Chung Chan v. An-Loc Restaurant, Inc.

641 S.W.2d 617, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 5637
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedAugust 19, 1982
DocketB2959
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 641 S.W.2d 617 (Chung Chan v. An-Loc Restaurant, Inc.) 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
Chung Chan v. An-Loc Restaurant, Inc., 641 S.W.2d 617, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 5637 (Tex. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION

PRICE, Justice.

. Appellant Chung Chan appeals from an adverse judgment in favor of appellee, An-Loc Restaurant, Inc., in a nonjury trial in which the trial court held that a restaurant real estate lease was owned by appellee, and that the appellee restaurant corporation was owned by four shareholders in equally proportionate shares. Appellant asserts two points of error relating to sufficiency of evidence on the judgment findings. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. originally sued appellant Chung Chan on July 28, 1980, for injunctive relief relating to certain business operations of the restaurant and alleging conversion of corporate assets. Thereafter, on August 27, 1980, appellant Chung Chan filed a separate suit against appellee An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. as well as Chue Leung, King So and Wan Chan, individually, seeking to cancel the issuance of 4000 shares of stock in the appellee corporation to each of the individual defendants and for a declaration that the individual defendants had no rights or privileges as shareholders. The basis of Chan’s suit was that no consideration or insufficient consideration was paid for the stock. Further, he asserted that the consideration filed and paid for the shares consisting of past money paid, services performed, and technology provided was fraudulent and in bad faith because defendants knew the consideration was insufficient. This suit was consolidated for trial on September 9, 1980, with appellees’ injunctive suit. Following a December 3, 1980 hearing, a temporary injunction dated January 6,1981, was granted against appellant Chan relating to the business operation. On June 16, 1981, shortly before trial on the merits, appellant made an assignment of the business lease to David Cheung and abandoned the restaurant premises and equipment. Chan had been serving as manager in day to day operations under the temporary injunction.

Appellee An-Loc filed an amended petition on June 29,1981, seeking a declaration of ownership of the business real estate lease and equipment based on its having a formal assignment of the lease since No *619 vember 30, 1980, and having made all lease payments since November 1, 1978. Appellant Chan never filed any answer or responsive pleading to any of appellee’s claims. At trial, on July 10,1981, the only pleading on file for appellant was its suit seeking to cancel issuance of the shares of stock to the three individuals named above. Appellant’s assignee, David Cheung, was not made a party to the suit and did not participate in the trial. In a nonjury trial on the merits of the consolidated suit, the trial court held that appellee An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. was the owner and legal title holder of the business lease, and the restaurant equipment, and further declared that An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. is owned by four shareholders in equally proportionate shares of 4000 shares each, said four shareholders being Chun Chan, Chue Chan Leung, King Wan So and Wan Mau Chan. Appellant was ordered to take nothing by his suit. Appellant perfected appeal as to appellee An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. No appeal was perfected by appellant Chan as to the individuals Chue Chan Leung, King Wan So and Wan Mau Chan, and they are not parties to this appeal.

Appellant in his first ground of error asserts that the trial court erred in finding in the judgment that appellee was the legal title holder of a business lease at 902 St. Emanuel Street, Houston, Texas because the finding was against the great weight of the evidence. In the trial court appellee had the burden of proof on the issue. We summarize the history of the transactions which are in dispute.

On August 12, 1977, the owner of the leasehold, Lang W. Woo, executed a five year lease to the original lessee, J.K. Wong. On February 25, 1978, J.K. Wong assigned the lease, with the owner’s approval, to Chung Chan, appellant in the instant case, and Loretta Nguyen. This lease was amended on May 23, 1978, to provide for a six year option after the original five year term had expired. Nguyen and appellant entered into an assignment of the lease, with the owner’s consent, on September 22, 1978, to Pappas Refrigeration Company, a vendor who had sold and installed equipment on the premises. The lease was assigned at least in part to further secure the debt incurred by Nguyen and appellant Chan for purchase of restaurant equipment from Pappas. Thereafter, on October 27, 1978, Nguyen conveyed her interest in the restaurant business including the lease to Chan.

On November 1, 1978, an organizational meeting of An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. was held. Appellant Chan, Chue Leung, King So and‘Wan Chan were elected directors. For his conveyance of the restaurant equipment to the corporation, Chung Chan was issued 4000 shares of stock in the corporation. The corporation thereafter made all lease payments directly to the landlord and also paid for the equipment. The balance sheets of the corporation based on information furnished by appellant showed that the leasehold improvements were owned by the appellee. No point on appeal contests that part of the judgment which declares the corporation to be owner of the equipment. On November 30, 1980, shortly after the equipment was paid for by An-Loc Restaurant, Inc., Pappas Refrigeration Company made a reassignment of the lease to An-Loc Restaurant, Inc. The original assignment to Pappas Refrigeration Company by Chan and Nguyen included a right of reassignment by Pappas. Nguyen testified that she and Chan gave up their right in this reassignment and also that Pappas advanced payment for some of their contractors in the installation of the equipment.

We initially note that the court was not requested by the appellant to make any findings of fact or conclusions of law pursuant to Tex.R.Civ.P. 296. “Therefore, all questions of fact are presumed found in support of the judgment and the judgment must be upheld on any legal theory supported by the pleadings and evidence. Lassiter v. Bliss, 559 S.W.2d 353, 358 (Tex.1977).” Leach v. Eureka Life Ins. Co. of America, 580 S.W.2d 628, 630 (Tex.Civ.App.—Fort Worth, 1979, writ ref’d n.r.e.); see also Davis v. Huey, 571 S.W.2d 859 (Tex.1978). In the instant case, appellant has *620 brought forward a statement of facts but we still presume on appeal that the trial judge found every issuable fact proposition necessary to sustain the judgment if such was raised by the pleadings and sustained by the evidence. 4 McDonald, Texas Civil Practice § 16.10 (Rev.1971); see also Leach v. Eureka Life Ins. Co. of America, supra, at 630. In determining if there is any evidence to support the judgment and the implied findings of fact, we consider only the evidence favorable to the implied findings and disregard any contrary evidence. Bishop v. Bishop, 359 S.W.2d 869 (Tex.1962); Renfro Drug Co. v. Lewis, 149 Tex. 507, 235 S.W.2d 609 (Tex.1950); Leach v. Eureka Life Ins. Co. of America, supra.

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641 S.W.2d 617, 1982 Tex. App. LEXIS 5637, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chung-chan-v-an-loc-restaurant-inc-texapp-1982.