Herskowitz v. Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc.

806 S.W.2d 531, 1990 WL 39347, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedApril 9, 1990
StatusPublished

This text of 806 S.W.2d 531 (Herskowitz v. Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Herskowitz v. Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc., 806 S.W.2d 531, 1990 WL 39347, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

FARMER, Judge.

Judgments were entered against Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc. (“the Corporation”) as a result of suits to collect the principal amounts of two notes executed by the Corporation plus interest as provided therein. The Corporation and one of its shareholders, who was allowed to intervene in this action, appeal.

Events leading up to the execution of the notes are that in early 1980, Al H. Thomas (“Thomas”), a practicing attorney in Memphis, contacted Marvin J. Herskowitz (“Herskowitz”), a businessman living in New York, and Israel Schmell (“Schmell”), Herskowitz’s accountant, concerning the purchase of the Pilot House, a motel in downtown Memphis. These three parties, along with Schmell’s partner, Leo Billett (“Billett”) purchased all the outstanding stock of the Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc. in the following proportions: Herskowitz — 45 percent; Thomas — 45 percent; Billett — 5 percent; and Schmell — 5 percent. Her-skowitz’s stock was in his wife’s name, as was Schmell’s.

The Pilot House property was not in good condition and consisted of a garage of approximately 300 spaces and a 60 unit motel atop the garage. The parties recognized that a great deal of money would be needed to be put into the property immediately and thereafter to keep the mortgages, which were both delinquent, from being foreclosed and also to renovate the property. Herskowitz, Billett, and Schmell advanced to the Corporation approximately $600,000 of these needed funds, of which, 90 percent was advanced by Herskowitz and 5 percent each was advanced by Schmell and Billett.

At the time the advances were made, nothing was put in writing concerning the interest or repayment. Later, in November 1987, the Corporation issued demand notes for the advances made by Herskowitz, Schmell and Billett providing for interest at 15% per annum compounded monthly. Schmell and Billett assigned their notes and stock to Maurice Gluckstadt, Herskow-itz’s son-in-law.

On February 25, 1988 Herskowitz and Gluckstadt brought these two actions, which were consolidated for trial, based on the demand notes issued by the Corporation. Herskowitz and Gluckstadt contended that the interest rate on the notes was 15 percent per annum compounded monthly, that the notes and the interest were delinquent and unpaid, and requested that judgment be entered against the defendant, Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc. for the principal balance and interest due on the notes and attorney’s fees as provided in the notes. Thomas intervened as a party defendant to protect his interest as a 45 percent stockholder in Pilot House.

Pilot House does not dispute that the principal indebtedness is owed, but con[533]*533tends that there was never any agreement that interest would be paid on money advanced to the Corporation and that interest should therefore be calculated at the statutory rate of 10 percent from the date of demand. Thomas likewise contends that there was no agreement for the payment of interest, and further contends that the directors of the Corporation did not authorize the execution of the notes. As we view this matter, the events that transpired pri- or to the execution of the notes are not relevant unless the notes are invalid.

Thomas argues that the demand notes were not properly issued by the Corporation because of failure to comply with T.C.A. § 48-18-202. Trial exhibit 13 purports to be minutes of a special meeting of the board of directors of Pilot House Motor Inns, Inc. held in New York, New York on November 25, 1987 at 10:00 a.m. with Her-skowitz, Renee Herskowitz, M. Sandy Her-skowitz, and Sherry Gluckstadt, who comprised all the directors of the Corporation, present. Herskowitz admitted that all of the directors were not present. At this meeting, the minutes reflect the Corporation resolved to issue the demand notes, which are the subject of this litigation. All the directors signed exhibit 13 which stated:

We, the undersigned directors, hereby ratify and confirm the actions reflected in the foregoing minutes and waive notice of time, place and purposes of the meeting.

Thomas argues, in essence, that this meeting and two other meetings of the directors were fabricated and that facts reported in these meetings that never happened do not become facts by merely executing minutes reciting the same. T.C.A. § 48-18-202 provides as follows:

Action without meeting. — (a) Unless the charter or bylaws provide otherwise, action required or permitted by chapters 11-27 of this title [1] to be taken at a board of directors’ meeting may be taken without a meeting. If all directors consent to taking such action without a meeting, the affirmative vote of the number of directors that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting is the act of the board. The action must be evidenced by one (1) or more written consents describing the action taken, signed by each director in one (1) or more counterparts, indicating each signing director’s vote or abstention on the action, and shall be included in the minutes or filed with the corporate records reflecting the action taken.
(b) Action taken under this section is effective when the last director signs the consent, unless the consent specified a different effective date.
(c) A consent signed under this section has the effect of a meeting vote and may be described as such in any document.

A corporate board may take action either at a meeting or, unless the charter or bylaws provide otherwise2, without a meeting by consent. If the latter, the above statute provides the action of the board must be evidenced by written consents describing the action taken, signed by each director, indicating each director’s vote or abstention, and shall be included in the minutes or filed with the corporate records. The action taken is effective when the last director signs, unless the consent specifies a different date. The consent has the effect of a meeting vote and may be described as such in any document.

An examination of the document describing the action taken on November 25, 1987, the authorization to execute the notes, reveals that it describes the action taken and is signed by each director. The vote of each director is indicated as the document states it was unanimous. As we have heretofore noted, the document further provides that each director ratifies and confirms the action described. Although [534]*534the document purports to be the minutes of a directors’ meeting, it meets the statutory requirements of action taken by consent without a meeting and properly authorized the Corporation to execute the notes which are the subject of this litigation.

Although the complaint seeks to recover on the notes, much of the evidence presented by the parties concerns the initial agreement which predated the notes and whether that initial agreement was for the payment of interest on the monies advanced. When issues not raised by the pleadings are tried by express or implied consent of the parties, they shall be treated as if they had been raised in the pleadings. Rule 15.02 T.R.Civ.P. The judgment entered by the trial court states:

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Related

§ 48-18-202
Tennessee § 48-18-202

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Bluebook (online)
806 S.W.2d 531, 1990 WL 39347, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 250, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/herskowitz-v-pilot-house-motor-inns-inc-tennctapp-1990.