Ferrero v. Buhlmeyer

34 How. Pr. 33
CourtThe Superior Court of New York City
DecidedJuly 15, 1867
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 34 How. Pr. 33 (Ferrero v. Buhlmeyer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering The Superior Court of New York City primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ferrero v. Buhlmeyer, 34 How. Pr. 33 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1867).

Opinion

Jones, J.

Upon the argument of this motion, I was strongly of the opinion that the bare fact of a voluntary assignment by one partner, of his interest in the partnership, could not operate in his favor, or that of his assignee, as a dissolution of a partnership, which by the terms of the articles, was to continue a specified period.

Upon examination, however, I do not find the law on this subject to be so clear as I had supposed it to be. .

The first inquiry is, can one partner, by his own voluntary act, dissolve a partnership for a specified term, before the expiration of the term I .

Justice Story, in his Treatise on Partnership (Story on Part. § 275, et seq.), and Justice Washington, in Pierrepont agt. Graham (4 Wash. C. C. 234), lays down the doctnne that they cannot. It is said the opposite doctrine is held in Kitchen [34]*34agt. Clerk (6 J. R. p. 144); Marquand agt. A. T. Manufacturing Company (17 Id. p. 525, cited from p. 535), and Skinner agt. Dayton (19 Id. p. 513, cited fromp. 538). Kent, in his Commentaries gives both views—adds one reason in favor of the latter, but does not undertake to decide between them.

The cases in Johnson, cannot be regarded as authorities in point on the question.

In the first case, the partnership, by its articles, was to continue until the 1st May, 1807, and on that day, if both parties concluded to continue the business, each partner was to add to the stock in cash $2,500. But if it was thought best to close the concern, the goods on hand were to be sold, &c. The partnership continued until May 1st, 1807. After that day the business was continued, neither party advancing any money, until the 22d June, 1807, on which day one of the partners made an assignment of all his right and interest in the partnership property and debts, as security for a demand against him. There was no evidence of any agreement to continue the partnership for a specified period after May 1st, nor was there any evidence of any agreement to close the partnership, but the condition oh which the partnership was to continue, viz: the advance of money by each partner, was not complied with by either.

Thus, after the 1st May, 1807, the partnership became one at will, and was such on the 27th June, when the assignment was made.

Consequently, when the court says the assignment of itself was a termination of the partnership, it only affirms the settled doctrine that a partnership at will can be dissolved by an assignment by tine partner of his interest.

In the second case, the partner making the assignment was in failing circumstances, and being indebted to his assignees in a large amount, made the assignment to secure them. Shortly after, the assignor failed, and became utterly insolvent. The court, after referring to the English rule, that an act of bankruptcy is a dissolution of partnership, holds that an assign[35]*35ment made under Hie circumstances of the one in question, would produce the same result. AH that this case in substance holds is, that when the financial condition of a partner is such that his creditors may, by a process of law, without fraud on his part, force a sale of his interest in the firm, an assignment made by him Iona fide, to pay or secure his debts, and with the object of saving costs and expenses, and to put his property in such position as that .his creditors may use it to the best advantage in payment of his debts, wiH not be deemed a voluntary act, because by this act he only effects that which his creditors could otherwise compel.

In the last case the point was not up for decision, but Justice Platt, in his opinion (which is in favor of affirming one of the orders appealed from, and reversing the other), in commenting on the sixth article of the articles of association, for the purpose of showing that that article could not have been intended to secure to each stockholder the right of withdrawal at his pleasure, said, it could not be thus interpreted. “ Because each partner would have had the same right, without'any such provision. It is a right inseparable incident to every partnership. There can be no such thing as an indissoluble partnership.

“ Every partner has án indefeasible right to dissolve partnership as to aH future contracts, by publishing his own volition to that effect; and after such publication, the other members of'the firm have no capacity to bind him by any contract. Even when partners covenant with each other that the partnership shaft continue seven years, either partner may dissolve it the next .day, by proclaiming his determination so to do; the only consequence being that thereby he subjects himself to a claim for damages for the breach of covenant.”

But Chief Justice Spencer, who arrived at the same conclusion as Justice Platt, as regards affirmance and reversal, did not find it necessary in his opinion to assert this doctrine.

Thus the cases in the state stand. They do not appear me to be controlling, as authorities in point. It is necessary, how— [36]*36ever, in determining the point in issue, to examine the reasons given by the learned judges in support of the affirmative of the proposition, as well as the reasons in support of the negative.

Mr. Justice Platt says, that every partner has an indefeasible right to dissolve the partnership. Yet, he says, that the consequences of his dissolving it will be to subject himself to a claim for damages for breach of his covenant. How the exercise of an indefeasible right can subject one to damages, is to me inexplicable.

Again, he says: “ The power given by one partner to

another, to make joint contracts for them both, is not only a revocable power, but a man can do no act to divest himself of that power.”

As this power is one of the essentials of a partnership, it follows from the proposition that no partnership for a limited term can be entered into, because no one of the partners can give this power to the other partners to be exercised during that limited time. All partnerships would become partnerships at will. This doctrine is opposed to the well settled law that there are two kinds of partnership which may be entered into: the one a partnership at will, the other-a part-' nership for a term. (Collyer on Part. § 105; Bouvier’s Institutes, §§ 1489, 1490.)

Kent says: “Such power of dissolution, by the volun-

tary act of one partner, would seem to be implied in the capacity of a partner to interfere and dissent from a purchase or contract about to be made by his associates. But such interference and dissent never dissolved a partnership.”

It is true that such interference and denial, may assume such proportions, as to call for the interposition of the aid of a court of equity, upon the application of the other partners.

In some cases such other partners may have an injunction restraining the commission of the acts (1 Story’s Eq. Juris. § 669), and may in all cases of such serious interference, apply for a dissolution of the firm. If the court should be of opin[37]*37ion that the interference was sufficient to call for a dissolution, it would render a decree to that effect; otherwise, it would dismiss the bill.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hannaman v. Karrick
9 Utah 236 (Utah Supreme Court, 1893)
Sistare v. Cushing
11 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 503 (New York Supreme Court, 1875)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 How. Pr. 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ferrero-v-buhlmeyer-nysuperctnyc-1867.