First Western Mortgage Co. v. Hotel Gearhart, Inc.

522 P.2d 881, 268 Or. 613, 1974 Ore. LEXIS 491
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMay 23, 1974
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 522 P.2d 881 (First Western Mortgage Co. v. Hotel Gearhart, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Western Mortgage Co. v. Hotel Gearhart, Inc., 522 P.2d 881, 268 Or. 613, 1974 Ore. LEXIS 491 (Or. 1974).

Opinion

HOWELL, J.

This appeal is a sequel to First Western Mtge. Co. v. Hotel Gearhart, 260 Or 196, 488 P2d 450 (1971). In that case we reversed the decree of the trial court and held that a joint venture between the plaintiff and defendant Hotel Gearhart for the purchase and development of property located in Gearhart, Oregon, should be dissolved. The suit was remanded with directions to enter a decree granting a dissolution and a winding up of the joint venture, and for an accounting between the parties. The plaintiff now appeals from the trial court’s determination of which assets constituted joint venture assets, and the defendant Hotel Gearhart cross-appeals from the accounting made by the trial court.

The facts underlying this case are reported in First Western Mtge. v. Hotel Gearhart, supra, and we will not repeat them here except insofar as they pertain to the issues now presented.

Defendant Hotel Gearhart (hereinafter “Hotel”) borrowed $1,000 and acquired a 30-day option to purchase eight acres of adjacent oceanfront property owned by Samson, Inc. A few days prior to the termination date of the option, plaintiff First Western Mortgage Company (hereinafter “First Western”) and the defendant Hotel entered into a joint venture agreement for the purchase and development of the property. First Western was to provide the funds necessary for the purchase of the entire property. The option was exercised, and First Western paid $75,000 as the first payment on the purchase price. Hotel was to be responsible for the operation and management [616]*616of the motel and restaurant on the property, and First Western was to be responsible for the financing, planning, construction, and selling of condominium units which were to be constructed on the Samson property. All profits were to be divided on the basis of 75% to First Western and 25% to Hotel.

The Samson contract provided that Samson would release the land in four parcels, referred to by the parties as A, B, C and D, as separate payments were made on each parcel.

After First Western provided the initial $75,000, Samson released Parcel A to Hotel, which in turn conveyed it to First Western. Parcel A was developed into condominium units which were sold, and- a profit of $95,000 was realized. This amount was used to secure the release of Parcel B to defendant Hotel, which in turn conveyed it to plaintiff First Western as was done with Parcel A.

Thereafter serious dissension arose between First Western and Hotel, resulting in plaintiff filing a suit for dissolution of the joint venture. Defendant Hotel filed a countersuit for rescission. The trial court granted the rescission and awarded Parcel B and the contract rights in Parcels C and D to Hotel. Plaintiff First Western appealed, and we held that rescission was improper but that the joint venture should be dissolved and an accounting and winding up of the joint venture should be accomplished.

However, after the trial court entered its decision granting all rights in Parcels B, C and D to Hotel, and while the appeal was pending, Hotel entered into an agreement with defendant North Coast Development, Inc. (hereinafter “North Coast”). Under [617]*617that agreement, defendant Hotel sold á 60% interest in Parcels B, C and D of the joint venture agreement for the sum of $354,000, which purchase price was to be paid by North Coast assuming and agreeing to pay all the obligations of the joint venture under the Samson contract.

After the decree on the mandate in the first appeal was entered by the trial court, First Western recognized and ratified the sale by Hotel of the 60% interest in Parcels B, C and I) to North Coast.

On the remand the trial court held that Parcels A and B purchased under the Samson contract were joint venture assets, but that all contractual rights under the Samson contract as to Parcels C and D were the sole property of defendant Hotel. The record does not disclose the reasons why the trial court awarded Parcels C and D to Hotel. Unfortunately, while some reference is made in the briefs to a letter opinion of the trial court, the opinion does not appear in the record.

Plaintiff First Western contends that the joint venture assets include the contractual rights to Parcels C and D and that it should be decreed to have a 75% interest in the 40% interest remaining in the Samson contract as it relates to Parcels C and D.

Defendant Hotel contends that the Samson contract “was never a joint venture asset” but that “each parcel of land under the Samson contract only became a temporary asset of the joint venture after it was released by Samson, Inc. and before it was sold to condominium owners.”

Some of the factors which should be considered in determining whether the joint venturers intended [618]*618real property held by a joint venture

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Bluebook (online)
522 P.2d 881, 268 Or. 613, 1974 Ore. LEXIS 491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-western-mortgage-co-v-hotel-gearhart-inc-or-1974.