally.
“7.

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Bluebook (online)
17 S.W.2d 113, 1929 Tex. App. LEXIS 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burke-v-wagner-texapp-1929.