Call v. Linn

228 P. 127, 112 Or. 1, 1924 Ore. LEXIS 30
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 29, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 228 P. 127 (Call v. Linn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Call v. Linn, 228 P. 127, 112 Or. 1, 1924 Ore. LEXIS 30 (Or. 1924).

Opinion

COSHOW, J.

Assignments of error numbered 1 to 5 are not well taken. The questions objected to were propounded to witnesses who had dealings with the defendant on or about the time of the transaction between them and the plaintiff. The evidence was adduced for the purpose of establishing a partnership.

“Our law has always treated the partnership relation as founded in voluntary contract. It does not surprise parties into a partnership against their will, although it does not require an express agreement between them, nor is it bound by their statements of intention in associating themselves together for business transactions. It will regard their conduct rather than their language in determining whether their voluntary associating in a business enterprise amounts to a partnership or not." 30 Cyc. 352, 353; Eilers Music House v. Reine, 65 Or. 598, 604 (133 Pac. 788).

Mr. Justice Cooley in Beecher v. Bush, 45 Mich. 188, 193, 194 (7 N. W. 785, 40 Am. Rep. 465), says:

“It is nevertheless possible for parties to intend no partnership and yet to form one. If they agree upon an arrangement which is a partnership in fact, it is of no importance that they call it something else, or that they even expressly declare that they are not to be partners. The law must declare what is the legal import of their agreements, and names go for nothing when the substance of the arrangement shows them to be inapplicable. But every doubtful case must be solved in favor of their intent; otherwise we should ‘carry the doctrine of constructive partnership so far as to render it a trap to the unwary.’ Kent, C. J., in Post v. Kimberly, 9 Johns. 470, 504."

[8]*8“This intention to form a partnership may be expressed in the contract, or it may be gathered from the acts of the parties and from the circumstances which may interpret the agreement between them. But there are certain requisites necessary before the law will in any event regard the relationship between the parties as that of partners.” Roach v. Rector, 93 Ark. 521, 526 (123 S. W. 399, 401)

The last case cited was an action "between the alleged partners where much stronger proof is required to establish a partnership than where the action is between a third party and the alleged partnership, but it appears from this case, that even as between the alleged partners the acts of the parties and the circumstances under which they conduct the transaction or the business may always be considered for the purpose of determining the partnership or the intention of the agreement.

“As we understand the law, the essential test in determining the partnership relation is whether the parties intended to establish such a relation; and that, as between themselves, this intention is to be determined by their express agreement or inferred from their acts and conduct.” Cousten v. Barnette, 49 Wash. 659 (96 Pac. 225); Yatsuyanagi v. Shimamura, 59 Wash. 24, 29 (109 Pac. 282).

“In an action by a third person against alleged partners according to the rules elsewhere stated it is sufficient to' establish their liability to show admissions of such fact by the alleged partners, or that they have held themselves out to the public as such. The rule is that such proof may be made by parol. It is generally held that in actions by third persons against persons who are alleged to be partners, such partnership may be established by parol evidence even where it appears from the evidence on the trial of the case that there is a written agreement between the parties as to the partnership. * * Partnership may be established by proof of acts and conduct. No rule can [9]*9be given as to what particular acts or conduct may be proved in order to establish the relation; nor can the nature and character of the acts be designated. It is only essential that the proof be sufficient to establish such acts and conduct from which the partnership may be reasonably inferred. As tending to establish the relation of partnership proof may be made of the acts; * * personal supervision of the business and receipt of goods in the firm name; the fact that the party sought to be charged was introduced as a member of the partnership, and any representations, conduct or circumstances are proper and competent which are naturally calculated or likely to beget the belief that the parties were partners. The fact of the existence of a partnership may be proved by the habit and course of dealing, and by the conduct and declarations of the partners.” 2 Rowley, Modern Law of Partnership, 1238, 1240, §§ 886, 887. See, also, 1 Rowley, Modern Law of Partnership, 95, § 89, note 99, also page 96, notes 3 and 7.

In fact, all of the authorities agree that evidénce of the conduct of the parties in the particular transactions involved and of their conduct about the same time are admissible for the purpose of proving a partnership. A partnership may exist for one transaction only. It is not the quantity of business transacted, but the manner of transacting the business, the relation of the parties thereto and to each other, and their interest therein, which constitute a partnership: 30 Cyc. 354, note 25, and 1 Rowley, Modern Law of Partnership, 169, § 168.

Objection was made to the form of questions numbered 9 and 23 compounded to one of the witnesses whose evidence was given by deposition. The questions objected to were not in good form. They were too broad, bnt the answers of the witnesses to the questions confined the evidence to the date of the transaction between the plaintiff and defendants, and [10]*10for that reason no harm was done the defendant appealing, and the error permitting the questions to be answered was not prejudicial.

The question regarding the relation of the defendants to each other should have been limited to the time, or about the time of the transaction between the plaintiff and the defendants; but, inasmuch as the answer to the question was confined to that time, we are unable to see that any harm could possibly result upon allowing the question to be answered. A large discretion should always be allowed the trial court, because the single question taken alone might appear improper, but when considered with its context and taken with the answer of the witness, would be understood as properly confined to the particular issue and the particular time.

Objection was made to the admission of a letter from the defendant Deverill and its admission is assignment of error number 7. Sufficient prima fade evidence has been adduced to make the letter admissible. After the plaintiff has made a prima fade case, it is proper to receive the admissions of either member of the alleged partnership.

For the reasons heretofore given, assignments of error numbered 8 to 11 are not well taken. These questions propounded to the witness, concerning conversations had with the defendants in regard to further transactions, were propounded for the purpose of proving a partnership. In other words, the questions called for evidence of the conduct of the members of the partnership for the purpose of determining their relation to each other.

Assignments of error numbered 12 and 13 are predicated upon the questions and answers of one Ed Nolan. This witness qualified so as to enable him to [11]*11testify as to what the value of the lambs was at the time the sale was made.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
228 P. 127, 112 Or. 1, 1924 Ore. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/call-v-linn-or-1924.