Gruenebaum v. Lissauer

185 Misc. 718, 57 N.Y.S.2d 137, 1945 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2184
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 3, 1945
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 185 Misc. 718 (Gruenebaum v. Lissauer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gruenebaum v. Lissauer, 185 Misc. 718, 57 N.Y.S.2d 137, 1945 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2184 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1945).

Opinion

Hecht, J.

Defendants move to dismiss the complaint, pursuant to rule 106 of the Buies of Civil Practice, upon the grounds (a) that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action; (b) that plaintiff has not legal capacity to sue, and (c) that the complaint does not allege any grounds for the appointment of a receiver of the property of defendant Associated Metals & Minerals Corporation (hereinafter called “ Associated ”). Defendants move, in the alternative, (a) for an order, pursuant to rule 103, striking out certain allegations of the complaint upon the ground that they are irrelevant and scandalous, and may tend to- prejudice and embarrass the [722]*722fair trial of the action; and (b) for an order, pursuant to rule 90, directing the service of an amended complaint separately stating the several causes of action defendants claim are alleged in the complaint.

The notice of motion states that it is made'on behalf of defendants Associated and Eothschild, but the briefs of both parties treat the motion as on behalf of the defendant Lissauer as well. The court will, therefore, regard these three defendants as the moving parties.

The allegations of the first cause of action are as follows;

Plaintiff is a resident of New York.

During the transactions described in the complaint defendant Lissauer owned a 60% interest and one Griessmann (also a defendant, but not served with process) owned a 40% interest in M. Lissauer & Cie., a copartnership (hereinafter called “ the firm”). The firm, having its principal office in Cologne, Germany, transacted a chemical and mining business throughout the world. In the transaction of such business, the firm organized many corporations, all of which it owned and dominated, “ and they were owned and operated by M. Lissauer & Cie. in conjunction with its own operations as a single integrated business of various departments and branches, all of which was designated by M. Lissauer & Cie. as the ‘ Combine Defendants Lissauer and Griessmann used the property, assets and business of the firm and of the various corporations and concerns constituting the members of the combine, interchangeably, and transferred all or parts of the assets from time to time from one member to another for convenience and to expedite the business and affairs of the combine and- for their own personal aggrandizement.

Among the corporations so organized by the firm were defendant Associated, a domestic corporation located in New York City, and a Dutch corporation located in Amsterdam, called N. V. Oxyde Maatschappij Yoor Ertsen En Metalen (hereinafter called Oxyde ”).

Until the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, Associated performed the function in such integrated enterprise of agent and shipping representative and acted as such for the firm and Oxyde in transactions involving many millions of dollars, attended to financing and other matters for the firm and Oxyde in the Western hemisphere, and handled the output of certain zinc producers in Mexico, whose output was controlled by Oxyde under contracts.

[723]*723Defendant Lissauer owned 60% and Griessmann owned 40% of the stock of" Oxyde. The firm, which owned 3,000 shares of the preferred stock and 3,325 shares of the common stock of Associated, transferred all of the latter and 2,100 shares of the former to Oxyde, which is still the owner thereof. Such stock has a fair value of over $350,000.

In February, 1935, plaintiff entered into a written contract of employment with Oxyde in Amsterdam, which, as modified by subsequent agreements in writing, forms the basis of the present action. Under this contract, plaintiff was to act as manager of the chemical division of Oxyde until July 31, 1942. He was to receive a stipulated salary plus a percentage of the net profits of the business done for and by said chemical division. Certain products were specified as included in the chemical divisian, and plaintiff’s compensation on such business was to be computed “ whether the same was transacted in the name , of Oxyde or in the name of any other company in the Combine.” In paying such compensation, Oxyde enumerated as proper deductions from the gross profits certain specific expenses incurred by specified members of the combine, including defendant Associated.

In November, 1939, plaintiff and Oxyde agreed in writing that plaintiff should proceed to New York City and make his offices with Associated, there to continue his employment as manager of the chemical department of Oxyde and of the Combine. Plaintiff did so, and during part of the period of his employment in New York City, the salary stipulated in his contract with Oxyde was paid to him by Associated. In March, 1941, defendant Lissauer, acting on behalf of Oxyde and of the Combine, prevented further performance by plaintiff, who has otherwise duly performed all of the terms of his contract and, except as so prevented, plaintiff was ready, able and willing to perform his contract of employment.

As a result of the foregoing, plaintiff asserts a claim of $64,025 against Oxyde. This consists of $41,928, representing his percentage of the net profits for the years 1940 and 1941 and up to the termination date of his contract on July 31,1942; $8,407 representing a balance due on his share of the profits for 1937 and 1938; and a balance of $13,690 of his annual salary for the period ending July 31, 1942.

Plaintiff alleges that by reason of the foregoing, defendants Associated and Lissauer are indebted to plaintiff in a sum exceeding $64,025. This liability is predicated upon the theory that, under the circumstances herein, equity should disregard [724]*724the corporate entity of Oxyde and impose liability for its contractual obligations upon defendants Lissauer and Associated.

As a part of the same cause of action, the complaint then alleges that there are other creditors of Oxyde and Associated who reside or do business in New York, and for whose benefit this suit is prosecuted. At the time of the invasion of Holland on May 10,1940, Oxyde owned assets in the United States aggregating $687,000, consisting of (a) a bank balance of $282,000, (b) an insurance claim of $55,000 collected by Associated and placed in its own account and (c) 2,100 shares of the preferred stock and 3,325 shares of the common stock of Associated, having a fair value in excess of $350,000. Defendants Lissauer and Griessmann, sole stockholders of Oxyde; planned to strip Oxyde of the foregoing assets and vest ownership thereof in themselves, in corporations owned or controlled by them, or in nominees for their account, without any consideration therefor to Oxyde. In furtherance.of such plan, they caused the. following things to be done: (1) the certificates of stock of Associated-were indorsed over to defendant Rothschild without any consideration, and the latter is now holding them for the account of Lissauer and Griessmann; (2) Oxyde’s bank deposits of $282,000 were paid over to Associated, which used these funds to consummate in its own name, but acting as agent for Oxyde, an advantageous joint venture which Oxyde had negotiated with the American Zinc Company. This will hereinafter be called the zinc venture ”. Defendants then deprived Oxyde of its ownership of the interest in this zinc venture, and vested it instead in defendants Lissauer, Associated, Rothschild and Griessmann.

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Bluebook (online)
185 Misc. 718, 57 N.Y.S.2d 137, 1945 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2184, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gruenebaum-v-lissauer-nysupct-1945.