Folk v. Standard Business Forms, Inc.

270 F. Supp. 147, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8682
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedJune 16, 1967
DocketCiv. A. No. 1404
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 270 F. Supp. 147 (Folk v. Standard Business Forms, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Folk v. Standard Business Forms, Inc., 270 F. Supp. 147, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8682 (W.D.N.C. 1967).

Opinion

[148]*148MEMORANDUM DECISION

WARLICK, Chief Judge.

I have here for decision a civil contempt proceeding, arising out of certain contractual relationships, which were agreed upon and entered into at ■ that time when the defendant purchased all of the stock owned by plaintiff, Emerson D. Folk individually in the defendant corporation. This cause has been of long duration and first came to the court’s attention on January 2, 1959 when an action seeking relief by way of a declaratory judgment was filed by the plaintiffs herein. Following its inception and on many occasions thereafter, hearings have been had, orders have been issued, arguments have been made, and ultimately and finally the cause, in view of the many factors involved, comes to the court for a decision. Much obstinacy has been shown, certain testimony, from time to time has appeared to be difficult of belief, and many roadblocks have been cast into this legal area, which in a sense has been like unto the proverbial pulling of eye teeth. But from it all, following a careful study, the following Findings of Fact are made which will be subsequently correlated into final Conclusions of Law.

The matter came before the Court under an order dated September 23, 1966 to .show cause why the plaintiffs and each of them should not be adjudged guilty of a contempt of this court, which motion was obviously objected to by plaintiffs, but allowed following extensive argument. The date for appearence was set down for the 25 of October, 1966.

FINDINGS OF FACT:

That on October 21, 1957, Emerson D. Folk, one of the plaintiffs, sold to the •defendant 800 shares of common capital stock which he owned in the defendant •corporation. That at such time defendant had outstanding 1600 shares of common stock, the remaining 800 shares not •otherwise sold by plaintiff in the defendant corporation belonged to and were •owned by one W. E. Hendricks. Folk and Hendricks seemingly had reached an impasse in their dealings with the affairs of the defendant corporation and decided evidently to part company. Hence one sold and the other bought.

As a part of such sale and delivery of certain stock, a buy-sell agreement was entered into and as a consideration of the sale of said stock, by plaintiff to defendant, the defendant was paid the following purchase price.

“Purchase Price. The purchase price for the said 800 shares of stock shall be $478,500.00, plus the lot and cottage owned by Buyer at Lake Lure, North Carolina, and the contents thereof, plus the life insurance policies now carried by Buyer on the life of the Seller, said house and lot and insurance policies to be considered as being transferred at their book value as of November 30, 1957, plus the 1954 Chrysler automobile, owned by Buyer and heretofore used by Seller, in the Buyer’s business. The purchase price is to be payable as follows:
$114,000.00 — in cash at closing December 31, 1957
Lake Lure Property — By deed delivered January 2, 1958.
Insurance policies — By assignment on January 2, 1958
$364,500.00 in cash on January 2, 1958.”

Furthermore, the defendant and the plaintiff, Emerson D. Folk, entered into a contract simultaneously with the above mentioned by-sell agreement, which, among other things, provided:

Payments for agreement not to compete and for services.
The Company shall pay to Folk, and Folk shall accept from the Company for his refraining from entering a competitive business as is hereinafter set forth and for his services during the non-competing period the total sum of $130,000.00, which shall be payable in equal weekly installments at the end of each week during such period.”

Each and every of the considerations were paid the contract therein was fully [149]*149complied with and is not in any wise now disputed.

That among other things such buy-sell agreement between plaintiff Folk and the defendant provided:

“The seller agrees that he will not after December 31, 1957, unless acting with the Company’s written consent and with the written consent of W. E. Hendricks for a period of ten (10) years thereafter, directly or indirectly, own, manage, join, operate, control, or participate in, or be connected as an officer, director, employee, partner, advisor, counsellor, or otherwise with any business in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia, under any name similar to the Buyer’s name or any business, incorporated or not, in any similar manner to or directly or indirectly in competition with Standard Business Forms, Inc. But nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the Seler from discussing in casual conversation the generalities of the “business form” field. Also, nothing herein shall prohibit the Seller from purchasing stock or other securities of any corporation which shall have any securities listed upon any recognized securities exchange. Also, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the Seller from doing anything in any place, other than in North Corolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The Seller likewise agrees for the aforesaid 10 year period, not to hire, without the written prior approval of W. E. Hendricks, any person who. has been an employee of Standard Business Forms, Inc., within the three years prior to the date of this agreement, except this shall not apply to Charles B. Brown, except that Seller shall not hire him to work in the said period in the State of Georgia. The Seller acknowledges that the remedy at law for breach of the foregoing will be inadequate and that the Buyer will be entitled to injunctive relief for any breach of the covenants of this paragraph by the Seller.”

Thereafter in 1958 Emerson D. Folk, one of plaintiffs, organized a corporation under the laws of the State of Tennessee, which was given the name of National Business Forms, Inc. That at such first meeting of the corporation Emerson D. Folk was named its President and occupied such position at the time of taking of his deposition on November 19, 1964, and actually has been throughout the life of National Business Forms, Inc., its sole and only President.

On January 2, 1959, plaintiffs herein instituted this action in this court by filing their complaint on which summons was issued, seeking a declaratory judgment under the court’s interpretation of Paragraph 6, of the above set out buy-sell agreement, dated October 21, 1957, between Folk and this defendant.

Thereafter the record discloses that on January 26, 1959, the defendant herein filed its answer to the complaint of plaintiffs and among other things, following admissions and denials of various' numbered allegations, set out a counterclaim seeking therein a declaratory judgment under allegations in the answer that the plaintiffs were hiring former employees of the defendant in violation of Paragraph 6 of the buy-sell agreement.

Subsequently and on August 12, 1959, following many discussions, some hearings, and various legal maneuvers, the plaintiffs and the defendant entered into a consent judgment and a consent permanent injunction, which said two documents were duly signed by all of parties involved therein and by their respective attorneys, and on such being presented to the court, was signed as a consent judgment and a consent permanent injunction. Among the terms is found the following:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
270 F. Supp. 147, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8682, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/folk-v-standard-business-forms-inc-ncwd-1967.