Ford v. Ford

878 A.2d 894, 2005 Pa. Super. 237, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1572
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 29, 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 878 A.2d 894 (Ford v. Ford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ford v. Ford, 878 A.2d 894, 2005 Pa. Super. 237, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1572 (Pa. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

LALLY-GREEN, J.

¶ 1 Appellants, William K. Ford (“Bill”), individually and as president of Riverview Golf Course, Inc., and Riverview Golf Course, a closely held corporation (“River-view” or “the corporation”), appeal from the order entered on June 7, 2004. The trial court found that Bill acted oppressively toward minority shareholders by engaging in self-dealing and by excluding the minority from any benefits of Riverview. We affirm.

¶ 2 The trial court set forth the facts of the case as follows:

Riverview Golf Course, Inc. (“River-view” or “the corporation”), a Pennsylvania corporation incorporated in 1961, owns and operates the Riverview Golf Course. The golf course was built on a reclaimed strip mine along the Monongahela River in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. The 18-hole course consists of approximately ISO acres and includes a clubhouse, driving range, practice green, and pole barn for the golf carts. The water for the golf course is pumped directly from the Monongahela River at no cost to the corporation.
Initially the corporation had four shareholders, including William B. Ford (“William”), husband of Plaintiff Margaret B. Ford (“Margaret”), and father of Plaintiff Margaret L. Ford (“Peggy”) and Defendant William K. Ford (“Bill”). At some point, three of the initial shareholders bought out the fourth, leaving William as the majority shareholder and President of the corporation.
In 1969, Bill began operating a golf cart business and a pro shop at the course as sole proprietorships. Both businesses were staffed by Riverview employees, who were paid by Riverview. Bill did not reimburse the corporation for either the employees’ time or the rental value of the space occupied by his businesses. During William’s tenure as President of the corporation, both Bill and Peggy worked at the golf course: Bill as a salaried employee, and Peggy periodically as an hourly employee.
In 1988, the other two shareholders sued William, seeking to dissolve the corporation. The case settled, with William lending $800,000 to the corporation so the corporation could buy out the other two shareholders. The corporation made regular payments to William on the notes, although it initially paid only interest. Bill contributed $150,000 to the buyout, and William gave Bill enough stock to make him the majority shareholder of Riverview, although William remained the President.
In 1992, the corporation subdivided a 3/6 acre parcel of its property and sold it to Bill for $500 per acre. Bill built a house on this parcel. The grounds around the house were maintained by corporation employees. The house draws from the corporation’s water supply-
*898 When William died in 1995, Bill took over as President of Riverview.. Shortly thereafter, Bill fired Peggy. Bill hired his wife and son as salaried employees of the corporation, and both were elected to the corporation’s board of directors. Upon William’s death, Margaret inherited William’s stock, making her a minority shareholder of the corporation. Peggy was also a minority shareholder, her father having given her stock in the corporation at various times before his death.
Margaret and Peggy filed a suit in law and equity against Riverview in 1997, claiming Bill was using the corporation for his own benefit and not for the benefit of the minority shareholders or the corporation. The parties settled the case, executing a release dated July 19, 1998. Pursuant to the settlement, the corporation borrowed $200,000 to pay Margaret the balance of the notes to her as William’s beneficiary.
Bill continued to own and operate the pro shop and cart business separately, but began paying Riverview $13,655 each year for the use of its assets, including: (1) $5.50 per hour for 500 hours per year for the use of corporation employees; (2) $7.00 per square foot per year for 1000 square feet of pro shop space; (3) $3.00 per square foot per year for 1,200 square feet of cart barn space; (4) $30.00 per month for grass cutting; and (5) $20.00 per month for water.
In 2002, Bill lent approximately $400,000 to the corporation: $200,000 for improvements to the clubhouse and course, and $200,000 for repayment of the bank note taken to pay Margaret for the 1998 settlement. These debts to Bill are the only debts of the corporation.
Believing that they continued to be treated unfairly, Margaret and Peggy in 1999 again filed a complaint against Bill and Riverview in equity and at law. They claimed that Bill continued to manage the corporation for his own benefit while oppressing the minority shareholders, and asked this court to appoint a custodian. Prior to trial, Margaret gave her shares in Riverview to Peggy and Evan Ford, the brother of Bill and Peggy. At the time of trial, the 100 shares were held as follows: Bill held 37 shares; Peggy, 17 shares; Evan, 9 shares; Jason Ford, Bill’s son, 4 shares; and 33 shares were held by the corporation as treasury stock.
A nonjury trial was held before this court on April 15 and 16, 2003. Upon consideration of the evidence offered at trial, this court made findings of fact and conclusions of law, stating in essence that Bill had financially benefited himself, his wife, and his son to the detriment of the minority shareholders of the corporation. This court found Bill’s conduct “oppressive” under 15 Pa.C.S.A. § 1767(a)(2), warranting the appointment of a custodian. No decree nisi was entered at that time in order to allow the parties to attempt to resolve their differences by conciliation. When no settlement was reached, the decree nisi was entered, a custodian was appointed, and the Defendants filed post-trial motions. This court denied Defendants’ post-trial motions and entered the decree nisi as a final decree. Defendants appealed.

Trial Court Opinion, 8/23/04, at 1-4 (footnote omitted). 1

¶ 3 Appellants raise six issues on appeal:
*899 1. Whether the court erred as a matter of law and committed abuse of discretion by finding oppressive conduct pursuant to 15 Pa.C.S.A. § 1767(a)(2)?
2. Whether the court committed error of law and abuse of discretion in the appointment of a custodian?
3. Whether the court committed abuse of discretion in making a corporation pay for the custodian?
4. Whether the court erred as a matter of law and committed abuse of discretion to appoint a custodian to investigate matters outside the law of the case?
5. Whether it is a violation of due process rights to appoint a custodian under the circumstances?
6. Whether the court erred as a matter of law and committed an abuse of discretion in appointing a custodian when all the equities presented at trial opposed said appointment?

Appellants’ Brief at 3. 2

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Bluebook (online)
878 A.2d 894, 2005 Pa. Super. 237, 2005 Pa. Super. LEXIS 1572, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ford-v-ford-pasuperct-2005.