Hall v. Wilson

118 P. 16, 65 Wash. 137, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 905
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 25, 1911
DocketNo. 9301
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 118 P. 16 (Hall v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hall v. Wilson, 118 P. 16, 65 Wash. 137, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 905 (Wash. 1911).

Opinion

Crow, J.

— On April 8, 1909, C. Lewis Wilson and L. C. Hall organized, under the laws of this state, a corporation known as C. Lewis Wilson & Company, with a capital stock of $5,000, divided into 100 shares of the par value of $50 each. The articles of incorporation provided for two trustees, that the principal place of business should be the city of Seattle, and that the objects should in part be to carry on an architectural business. Each incorporator was to own one-half of the' capital stock. C. Lewis Wilson, an experienced architect, was to furnish professional experience, and' conduct the business, at a salary of $150 per month. L. C. Hall, not an architect, was to advance funds sufficient [139]*139to put the corporation on a paying basis. He advanced $3,270, and withdrew $2,195 prior to April 8, 1910. After April 8, 1910, and after he ceased to be a stockholder, he advanced the further sum of $350. The business was at first conducted in Seattle, but later an office in charge of Wilson was established in Chehalis, where the business could be prosecuted to better advantage with less expense, Hall remaining in Seattle. No stock certificates were issued. No formal election of officers, other than two trustees, was held, although Wilson seems to have acted as president in executing contracts.

On July 25, 1910, L. C. Hall, as plaintiff, commenced this action against C. Lewis Wilson & Company, the corporation, and C. Lewis Wilson individually, as defendants, alleging he was then owner of one-half of the capital stock; that the defendant, C. Lewis Wilson, owner of the remaining half, had assumed complete control of the corporation and had excluded plaintiff; that plaintiff was a creditor of the corporation and of Wilson; and that Wilson had withdrawn and appropriated corporation funds for which he refused to account. Plaintiff asked an accounting, the appointment of a receiver, and dissolution of the corporation. On his ex parte application, a temporary receiver was appointed, and a show cause order was issued citing the defendants to appear and show cause why the appointment should not be made permanent. The defendants appeared and answered.

Harold Ginnold, with leave of court, filed a complaint in intervention, alleging that on April 11, 1910, prior to the commencement of this action, he had purchased all of plaintiff’s capital stock; and that plaintiff then ceased to be a stockholder. Later the Security State Bank of Chehalis intervened, alleging it, at divers times, had loaned defendants a total of $2,500, evidenced by their demand promissory notes, to'secure which defendants had assigned to it certain contracts for architect’s fees due the corporation, and that the bank held the same as collateral, claiming a lien thereon. [140]*140Although the receivership was resisted by the defendants and both interveners, the receiver who had qualified seems to have remained in possession until after the trial of the action on its merits, when he was discharged. Without a more detailed statement of the issues, we will state the findings of the trial court; which, after an examination, we approve and adopt, with two minor exceptions, hereinafter named.

The court, in substance, found the incorporation of C. Lewis Wilson & Company; that Hall and C. Lewis Wilson each owned one-half of the capital stock; that Hall advanced to the corporation $3,270 prior to, and $350 after, April 8, 1910, being $3,620 in all; that $2,195 had been repaid him from the profits of the corporation, leaving a remainder of $1,425 advanced by him; that on April 11, 1909, C. Lewis Wilson was indebted to the corporation in the sum of $1,-423.21; that prior to April 11, 1910, Hall and Ginnold had certain negotiations for a sale of Hall’s interest to Ginnold, which negotiations merged into a written contract signed by them, whereby Hall sold to Ginnold one-half of the assets and stock of the corporation for $2,500; that $1,000 of this sum, then paid to Hall by Ginnold, was raised on April 8, 1910, by C. Lewis Wilson, who borrowed $1,000 from the intervener bank, and pledged as security therefor certain sums due the corporation on contracts for architect’s fees; that the sale to Ginnold was absolute as to all of Hall’s one-half interest in the corporation’s assets and stock; that Hall did not reserve money advanced to the' corporation which had not been repaid to him; but that he did reserve one-half of the personal indebtedness due from Wilson to the corporation; that it was also stipulated he was to thereafter receive a certain percentage of architect’s fees that might arise from contracts then in prospect but not secured, provided the same should be secured prior to April 11, 1911; that, at the time of the trial, any sums due upon these prospective contracts could not be definitely ascertained; that the corporation was solvent at the time of the commencement of this [141]*141action; that Hall then had no knowledge of the assignment of the corporation assets to the intervener bank as collateral; that the bank had made loans to C. Lewis Wilson to the amount of $2,500, to secure which the assignments were made; that $1,000 thereof, as above stated, was paid to Hall on behalf of Ginnold; that $1,250 thereof went to Wilson personally; that the facts relative to these loans and' assignments were known to ' and approved by Ginnold; that the bank took the security in good faith; that it should be protected with a first lien; that the temporary appointment of the receiver was justified by the dealings and conduct of Wilson; that the receiver’s expenses had been $17.70; that he be allowed $200 compensation; and that in equity Hall is entitled to recover from Wilson one-half of the $350 he had in good faith advanced to the corporation after the date of his sale to Ginnold.

On these findings, a decree was entered which, in substance, ordered, that Hall recover from C. Lewis Wilson $886.60, one-half of the latter’s indebtedness to the corporation, the same including one-half of the $350 advanced after April 11, 1909; that the said sum of $886.60 be a lien on the assets of the corporation in the possession of the intervener bank, subject to its prior lien, and subject, also, to a lien for the receiver’s compensation and expenses; that the assignments to the bank be approved; that it first pay from the proceeds of the collateral $2,500 due itself, with interest thereon; that it then pay $217.70 to the receiver; that it then pay $886.60 found due the plaintiff from the defendant C. L. Wilson, and that it pay the remainder, if any, to the defendant corporation; that Ginnold be adjudged the owner of an undivided one-half interest in the stock and assets of the corporation; that Hall’s rights be preserved to hereafter proceed against the corporation for any sums that may be due him on the contracts in prospect when he sold to Ginnold, and that the receiver be discharged. From this decree, the [142]*142plaintiff Hall has appealed, and the defendants and the intervener Ginnold1 have cross-appealed.

On account of the cross-appeal, we will allude to the parties as plaintiff, defendants, and interveners. The substance of the plaintiff’s first contention is that he is not only entitled to recover one-half of C. L. Wilson’s indebtedness to the corporation, but that he is also entitled to recover the sum of $1,435 advanced to the corporation but not returned to him, which includes all of the $350 advanced after April 11, 1909.

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Related

Hall v. Wilson
123 P. 2 (Washington Supreme Court, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
118 P. 16, 65 Wash. 137, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 905, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-wilson-wash-1911.