Gevinson v. Manhattan Construction Co. of Oklahoma

449 S.W.2d 458, 13 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 124, 1969 Tex. LEXIS 216
CourtTexas Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 31, 1969
DocketB-624
StatusPublished
Cited by207 cases

This text of 449 S.W.2d 458 (Gevinson v. Manhattan Construction Co. of Oklahoma) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gevinson v. Manhattan Construction Co. of Oklahoma, 449 S.W.2d 458, 13 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 124, 1969 Tex. LEXIS 216 (Tex. 1969).

Opinion

WALKER, Justice.

The principal question to be decided in this case is whether the record shows as a matter of law that plaintiffs own the partnership interests in a limited partnership known as 21 Turtle Creek Square, Ltd., hereinafter referred to as 21 TCS, Ltd. They claim to have acquired the same by assignment from Kirkeby-Natus Corporation, which held a lien thereon. They also claim, and the trial court held as a matter of law, that the principal defendant, Dr. Daniel Gevinson, had judicially admitted, and was estopped to deny, that Kirkeby-Natus had acquired title to the partnership interests by foreclosure of its lien prior to the assignment to plaintiffs.

21 Turtle Creek Square is a high rise apartment building in Dallas. It is owned by 21 TCS, Ltd. and was built by Manhattan-Dalmark as general contractor. Manhattan-Dalmark is a joint venture composed of Manhattan Construction Company of Oklahoma, Manhattan Construction Company of Texas and Dalmark Corporation.

This suit was brought by Manhattan of Oklahoma and Manhattan of Texas, hereinafter referred to jointly as Manhattan, for themselves and on behalf of Manhattan-Dalmark to: (1) establish that Manhattan is the owner of 21 TCS, Ltd.; and (2) recover on certain money claims and establish the same as liens against the apartment building. Dr. Daniel Gevinson, 21 TCS, Ltd., and 21 Properties, Inc. are defendants. Dalmark was also made a party because it is controlled by Gevinson and refused to join as a plaintiff. Defendants filed a cross-action against Manhattan, C. A. Bullen and David M. Thornton for recovery of title and possession of the apartment building and for damages for breach of contract. Bullen is President of Manhattan of Texas. Thornton is attorney for Manhattan and acted as trustee for them in the transaction through which they claim to have acquired 21 TCS, Ltd.

Gevinson has worn many hats. He organized and, at one time at least, owned all the stock of the following corporations: (1) 21 Properties, Inc.; (2) Dalmark Corporation; (3) Gevinson Associates Construction Company; (4) Mardal Corporation, and (5) a number of corporations that owned various other apartment buildings and a motel. His stock in the last mentioned group of corporations is referred to by the parties as the 608 shares. The *461 original ownership of 21 TCS, Ltd. was as follows: a ½% general partnership interest owned by 21 Properties, Inc., a ½% general partnership interest owned by Gev-inson, and a 99% limited partnership interest owned by Gevinson. The trial court concluded as a matter of law that 21 TCS, Ltd., Mardal, and Gevinson Associates was each the alter ego of Gevinson, and this holding has not been attacked.

At the conclusion of a jury trial, judgment was rendered awarding Manhattan: (1) the interests formerly owned by Gevin-son in 21 TCS, Ltd. and the entire 100 shares of stock of 21 Properties Inc., hereafter referred to as the partnership interests; (2) judgment against 21 TCS, Ltd. and 21 Properties, Inc. for $1,104,881.72, and against Gevinson for $230,863.00 of this amount; and (3) foreclosure of a lien for the $1,104,881.72 affixed on the real and personal property of 21 TCS, Ltd. The trial court held that Manhattan was entitled to the partnership interests as a matter of law, and the remainder of the judgment is based on the jury’s verdict.

The Court of Civil Appeals modified the judgment of the trial court so as to award Manhattan, Thornton and Bullen title to the apartment building. It reversed the judgment of the district court in all other respects and remanded the cause for another trial. 420 S.W.2d 486. All parties filed applications for writs of error, and all applications were granted.

The trial court’s judgment has never been attacked on the ground that it should have awarded plaintiffs title to the partnership property rather than title to the partnership interests. Plaintiffs did not sue for the property, and there is no basis in the record for modifying the trial court’s judgment to give them title thereto. The question to be decided is whether they have established as a matter of law their ownership of the partnership interests. This question must be considered against the background of the construction loans for building 21 Turtle Creek Square, the construction contracts, and several other loans made to Gevinson and secured by pledges of various securities. Although plaintiffs argue to the contrary, an assignment in the motion for new trial is not a prerequisite to the right to complain on appeal of the action of the trial court in withdrawing the claim for the partnership interests from the jury and rendering judgment thereon for the plaintiffs. Rule 324, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

Construction Loans

21 TCS, Ltd., as owner, obtained a commitment from the Federal Housing Administration for insurance of a mortgage in the amount of $9,997,100.00 for construction of the apartment building. Arrangements were made for the New York Teacher’s Retirement System to become the permanent mortgagee, and for the National Commercial Bank and Trust Company of Albany to do the interim financing. 21 TCS, Ltd. executed a deed of trust on the real estate securing the payment of a note for $9,997,100.00 to the Albany Bank and also executed a regulatory loan agreement with FHA.

Construction Contracts

Gevinson discussed construction of the apartment project with Bullen, President of Manhattan of Texas, and proposed that one of his companies, Dalmark, participate as a prime contractor and that two of his other companies, Gevinson Associates and Mardal, be awarded subcontracts. Bullen agreed to this proposal after making an investigation and learning that the plan was not objectionable to FHA.

21 TCS, Ltd. and Manhattan-Dalmark executed a contract for construction of the apartment project on June 6, 1962. Under its terms the general contractor was to be paid the actual cost of construction plus a fixed fee of $418,733.00, but with the proviso that the owner would not in any event be required to pay more than $8,841,705.00. It was provided that $172,096.00 of the *462 fixed fee would be paid in cash, and the remainder was evidenced by the note of 21 TCS, Ltd. for $246,037.00 due on or before June 1, 2003, with interest from maturity at the rate of 6 per cent per an-num. The parties further agreed that any surplus cash from the permanent mortgage loan would be applied on the note.

Manhattan-Dalmark subcontracted certain portions of the work to Mardal for $1,204,000.00 and to Gevinson Associates for $3,220,000.00. By the terms of these contracts, the subcontractors were to be paid the stipulated amounts without regard to the cost of the labor and materials they furnished.

Loans Secured by Pledges

To finance the purchase of the land and create the required owner’s equity in the project, Gevinson consummated a number of other loans. In so far as material here, there were two principal lenders: Wallace Investments, Inc. and Kirkeby-Natus Corporation. On June 6, 1962, Gevinson executed to Wallace two notes, one for $1,-650,000.00 due 18 months after date and the other for $300,000.00 payable in monthly installments of $50,000.00 each, beginning March 6, 1963.

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Bluebook (online)
449 S.W.2d 458, 13 Tex. Sup. Ct. J. 124, 1969 Tex. LEXIS 216, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gevinson-v-manhattan-construction-co-of-oklahoma-tex-1969.