Close v. Brictson Mfg. Co.

49 F.2d 751, 1931 U.S. App. LEXIS 3256
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedApril 6, 1931
DocketNo. 8901
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 49 F.2d 751 (Close v. Brictson Mfg. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Close v. Brictson Mfg. Co., 49 F.2d 751, 1931 U.S. App. LEXIS 3256 (8th Cir. 1931).

Opinion

STONE, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from an order charging appellants with certain expenses of a receivership in a case filed by them and in which they sought and obtained the appointment of a receiver, which appointment was by this court adjudged to be improper. The order from which this appeal was taken was entered June 24, 1929. The allowances ehargec! against appellants consisted of $1,000- allowed to the receiver for services, expenses, and attorney fees, and $8,295.81, repi*esenting amounts paid by the receiver upon orders of the court for storage, drayage, rental, and other matters in connection with the care and administration of the property in his hands as receiver.

Appellants make several contentions here.

I. The main contention is that this decree was not on a motion to tax costs and was without notice to appellants after the ease had been dismissed as to them.

In August, 1921, eight stockholders of the Brictson Manufacturing Company filed a bill in the District of Nebraska before Judge Woodrough wherein, inter alia, they prayed a receivership of that company. A receiver was appointed and apparently took possession on September 3, 1921. An appeal from such order was determined by this court in an opinion filed April 5, 1922. 280 F. 297. In that appeal it was determined thaH; the receivership proceedings were improper and that the order appointing the receiver be reversed “with directions that the receiver be required to return all property in his hands to those from whom he received it, that he be thereupon discharged, and that the bill be dismissed at complainants’ costs.” 280 F. 297, 301. The trial court (Judge Woodrough) failed to carry out the mandate.

In the meantime, various other stockholders had presented a petition in intervention to the trial court. The company filed a motion for action in compliance with the mandate. On that hearing, the court (August 3, 1922) announced: “* * * I therefore will suspend for the present the obedience to [753]*753that part of the mandate which orders me to turn the money over to the party from whom the receiver got it, who was O. A. Brietson;” and “for the present, therefore, I merely order the money impounded in the hands of the receiver until further proceedings are had on the petition as to intervention;” and “the order will now he entered suspending action on that part of the mandate which requires the money to he turned over to Mr. Brietson and granting leave to file the petition of intervention.” An order was entered that day “that the petition of the plaintiffs, filed herein, be, and the same is hereby, dismissed at plaintiffs’ costs. * * * That leave be, and the same is hereby granted to file said petition of intervention, and distribution of assets in the receiver’s hands is hereby suspended until a hearing on same.” Case 7932, p. 22.

The result was a mandamus proceeding here to enforce the mandate. Therein this court found such writ justified, but, out of consideration to Judge Woodrough, did not at once order the writ, but said: “When he is advised of the views here expressed he will, doubtless, at once comply, and there will be no occasion to issue the writ; but on his failure to do so within a reasonable time it will be directed that the writ issue.” 284 F. 484,' 487. The mandate thereon is dated October 30, 1922, and was received by Judge Wood-rough on November 13, 1922. A few days thereafter, but of date November 13, 1922, the trial court made an order “that the receiver be required to return all property in his hands to those from whom he received it, and that he be thereupon discharged, and that the bill of complaint be dismissed at complainants’ costs.” On November 21,1922, the receiver filed a 'detailed report of receipts and expenditures. On the, same day this report was approved, and the receiver allowed $2,000 for his services. This was treated by the court as “the final report” of the receiver, the receiver was ordered to retain sufficient funds to pay the claims filed against him as shown in the report, and “upon complying with the order heretofore made by this court pursuant to the mandate of the Court of Appeals the said receiver be discharged.”

This action of the court resulted in another petition for mandamus setting forth the actions of the trial court since receipt of the mandate. This court ordered the writ on February 8, 1923, and it issued as of February 9, 1923. 289 F. 1020. It was received by Judge Woodrough as of February 14, 1923. The writ required - Judge Woodrough to “immediately” vacate, etc., the above order approving the reports and accounts of the receiver, “provided, however, that you as District Judge of the United States for the District of Nebraska, on application of the said Ralph M. West as such receiver, or of any of the parties to the suit upon notice to the parties to the suit, may after said order * * * has been vacated and set aside, take testimony, and therefrom determine and áseertain what expenditures, if any, made by said Ralph M. West as receiver were necessary to be made for the preservation of and for the benefit of the property so held in receivership through the hand of said Ralph M. West and thereupon allow to him as credits and as charges to be deducted from the funds in his hands as receiver such expenditures made before the filing of this application, and to tax any sum allowed said receiver for his services as such against petitioners in the cause in which he was appointed such receiver, to-wit, Close et al. v. Brietson Manufacturing Company, no part of same to be paid out of the funds under his control; and Provided, further, that for the sums so allowed such receiver and charged against the funds in his hands as such receiver and for any liabilities incurred by him as such receiver and remaining unpaid, you as respondent will, at the same time, enter judgment for recovery from and over in favor of The Brietson Manufacturing Company and against the petitioner in the cause of Close et al v. Brietson Manufacturing Company, in which said Ralph M. West was so appointed receiver.”

On February 16,1923, Judge Woodrough made an order, solely to comply with the above writ, wherein he set aside his order of November 21,1922, approving the report and accounts of the receiver, and stated that the receiver or any party to the suit might, upon notice to the parties to the suit, “make application for the taking of testimony and the determination and ascertainment therefrom by me what expenditures, if any, made by said Ralph M. West as Receiver were necessary to be made for the preservation of and for the benefit of the property so held in receivership through the hand of said Ralph M. West, in order that I may thereupon allow to such receiver as credits and as charges to be deducted from the funds in his hands as Receiver such expenditures made before the filing of the application for the writ of peremptory mandamus, and in order that I may tax any sum allowed said Receiver for his services as such against the petitioners in the cause in which he has been appointed Reeeiv'[754]*754er, no part of the same to be paid out of the funds under his control, and in order that for the sums so allowed such Receiver and charged against the funds in his hands as Receiver and for any liabilities incurred by him as Receiver and remaining unpaid, I may as Judge of the United States Court at the same time enter judgment for recovery from and over in favor of the Brictson Manufacturing Company and against the petitioners in the cause of Close et al. v. Brictson Manufacturing Company.”

On March 9, 1923, the receiver filed such an application, verified on March 8, 1923.

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Bluebook (online)
49 F.2d 751, 1931 U.S. App. LEXIS 3256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/close-v-brictson-mfg-co-ca8-1931.