J. I. Kelley Co. v. Pollock & Bernheimer

57 Fla. 459
Supreme Court of Florida·Decided January 15, 1909·Published·Cited by 16 cases

Opinion

Shackleford, J.

This is a suit in chancery instituted by the appellees against the appellant, which resulted in a final decree in favor of tíáe appellees from which the appellant has entered its appeal to the present term of this court. Very briefly stated, the appellees in their amended -bill allege that each one of the -complainants is a judgment creditor of the Jernigan Lumber Company, a corporation, the respective amounts and dates of [461] such judgments being set forth, that executions had issued thereon and been returned' nulla bona, and that such judgments still remain unsatisfied; that on the day of July, 1905, the Jernigan Lumber Company, being the debtor of complainants, proceeded by certain written conveyances to transfer and convey to the .appellant, which purported to be a corporation but which had no corporate existence at that time, all of the property owned by such Jernigan Lumber Company, a detailed description of which is set forth; that the complainants are advised and believe and so charge that the appellant was not incorporated until the 12th day of August, 1905, on which day letters patent issued to it; that the majority of -the shares of stock in such appellant corporation was subscribed for by individual stockholders and directors of the Jernigan Lumber Company, who are named, such shares having been paid for by the conveyance of property of such corporation to the appellant; that the only consideration paid by the appellant for the transfer and conveyance to it of all of the property of the Jernigan Lumber Company was the issuance of shares, of stock in such appellant corporation to the individual stockholders and directors of the Jernigan Lumber Company; that'at the time of the conveyance to the appellant of the property of the Jernigan Lumber Company it was the understanding that the appellant would pay certain mortgage indebtedness of such Jernigan Lumber Company but that no provision was made for the payment of the indebtedness due to the complainants, although the complainants are advised and believe and so charge that it was the understanding of the remaining stockholders of the Jernigan Lumber Company, “and not only was it the understanding, but that it was the agreement that all the indebtedness of the Jernigan Lumber Company, including the indebtedness of your complainants, would be paid by” [462] the appellant; that the indebtedness due to each of the complainants was then in existence and some of’the complainants had reduced their claims to judgment; that the value of the property owned by the Jernigan Lumber Company and so conveyed by it to the appellant amounted to considerably more than 'the mortgaged indebtedness assumed by the appellant; that the appellant “was not an innocent purchaser without notice of the indebtedness of the said Jernigan Lumber Company and of the fact that the Jernig-an Lumber Company after making this conveyance was insolvent and had no means with which to pay its indebtedness, because the said J. I. Kelley Company is composed of the stockholders and directors of the said Jernigan Lumber Company, and that it, the said J. I. Kelley Company, is holding this, as your complainants are advised and believe and therefore aver, in trust for the payment of your complainants’ indebtedness under the law, they having received this land and personal property'with these obligations resting upon it, and not only so, but as your complainants are advised and believe and therefore aver, it being the express understanding and agreement at the time of the conveyance that all the indebtedness of the Jernigan Lumber Company should be paid by the said The J. I. Kelley Company.”

The prayers of the bill are that the property so conveyed by the Jernigan Lumber Company to the appellant may be decreed to be liable for the payment of the several judgments of the complainants and that the same, or so much thereof as may be necessary, may be sold under the direction of the court for such purpose, and for general relief.

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J. I. Kelley Co. v. Pollock & Bernheimer, 57 Fla. 459 (Fla. 1909).

57 Fla. 459 (J. I. Kelley Co. v. Pollock & Bernheimer) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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