DeKay v. DeKay Pneumatic Tools, Inc.

281 P.2d 76, 131 Cal. App. 2d 625, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 2103
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 21, 1955
DocketCiv. No. 16184
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 281 P.2d 76 (DeKay v. DeKay Pneumatic Tools, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DeKay v. DeKay Pneumatic Tools, Inc., 281 P.2d 76, 131 Cal. App. 2d 625, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 2103 (Cal. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

KAUFMAN, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco in favor of defendant and cross-complainant DeKay Pneu[627]*627matic Tools, Inc., in an action for declaratory relief brought by Robert E. DeKay,. doing business as DeKay Machine Products Company.

On August 24, 1951, appellant Robert DeKay and the DeKay Pneumatic Tools Corporation entered into a manufacturer-distributor contract. Robert DeKay is a licensed mechanical engineer who had for some years prior to the date of the aforesaid contract, operated a small machine shop under the name “DeKay Machine Products Company” wherein he manufactured air tools which he generally sold to wholesalers who distributed them to their customers. Harry Hanover, president of respondent corporation, who first became active in operations relating to the marketing of the appellant’s tools in January 1951, testified that between $30,000 and $35,000 had been spent in developing a market for appellant’s tools from that time till the commencement of this action. The parties first operated under a letter agreement of February 3, 1951.

The written agreement of August 24, 1951, is incorporated in the complaint for declaratory relief. Appellant, designated in that contract as the First Party, grants to respondent corporation, the Second Party, the exclusive right to purchase, distribute and sell “any and all of First Party’s various types of pneumatic tools, accessories, and parts for same.”

Other pertinent provisions of the agreement are as follows:

“2. First Party agrees to manufacture Tools and Parts of acceptable and equal or better quality and performance as Tools and Parts previously and currently manufactured, and to further, research and improve Tools and Parts from time to time as required to keep line of Tools competitive and equally acceptable to trade, however, this shall in no way compel or require First Party to make any special or new tool which is not profitable for First Party to produce.
“3. First Party agrees to reserve and incorporate new features, improvements, inventions, mechanical and design styles, pneumatic tools and parts for same, as well as improvements for manufacturing same, to the producting of Tools and Parts covered by this Agreement, and all benefits from such new developments shall be solely for the refinement, workability and trade acceptance of Tools and Parts hereof.
“4. First Party agrees to direct all inquiries and requests for the manufacture of a complete or any portion of pneumatic tools or parts for same over to Second Party along with [628]*628First Party’s recommendations for accepting or rejecting such inquiry or order in question, however, this shall not include bona fide orders contracted for before August 15, 1951; with it being mutually agreed herewith by both parties hereto that no improvement or feature specially characteristic of Tools and Parts covered by this agreement may be produced for or made available in any manner on such classes of inquiries, unless mutually agreed to in writing. . . .
“9. First Party agrees to accept and manufacture orders for Tools and Parts for Second Party’s customers as quickly as possible, or as agreed upon for any order or orders in question, and herewith authorizes Second Party to so advise any such customer that this guarantee of manufacture is herewith extended and assured such customers, through Second Party. . . .
“11. Second Party agrees to maintain a sales department for the promotion and re-sale of said Tools and further agrees to bear all expenses thereof, including promotion, advertising, selling, administrative, traveling expenses and compensation of executives and salesmen of Second Party; and including taxes applicable to operations of Second Party under this Agreement; as well as expenses necessary to establishment of approved agents, dealers, distributors, and wholesalers for Tools and Parts.
“12. In conformity with provisions of the foregoing paragraph, Second Party will maintain a sales personnel to handle the sales and distribution of Tools and Parts, when and where same may be disposed of on a profitable sales basis, and further, Second Party agrees that when proven production capacity of First Party warrants, sales efforts shall be initiated throughout the United States to promote use and sale of Tools and appoint bona fide representatives in such states where profitable sales may be made; and further, Second Party agrees that when added production warrants it and it is possible to make profitable sales in foreign markets, proper export representation will be secured, with all such export sales obligations being conditioned upon export and import regulations and ability to deliver Tools as required and at competitive prices.”

Paragraph 16 contains a price list of tools to be used by respondent in placing orders with appellant, and it is therein provided that such prices may be changed from time to time to reflect increase or decrease in cost of material and/or labor upon 15 days’ written notice to respondent. Subdivision [629]*629E of this paragraph provides: ‘ Second Party agrees to make available up to fifty (50%) per cent of Second Party’s cost on any order presented for Tools or Parts under this Agreement.” (Emphasis ours.)

Paragraph 20 provides that should appellant require funds for the manufacture of tools or other products to be manufactured, he shall first request the loan of such funds from respondent, and if respondent should be unwilling or unable to supply such funds, appellant then agrees to obtain such funds from Harry T. Hanover, before appellant shall attempt to borrow such funds elsewhere. Paragraph 21 provides: “As a condition of this Agreement Second Party [respondent] agrees to purchase from First Party a minimum of one thousand (1,000) Tools per year.” Paragraph 22 provides that unless cancelled by failure of Second Party to comply with provisions of foregoing paragraph this Agreement shall remain in force from August 24,1951 till January 31,1961.

Appellant, following his refusal to accept an order of respondent for 642 tools dated August 22, 1952, filed this suit for declaratory relief on August 29, 1952, asking that the contract be declared terminated because of respondent’s failure to perform its obligation under paragraph 21, to purchase a minimum of 1,000 tools within the year.

The complaint alleged that on or about November 9, 1951, appellant and respondent entered into an oral agreement under which respondent agreed to appellant’s sale of 6,000 air drills to the Air Speed Tool Company under appellant’s promise to pay respondent $6,000 upon certain conditions, and that this oral agreement was thereafter confirmed in writing. It was further alleged that from the date of execution of the written agreement of August 24,1951 till August 25, 1952, respondent purchased and resold approximately 329 air drills, and that appellant during this time sold 6,000. Appellant then alleged that paragraph 21 of the agreement requiring respondent to purchase a minimum of 1,000 tools per year is to be interpreted according to the intention of the parties thereto as meaning a duty to purchase and resell a minimum of 1,000 tools.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
281 P.2d 76, 131 Cal. App. 2d 625, 1955 Cal. App. LEXIS 2103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dekay-v-dekay-pneumatic-tools-inc-calctapp-1955.