Clayton v. Paul

1956 OK 16, 292 P.2d 405, 1956 Okla. LEXIS 352
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 17, 1956
Docket36914
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1956 OK 16 (Clayton v. Paul) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clayton v. Paul, 1956 OK 16, 292 P.2d 405, 1956 Okla. LEXIS 352 (Okla. 1956).

Opinion

CORN, Justice.

The parties herein will be referred to as they appeared in the trial court.

Plaintiff, Percy S. Paul, sought possession by replevin of certain patterns which defendant, Frank D. Clayton, Jr., allegedly wrongfully detained from plaintiff. Said patterns had at one time been partnership property of the plaintiff and defendant which were used to manufacture various parts of a tire truing machine.

Plaintiff and defendant had been partners for about eight months up until October 26, 1953, when the partnership was dissolved. The dissolution contract, confirming the division of 'moneys and properties they had divided, was drawn by both plaintiff and defendant and notarized and witnessed by two witnesses at the request of the defendant. The following written agreement was entered, into between the parties:

To Dissolve Partnership In Business Known As P & C Mfg. Co.
“I, Percy S. Paul, received of Frank D. Clayton the sum of One Thousand Forty-One and 99/100 ($1,041.99) to settle partnership between Frank D. Clayton and Percy S. Paul d/b/a P & C Mfg. Company according to division of moneys and properties which each one now has in his possession divided equally.
“Signed this 26 day of 10, 1953.
“/s/ Percy S. Paul Percy S. Paul
“/s/ Frank D. Clayton-Frank D. Clayton.
“Witnesses:
/s/ Thelma Masher
/s/ Jack Johnson
“/s/ W. T. Camp Notary
“My Commission Expires 11-10-53 (Notarial Seal)”

It is undisputed that the plaintiff had the patterns in question in his possession at the time the written contract was entered into'. It is also undisputed that the property of' the parties had been physically divided prior-to October 26, 1953, at which time the: written contract was entered into.

The evidence was that the property was; divided October 25, 1953, at plaintiff’s place of business, defendant bringing the patterns, in controversy to plaintiff’s place of business. Plaintiff testified that he was given:; the patterns as his property, and on the date ■ the contract was signed, defendant did not., have anything which belonged to plaintiff,, and plaintiff did not have anything that be~longed to defendant; that plaintiff and de--fendant worded the dissolution agreement-contract drawing it up to suit both of them i in rough draft, and then had it typed up; notarized and witnessed, both looking it: over and agreeing that it was what they wanted; that plaintiff had the patterns in his possession until November 27, 1953,. when defendant took them from him without consent of plaintiff.

The defendant contended that he loaned' the patterns to plaintiff. That about a week - before Sunday, October 25, 1953, they de- - *407 cided to dissolve the partnership and divide the partnership property; that they had •conversations in regard to the dissolution both in person and by telephone; that on October 25, 1953, they met to physically divide the property, except property which had already been agreed upon in their discussions the prior week. The defendant .admitted that he went to plaintiff’s place of business with the patterns, on October 25, 1953, and left them with the plaintiff.

Our statute concerning oral negotiations ■or stipulations is found in 15 O.S.1951 § 137, .as follows:

“Writing excludes oral negotiations or stipulations. — The execution of a ■contract in writing, whether the law requires it to be written or not, supersedes all the oral'negotiations or stipulations concerning its matter, which preceded or accompanied the execution of the instrument. R.L.1910, § 942.”

We have many times stated that a written contract supersedes prior oral negotiations. McCain v. J. B. Colt Co., 139 Okl. 178, 281 P. 769; J. B. Colt Co. v. Florence, 128 Okl. 14, 261 P. 142.

In Kinnard-Haines Co. v. Dillingham, 73 Okl. 129, 175 P. 208, we held:

Prior oral negotiations, expectations and conversations are merged in the written agreement, and the rights and liabilities of the parties must be determined thereby.

See also Barnsdall Refining Co. v. Desmond, 173 Okl. 177, 46 P.2d 913, in which we held:

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Bluebook (online)
1956 OK 16, 292 P.2d 405, 1956 Okla. LEXIS 352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clayton-v-paul-okla-1956.