In re Winheim

112 B.R. 310, 23 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 323, 5 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4788, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 654, 1990 WL 38056
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedApril 4, 1990
DocketBankruptcy No. 87-03067-BKC-JJB
StatusPublished

This text of 112 B.R. 310 (In re Winheim) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Winheim, 112 B.R. 310, 23 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 323, 5 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4788, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 654, 1990 WL 38056 (E.D. Mo. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JAMES J. BARTA, Bankruptcy Judge.

The matters considered here are the motions of the Operating Trustee to determine the legal nature and identity of the Debtor entity, and thereafter to compel the turnover of certain property alleged to be property of the estate. The issues were submitted to the Court upon oral argument and the written memoranda submitted by the Trustee and by the attorney for Robert A. Boehm, a non-debtor individual from whom the Trustee is requesting a turnover of personal property.

The Trustee has argued that the Debtor is in fact an individual who has been operating a business known as “Tree Doctors”. Although the business had previously been operated as a partnership, the Trustee contends that the partners had terminated this relationship prior to the commencement of this Chapter 11 case, and that one of the partners, Harold A. Winheim, had contin[311]*311ued to function as a sole proprietor using the partnership name.

The original voluntary petition was filed in this case using a form designated to be used by a corporation or partnership. The Petition bore the signature of Harold A. Winheim as an authorized agent of the partnership. A former partner, Robert A. Boehm, supports the Trustee’s argument that the partnership had terminated prior to this reorganization case, but contends that the assets of the former partnership are not assets of this Bankruptcy estate. Harold A. Winheim did not file a written memorandum of law and did not appear at the hearing in this matter.

The partnership between Harold A. Win-heim and Robert A. Boehm was formed under the laws of the State of Missouri by an agreement dated April 28, 1982. See, EXHIBIT “A” attached hereto, page 1 (as denominated by the Court). In Article I of the agreement, the partners agreed as follows: “The name of the partnership shall be TREE DOCTOR.” The business was operated under this agreement until “on or about February 9, 1987, Robert A. Boehm gave written notice to Harold A. Winheim that he desired to dissolve the partnership”’ Memorandum in Opposition to Trustee’s Motion to Compel Turnover of Property to the Trustee, at paragraph 5 (filed by counsel for Robert A. Boehm on August 2, 1989).

The Partnership Agreement provides further that: “Any partner may withdraw from the partnership by giving the other partner sixty (60) days notice in writing of his intention so to do.” Article VI, Exhibit “A” (attached hereto).

Therefore, Mr. Boehm’s withdrawal from the partnership became effective on or about April 10, 1987, or about sixty (60) days after the written notice was given to Robert Boehm.

The change in the relation of the partners caused by one partner ceasing to be associated in the carrying on of the business operates as a dissolution of the partnership. Section 358.290, RSMo.1986. Generally, dissolution is followed by a winding up of the partnership affairs, distribution of any remaining assets, and termination of the partnership. However, the Uniform Partnership Act and the Missouri Statutes recognize that upon dissolution, the former partners may agree to post-dissolution procedures which are different from the statutory scheme. Section 33, Uniform Partnership Act; Section 358.330, RSMo.1986. See also, Haynes v. Allen, 482 S.W.2d 85 (Mo.App.1972).

Article VI of the parties’ agreement in this case provides that retirement, death or insanity of a partner would result in an immediate dissolution of the partnership; and that in the event of such dissolution, the remaining partner was to have the option to continue the business of the partnership under the partnership name, by himself. The Court has concluded that in the circumstances presented here Harold A. Winheim, the remaining partner, elected the Article VI option, and continued to operate the business of the partnership under the partnership name. The post-dissolution entity operated by Harold A. Winheim was not a partnership but rather, by agreement of the former partners, was a sole proprietorship.

Therefore, the Trustee’s request to require that all papers in this case reflect the true name of the Debtor is GRANTED; and by separate order, all pleadings are hereafter to refer to the Debtor as “Harold A. Winheim, d/b/a, Tree Doctors.”

The Trustee has also requested that the Court determine that certain motor vehicles are in fact property of the Bankruptcy estate. The record in this proceeding has established that on March 11, 1986, Harold A. Winheim, Robert A. Boehm and Teresa Boehm executed a promissory note to Landmark Bank Sunset Hills Center in the amount of $31,208.39. Simultaneously, the same parties executed a Security Agreement which granted a lien to Landmark Bank on two pickup trucks titled in the name of Robert A. Boehm. At the time of this loan transaction, Robert A. Boehm and Harold A. Winheim were operating the business known as TREE DOCTOR as equal general partners. The allegation [312]*312that the trucks and the proceeds of the loan were used by the partnership for partnership business has not been refuted. Therefore, for purposes of this Bankruptcy proceeding, the Court has concluded that the trucks were partnership property and partnership assets when Robert A. Boehm withdrew in April, 1987. See also, Section 358.080, RSMo 1986.

Generally for purposes of settling accounts between partners after dissolution of a partnership, and subject to any agreement to the contrary, the assets of the partnership include the partnership property. Section 358.400, RSMo.1986. As noted above, the partners in this case agreed that the remaining partner could continue the business of the partnership, and “pay to the retiring partner, or to the legal representative of the deceased or insane partner, as the case may be, the value of his interest in the partnership” as provided elsewhere in the partnership agreement. Article VI, Exhibit “A” (attached hereto). Therefore, the Court has further concluded that from the record in this case, the partners agreed that upon dissolution, the remaining partner was permitted to continue the partnership business and use the partnership assets, subject to a payment to the withdrawing partner of the value of the withdrawing partner’s interest in the partnership. After the dissolution, Harold A. Winheim continued to operate the business using the partnership assets. He has not yet paid Robert A. Boehm the value of his interest as withdrawing partner. The value of the withdrawing partner’s interest, as well as a determination of the amount of any partnership debt is yet to be decided.

However, neither the former partners’ agreement nor Missouri law authorized Harold A. Winheim to continue to operate the partnership after dissolution. Therefore, the partnership entity did not continue after dissolution except for the specific purposes set out in the agreement or as may be required by law. Willman v. Beheler, 499 S.W.2d 770 (Mo.App.1973).

Article VII of the former partners’ agreement requires that upon dissolution, the affairs of the partnership are to be liquidated forthwith, applying partnership assets first toward the payment of partnership debts and then toward the payment of the partners’ interests. As of the commencement of this voluntary Chapter 11 reorganization case, the liquidation of the partnership affairs had not been completed.

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Related

Willman v. Beheler
499 S.W.2d 770 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1973)
Haynes v. Allen
482 S.W.2d 85 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
112 B.R. 310, 23 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 323, 5 Bankr. Rep (St. Louis B.A.) 4788, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 654, 1990 WL 38056, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-winheim-moed-1990.