Hettinger v. District Court of San Juan

69 P.R. 128
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedJuly 12, 1948
DocketNo. 1757
StatusPublished

This text of 69 P.R. 128 (Hettinger v. District Court of San Juan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hettinger v. District Court of San Juan, 69 P.R. 128 (prsupreme 1948).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Marrero

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Félix A. León brought, in the District Court of San Juan, an action against H. I. Hettinger & Co. and H. I. Hettinger, and alleged in substance that the plaintiff and the defendants entered into a contract of partnership whereby the joint contribution to a common fund and the sharing in the profits were agreed; that pursuant to his obligation he delivered to the defendants and the latter received to their entire satisfaction the sum of $5,000, and he proceeded to discharge his duties under the said contract of partnership ; that on November 29, 1946, and by mutual agreement of the parties, said partnership was dissolved and the defendants delivered to him the $5,000 capital contributed by him and bound themselves “to turn over to you a portion of the profits of the work at such a time as the contract is liquidated and we know what those profits are”; and that notwithstanding the demands made upon the defendants to pay to him the profits obtained since the constitution of the partnership, the defendants have refused to make a liquidation or a settlement of accounts.

The defendant Hettinger in his answer denied all the averments of the complaint, and alleged that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action as to him. H. I. Hettinger & Co. answered and admitted the execution of the contract and the receipt of the $5,000 mentioned in the complaint, and also that said contract was rescinded by mutual agreement of the parties. It denied the remaining averments of the complaint, and set up, as a special defense, that said complaint failed to state facts [130]*130sufficient to constitute a cause of action and that if any partnership existed between said defendant and the plaintiff, the same had been rescinded by mutual agreement since the plaintiff had entered into a new contract of accord and satisfaction with the defendant, whereby the former received, to his entire satisfaction, the refund of the $5,000, and the defendant was relieved from any other obligation under the contract as well as from any further obligation towards the plaintiff; and that from the time said contract was rescinded by mutual agreement no contract has existed between the parties.

The defendants also filed a motion for a summary judgment, accompanied by an affidavit subscribed by defendant Hettinger. The plaintiff thereupon filed an opposition to said motion likewise accompanied by an affidavit. .

After hearing the motion for a summary judgment, the lower court sustained it, and dismissed the complaint, with costs against the plaintiff. The latter thereupon requested a reconsideration of that decision and the court entered an order reconsidering its former judgment and denying defendants’ motion. We issued the writ of certiorari in this case to review said order.

The intervener, Félix A. León, contends that this Court lacks jurisdiction to grant the writ of certiorari sought by the petitioners (a) because the same is not authorized by law; (6) because the denial of a motion for a summary judgment does not constitute an error of procedure; (c) because the decision in Ramos v. People, 67 P.R.R. 600, is not applicable to the case at bar; (d) because the courts should act cautiously in applying Rule 56; (e) because the issuance of a writ of certiorari is discretionary with this-Court; and (/) because the mere fact that an order is not appealable does not determine that the writ lies. As to the contentions advanced by the intervener under letters (a), (6), (e), and (/), it will suffice to cite the opinion rendered by this Court on June 23, 1948, in case No. 9628, entitled [131]*131Pérez v. District Court, ante, p. 4 in which we made a careful study of the writ of certiorari and of the cases in which the issuance thereof lies. The contentions set up under letters (c) and (d) will he discussed in the opinion herein.

Rule 56(6) (c) of the Rules of Civil Procedure for the courts of Puerto Rico provides that:

“(b) A party against whom a claim, counterclaim, or cross-claim is asserted or a declaratory judgment is sought may, at any time, move with or without supporting affidavits for a summary judgment in his favor as to all or any part thereof.
“(c) The motion shall be served at least 10 days before the time specified for the hearing. The adverse party prior to the day of hearing may serve opposing affidavits. The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that, except as to the amount of damages, there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of laiv.” (Italics ours.)

Was a summary judgment proper in this case? That is the essential question to be decided herein. As we have already stated, when the defendants filed their motion for a summary judgment, they attached thereto an affidavit subscribed by the defendant Hettinger. The plaintiff also attached an affidavit to his opposition. Rule 56, supra, clearly permits the filing of such affidavits. In deciding the motion the court takes, of course, into consideration the contents of the affidavits. A summary judgment will therefore lie if said affidavits show that there is no issue as to any material fact. If there be such an issue, the court should refrain from rendering a judgment of this sort. Ramos v. People, supra. However, in deciding motions for summary judgment the courts should always act cautiously, and the motions should not be sustained where there is a bona fide dispute as to any fact between the parties. Sartor v. Arkansas Gas Corp., 321 U.S. 620; Associated Press v. United States, 326 U.S. 1, 6.

[132]*132 But, although according to the complaint filed by the intervener, the case seems to hinge on the scope which should be given to the allegation that the defendants bound themselves to turn over to the plaintiff a portion of the profits of the job at such time as the contract entered into by them were liquidated and the amount of the profits were known, it is unquestionable that in order to decide a motion for a summary judgment there should be taken into consideration, not only what is set forth in the complaint but also what is stated in the affidavits filed by the parties in support of their respective claims.. The affidavit filed by the defendant Het-tinger contains a copy of a letter written by the intervener León-to the defendant corporation on November 22, 1946, which reads as follows:

“I have received all*your nasty notes: You know very well that I am fed up with you: I want my release; Send me a check for $5,000 that I gave you for overhead participation, and let’s call it a day, I think this is all you want: I will be here until the end of the month.”

Hettinger further declared in- his affidavit that on November 29, 1946, the defendants wrote to León a letter agreeing to his demand to be relieved from further responsibility under the contract, sent him a check for $5,000, and stated the following:

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Sartor v. Arkansas Natural Gas Corp.
321 U.S. 620 (Supreme Court, 1944)
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Bluebook (online)
69 P.R. 128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hettinger-v-district-court-of-san-juan-prsupreme-1948.