Howe v. WN. LAND YACHT HARBOR, INC.

459 P.2d 798, 77 Wash. 2d 73
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 9, 1969
Docket40216
StatusPublished

This text of 459 P.2d 798 (Howe v. WN. LAND YACHT HARBOR, INC.) 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
Howe v. WN. LAND YACHT HARBOR, INC., 459 P.2d 798, 77 Wash. 2d 73 (Wash. 1969).

Opinion

77 Wn.2d 73 (1969)
459 P.2d 798

KENDALL L. HOWE et al., Respondents,
v.
WASHINGTON LAND YACHT HARBOR, INC., Appellant.[*]

No. 40216.

The Supreme Court of Washington, Department One.

October 9, 1969.

Murray, Scott, McGavick & Graves, by E.K. Murray and Quinby R. Bingham, for appellant.

Reed, McClure & Moceri, by Richard C. Reed and William R. Hickman, for respondents.

DONWORTH, J.[†]

This appeal arises from an action brought by respondents Kendall H. Howe and Gladys Howe, husband and wife, against appellant Washington Land Yacht Harbor, Inc. (herein referred to as WLYH). The cause of action is basically in quo warranto to determine the status of lessees in appellant and for a declaratory judgment as to certain questions in relation to appellant.

For a clear understanding of the nature of this action and the relationship of the parties herein involved, it is necessary to summarize the evidence and testimony contained in *74 959 pages of the statement of facts and in the 74 exhibits presented during the proceedings in the 7-day trial. The facts, as summarized, precipitating this cause of action are as follows:

In 1958 a number of Airstream trailer owners interested in caravan trips and frequent get-togethers at regional, national and international rallies organized an unincorporated group called the Northwest Unit of Wally Byam Caravan Club (herein called Caravan Club). The sole common characteristic that can be attributed to its members was that they were owners of Airstream trailers. In 1958 the membership consisted of approximately 50 or 60 Airstream trailer owners.

Sometime in 1959 Mr. Melvin Tveten, a dealer in Airstream trailers and a leader in the Caravan Club, at the behest of Wally Byam, national head of the Caravan Clubs, suggested to the Caravan Club the desirability of obtaining land for a site or base at which members could park their trailers or live in them, which is generally known as a land yacht harbor. Mr. Tveten continued to promote the idea of a land yacht harbor within the Caravan Club until the fall of 1960, when site location and purchase became a matter of general interest and discussion among Caravan Club members. In August, 1960 about 10 members pledged $500 each to aid in land acquisition. It was thereafter decided that those contributing would receive in return for their contribution a 99-year lease for a tract of land within the land yacht harbor. Mr. William Pierce, a Caravan Club member, offered to shoot a moose and donate it to the Caravan Club for a fund raising dinner in order to promote the acquisition of the land yacht harbor. This was done and the dinner was subsequently held on November 16, 1960. The proceeds of the dinner amounted to $444.22.

On November 20, 1960 at a general meeting of the Caravan Club a land acquisition committee was appointed by Dr. Louis West, president of the Caravan Club, to carry through the plans of the membership to acquire a site for a land yacht harbor. Mr. Pierce was selected as chairman of *75 the committee by Dr. West. Mr. Tveten and Mr. Harry York were also appointed to the committee. Thereafter, both Dr. West and Mr. Ralph Fleming, vice-president of the Caravan Club, as well as two other Caravan Club members assisted the appointed committee. Bulletin No. 11 of the Caravan Club, issued on December 16, 1960, stated that the proceeds of the moose dinner had been turned over to the site selection committee.

At the aforementioned general meeting the acquisition of suitable land and the formation of a nonprofit corporation was discussed and noted in the minutes of the meeting as follows:

William Pierce was appointed Chairman of the Land Acquisition Committee, to be assisted by Harry York and Mel Tveten. Mr. Fleming stated that the committee will have to form a non-profit organization, and that he had arranged for an attorney to draw up the articles of incorporation at no cost to the club for his services, but the club would have to pay the filing fees.
A general discussion was held as to who could belong to this corporation, whether it would be just for Northwestern Unit Airstream owners or if other trailer owners would be eligible for membership. After a number of comments, Bill Pierce made a motion that this group go on record as approving the acquisition of land for the use of Airstream trailer owners only, such owners to be members of the Northwestern Unit of the Wally Byam Caravan Club. The motion was seconded by Don Slater, and carried, with only one dissenting vote, being that of Dr. Van Gilder, who stated that he didn't object to acquiring the land but that he felt National Headquarters might intervene and their consent be necessary. Dr. West stated that this matter had been straightened out with National Headquarters, and that our club is an independent club, our only requirement to National Headquarters being to send them their portion of dues collected.
Mr. Fleming stated that it is up to the committee to go out and find the land and make recommendations to the club. He asked that the committee keep the club advised so information can go into the bulletins.

Pursuant to the foregoing instructions at the general meeting, the land acquisition committee investigated a *76 number of sites and finally selected a 43-acre site near Lacey which had a sale price of $7,300. A deposit of $100 was made thereon. The deed to the property was delivered to WLYH on March 16, 1961.

From the date of this meeting until October, 1962, the bulletins of the Caravan Club, sent to all members, kept the members fully apprised of the activities of the WLYH. The message contained therein was to the effect that WLYH was part and parcel a part of the Caravan Club and was incorporated for their use and benefit. Caravan Club members were never advised in those bulletins or in any other way that WLYH was separate from the Caravan Club.

On December 1, 1960 a meeting was held by the land acquisition committee at Mr. Fleming's office. At the latter's request, an attorney, Mr. Douglas Albert, attended the meeting also. Mr. Albert explained that the Caravan Club could not buy land in the state of Washington because it had members in Oregon, Idaho and Montana, and also because it was unincorporated. He suggested that the committee form a corporation which would be owned and operated by the Caravan Club. The minutes of this meeting do not evidence any attempt to create different classes of membership. However, the minutes show that the committee intended that the five principal officers be leaseholders (i.e. those who have contributed or will contribute $500) and that at least five of the nine members of the board of trustees of the new corporation also be leaseholders at the land yacht harbor.

A second meeting was held in Mr. Fleming's office on December 15, 1960. At that time Mr. Albert presented the proposed articles of incorporation and they were approved. Proposed bylaws of the newly-formed corporation were also discussed, but there is no record in the minutes of the meeting showing that they were approved. It was the determination of the trial court, however, that the bylaws were properly approved. This matter, relating to the validity of the bylaws will be discussed later in this opinion. *77 Those in attendance at the foregoing meeting were the committee members and Mr.

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Related

Bellinger v. West Coast Telephone Co.
343 P.2d 189 (Washington Supreme Court, 1959)
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191 P.2d 689 (Washington Supreme Court, 1948)
Howe v. Washington Land Yacht Harbor, Inc.
459 P.2d 798 (Washington Supreme Court, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
459 P.2d 798, 77 Wash. 2d 73, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howe-v-wn-land-yacht-harbor-inc-wash-1969.