Interstate Oil Co. v. Gormley

105 F.2d 431, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 3340
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJune 29, 1939
DocketNo. 9084
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 105 F.2d 431 (Interstate Oil Co. v. Gormley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Interstate Oil Co. v. Gormley, 105 F.2d 431, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 3340 (9th Cir. 1939).

Opinion

WILBUR, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from an order confirming a sale of property of the Interstate Oil Corporation made by the receiver of that corporation, appointed in a suit instituted in equity for the liquidation of the corporation. The receiver negotiated the sale of all the property of the Interstate Oil Corporation to the Exeter Oil Company, Ltd., subject to the approval of the court. On March 11, 1938, he applied to the court for an order approving the contract of sale as amended, and prayed for hearing after notice, for the approval and confirmation of a contract of sale with its amendment, and for authority to carry out the terms of the contract. An order to show cause was issued and served by publication, posting and mailing. At the time fixed for hearing, objections were filed by appellant Interstate Oil Company, which company claimed to be owner of all the outstanding common stock of the Interstate Oil Corporation.

After the hearing, on April 28, 1938, the court overruled the objections and directed that the receiver consummate the sale in accordance with the terms of the contract already negotiated. Thereafter, on April 29, 1938, the receiver filed a petition for the confirmation of the sale to the Exeter Oil Company, Ltd., praying that the time be fixed for the confirmation of sale, that notice thereof be given, that competitive bids in writing be submitted not later than two days before the hearing, and that three appraisers be appointed to .appraise the property.

An order to, show, cause was issued in accordance with the prayer'of the petition fixing May 16, 1938, as the date of hearing and consideration of bids and stating in detail the terms and conditions of the sale made to the Exeter Oil Company as authorized by the order of April 28, 1938. This order to show cause was served by mail and by publication. No other bids were received. Thereafter, on May 12, 1938, an appraisal of the property was filed fixing the value of all the property of the corporation in Kern County at $145,080.97, and in Los Angeles at $32,027.27, a total of $177,-108.24.

At the time fixed for hearing objections were filed by Helen R. White, Betty B. White, and Jaqueline J. White, claiming tó be legatees of Anna M. White, who is shown in the list of creditors as the assignee of the claim of F. G. White. These objections were adopted by the Interstate Oil Company and also by Wm. A. Monten, who-claimed to be a creditor because of his “labors as an attorney in representing it [Interstate Oil Corporation] after the inception of the receivership.”

After hearing the matter the court affirmed the sale to the Exeter Oil Company on May 27, 1938. Thereafter; a petition for appeal from the order of May 27, 1938, was presented by the Interstate Oil Company and by Helen R. White, Betty Barnard White and Jaqueline J. White by Floyd G. White, guardian and attorney in fact. The appeal was allowed. A citation on appeal was issued August 23, 1938 directed to F. B. Gormley, the receiver, and a cost bond on behalf of the Interstate Oil Company for $250 in favor of the receiver was filed and approved.

The appellee moves to dismiss the appeal upon the ground, among others, that the Exeter Oil Company, the purchaser at the sale, is a necessary party to the appeal. This view is supported by the opinion of the-Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in McLean v. Jaffray, 71 F.2d 743, where a sale had been made by a receiver-in an equitable receivership and an appeal taken from the order confirming the sale- and the purchaser not joined as appellee. This decision is in accord with the decisions, of the Supreme Court (Davis v. Mercantile Trust Co., 152 U.S. 590, 14 S.Ct. 693, 38 L. Ed. 563; Kneeland v. American Loan &. Trust Co., 136 U.S. 89, 10 S.Ct. 950, 34 L.Ed. 379), cited by the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in its opinion, in that case.

However, where the defect in par- ■ ties is in those parties who should have been served with citation as appellees, and where • petition for appeal is timely and otherwise properly allowed, citation may be issued and served subsequently to obtain jurisdiction of' a necessary appellee, if timely application is-made to this court for such citation. In re-Knox-Powell Stockton Co., 9 Cir., 97 F.2d 61. See, also, Knickerbocker Life Iris. Co., v. Pendleton, 115 U.S. 339, 6 S.Ct. 74, 29 L.Ed. 432. Such permission is discretionary however, (In re Knox-Powell Stockton Co. supra) and should not be granted unless, there is merit in the contentions of the appellants. Although no request has been. made to cause citation on appeal to be issued to the purchaser, we have considered', that question.

The evidence presented to the trial court., is not brought before this court. In sup-[433]*433port of its contention that the court erred in confirming the sale by the appellee as receiver of the Interstate Oil Corporation to the Exeter Oil Company, appellants rely upon the terms of the contract of sale.

Appellants contend that the sale was for a grossly inadequate consideration. The contract between the Exeter Oil Company, buyer, and the appellee, as receiver of the Interstate Oil Corporation, seller, was executed on October 1, 1937, and thereafter amended by the parties thereto as of that date. In the contract, the sale price of the properties was fixed at $241,272.45. Eight thousand dollars was payable in cash and the balance was to be paid by the assumption by the buyer of all of the debts of the Interstate Oil Corporation aggregating $233,272,45. The buyer agreed to “indemnify seller and hold seller and Interstate [Interstate Oil Corporation] harmless from all liability arising from, or on account of or collection of said debts and obligations, and from all judgments rendered against buyer, seller and/or Interstate arising therefrom * * *. ” The buyer was to obtain agreements from creditors releasing the receiver and the Interstate Oil Corporation from all liability to the creditors. In the release agreements provided for and offered the creditors by the Exeter Oil Company, the Exeter Oil Company agreed to operate and maintain the oil property in accordance with good oil practices and to make certain repairs and improvements. Proceeds from the sale of oil produced and sold from the premises was allocated as follows: In the case of wells then producing the proceeds were allocated first to the “reasonable cost of the operation of said wells, excluding general overhead and administrative costs, and the amount of royalties paid”, and the balance to a “creditors’ fund”. In the case of reconditioned or redrilled or deepened wells, the proceeds were allocated first to repayment of the cost of reconditioning, re-drilling or deepening and to the cost of producing and operating same and payment of royalties and the balance allocated to the creditors’ fund.

New wells drilled by the purchaser were divided into five classes according to daily production: wells producing less than 100 barrels, wells producing more than 100 and less than 200 barrels, wells producing more than 200 and less than 300 barrels, wells producing more than 300 and less than 350 barrels, wells producing 350 or more barrels of oil per day. ,

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Bluebook (online)
105 F.2d 431, 1939 U.S. App. LEXIS 3340, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/interstate-oil-co-v-gormley-ca9-1939.