In re Warrack Medical Center Hospital

282 F. Supp. 988, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8496
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedMarch 28, 1968
DocketNo. 31615
StatusPublished

This text of 282 F. Supp. 988 (In re Warrack Medical Center Hospital) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Warrack Medical Center Hospital, 282 F. Supp. 988, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8496 (N.D. Cal. 1968).

Opinion

[989]*989ORDER

WOLLENBERG, District Judge.

This is a petition to review an order of the referee in this Chapter XI proceeding which denied petitioner’s claim to full ownership of a promissory note in the amount of $72,775.00 and which postponed payment to petitioner of one-half of said claim by reason of a standby agreement executed in favor of Small Business Administration. With respect to ownership of the promissory note, the referee found that petitioner and a Mrs. McAboy were each owners of one-half of said note.

In this proceeding, petitioner contends that the referee failed to make any findings with respect to his claim that a rescission occurred between Mrs. McAboy and himself that had the effect of giving him full ownership of the note in question. He claims that there was an agreement to rescind made at a meeting between him and Mrs. McAboy on December 21, 1960.

The basis of his claim for rescission is his alleged interest in certain real property which he allegedly caused to have conveyed to both him and Mrs. McAboy. This property was later sold to the hospital at a price twice the amount which was paid for it. The promissory note in issue was given to petitioner and Mrs. McAboy for the balance due on the land sold to debtor.

In January, 1960, petitioner entered into a contract with the Matteis to purchase certain land. The land was finally purchased by petitioner and Mrs. McAboy in July, 1960. Petitioner claims that his agreement with Mrs. McAboy was that he would transfer his “interest” in the land if she would lend him sufficient funds for which to purchase stock equal to that purchased by Mrs. McAboy in the newly formed corporation. As further consideration for the transfer of land, Mrs. McAboy promised that petitioner would be administrator of the new hospital, and that no collateral would be needed to secure her loans to petitioner other than promissory notes. The land was transferred by the Matteis to petitioner and Mrs. McAboy. It was then sold to the hospital. The profits made were used to purchase equal amounts of stock in the hospital corporation and to pay back a loan which Mrs. McAboy received from the bank to make a down payment on the property. At later dates, Mrs. McAboy lent petitioner funds to purchase stock in the corporation.

Petitioner was appointed administrator of the hospital in June, 1960. In November, 1960, the board of directors, of which petitioner was a member, voted that no member of the board could be an employee of the hospital. In December, 1960, the Board appointed a new administrator, petitioner’s appointment to terminate in February, 1961.

It was immediately following this December board meeting that petitioner and Mrs. McAboy met to discuss their differences. After heated discussion, the parties agreed to dissolve their relationship, with the net effect of having petitioner transfer his stock to Mrs. McAboy in return for the notes she held which were then cancelled. Petitioner left the meeting with the promissory note in issue.

He claims that Mrs. McAboy told him that he could keep the note, that “it was his”. From this, he asserts that a rescission by consent was effected. Mrs. McAboy testified that nothing was said about the note in question at this meeting.

Contrary to petitioner’s contention, the referee did make findings as to the rescission question. He found:

“There never was any written agreement to transfer Mrs. McAboy’s interest in the $72,775.00 note to Dr. Jenkins and it is found that there were no oral or other arrangements made to do so and that both Dr. Jenkins and Mrs. McAboy have an equal interest in the proceeds of the note.”

[990]*990The referee’s finding is not “clearly erroneous” in light of the disputed testimony and is supported by legal authority. General Order 47. A rescission can be effected by the mutual consent of the parties, and when this is done, it is treated like any other type of contract and requires a meeting of the minds and consideration. Cal.Civ.Code, § 1689(5); Ross v. Frank W. Dunne Co., 119 Cal.App.2d 690, 260 P.2d 104 (1953); Harriman v. Tetik, 56 Cal.2d 805, 17 Cal.Rptr. 134, 366 P.2d 486 (1962). Here, the referee found in essence that Mrs. McAboy did not agree to a rescission when he found that there were no oral agreements to transfer the interest in the note. Accordingly, the referee’s finding on the issue of mutual rescission is sustained.

Petitioner next contends that he is entitled to unilaterally rescind the contract for failure of consideration. Cal. Civ.Code, § 1689(2). It is his argument that since Mrs. McAboy breached her promise to retain him as administrator and breached her promise by demanding collateral for the notes, the consideration for his promise to transfer his interest in the Mattei contract failed, and he is entitled to rescind the contract.

The referee did not agree with petitioner’s contentions, and essentially made findings contrary thereto. He characterized the dealings between Mrs. McAboy and petitioner as follows:

“It essentially appeared that Dr. Jenkins had long desired to construct a private profit making hospital and finally determined upon a site where debtor hospital is now built. Mrs. McAboy, through one means and another, put up considerable amounts of money in relation to the hospital. The business dealings between Dr. Jenkins and Mrs. McAboy, rather than being completely formalized from the start, rather grew like Topsy. Mrs. McAboy put in monies for the purchase of land which was taken by both Dr. Jenkins and Mrs. McAboy and Mrs. McAboy put in monies for the hospital in return for stock for Dr. Jenkins and herself. Dr. Jenkins gave Mrs. McAboy notes to cover his indebtedness to her. Dr. Jenkins and Mrs. McAboy sold real estate to the hospital and received in return the $72,775.00 note * * * ” [Emphasis added.]

In finding that the land was taken by both petitioner and Mrs. McAboy, the referee essentially destroyed the foundation for petitioner’s claim to a unilateral rescission. He contended that he had an interest in the land by reason of the contract with the Matteis, which he transferred to Mrs. McAboy. His claim to rescission is based upon the fact that he is trying to get back that which he gave to Mrs. McAboy as represented now by the promissory note in issue. If he in fact did not give Mrs. McAboy the land, then there is nothing for him to give by rescission.

The referee’s finding that the Matteis, rather than petitioner, transferred the land to Mrs. McAboy and petitioner is supported by the evidence as well as applicable legal principles. Mrs. McAboy essentially testified that the joint venture contemplated that the land would be purchased jointly with the proceeds of a loan arranged by Mrs. McAboy. Petitioner relies mainly on the contract between himself and the Matteis. That contract by its terms was to expire within ninety-days. The transfer of the land occurred beyond the ninety day limitation. Hence, at the time of transfer, petitioner really had nothing to transfer to Mrs. McAboy.

The evidence is also unclear as to the existence of an agreement by Mrs. McAboy to employ petitioner as administrator of the hospital.

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Related

Harriman v. Tetik
366 P.2d 486 (California Supreme Court, 1961)
In Re Itemlab, Inc.
197 F. Supp. 194 (E.D. New York, 1961)
Ross v. Frank W. Dunne Co.
260 P.2d 104 (California Court of Appeal, 1953)
In Re Greenpoint Metallic Bed Co.
113 F.2d 881 (Second Circuit, 1940)
In Re Burke
76 F. Supp. 5 (S.D. California, 1948)

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Bluebook (online)
282 F. Supp. 988, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-warrack-medical-center-hospital-cand-1968.