Kaplan v. Cold Springs Utility Co.

76 S.W.2d 584
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 23, 1934
DocketNo. 2583
StatusPublished

This text of 76 S.W.2d 584 (Kaplan v. Cold Springs Utility Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kaplan v. Cold Springs Utility Co., 76 S.W.2d 584 (Tex. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinions

O’QUINN, Justice.

The Cold Springs Utility Company, a Texas corporation, brought suit against Dave Kaplan and Bessie Kaplan, A. J. Covert and Jessie Covert, to recover in the sum of $3,200. It alleged that said defendants, on April 25, 1932, applied to the secretary of state for a charter for the incorporation of the Cold Springs Utility Company (appellee), and in this connection filed an affidavit showing that the entire capital stock ($10,000) had been subscribed by the defendants, and that 50 per cent. ($5,000) had been paid in certain property transferred to the corporation by the defendants Dave Kaplan and A. J. Covert. That, on said affidavit, the charter was granted. That among the property so transferred and paid in as capital stock, as shown by said affidavit, was one 45-horse power Anderson engine, valued at $3,200, and for which stock in said corporation was issued to and accepted by Dave Kaplan and A. J. Covert, each in the sum of $1,600. That said engine in fact was never delivered to the corporation, but was kept by said defendants and its delivery and possession of same refused to said corporation, whereby said defendants had never paid for said amount of stock, and prayed for judgment against them for said amount.

In its petition, appellee claimed certain other amounts for certain other machinery or property set forth in the affidavit for charter as having been transferred to the corporation, and for the value of which stock had been issued to defendants, alleging that said property had never been received by the corporation; 'and, also, for certain damages alleged to have been suffered by the acts of defendants, but, as each and all of these items were eliminated from the contest, that will not be further mentioned.

Defendants Dave Kaplan and Bessie Kap-lan answered by general demurrer, special exceptions, general denial, and specially to the effect that in July, 1932, they sold their stock in the corporation to E. C. Barnard, who at the time of the filing of the suit was president of the corporation, and that at such time they informed Barnard that the engine in question was not at Cold Springs, the situs, of the corporation, but was,at Houston, Tex., [585]*585in the possession of the defendant A. J. Covert, and that appellee, through its said president, E. C. Barnard, understood and agreed that appellee, the corporation, -would loot to said Covert for said engine.

Defendants A. J. Covert and Jessie Covert answered by general demurrer, general denial, and specially that, at the time the affidavit for securing the charter of the appellee corporation was made, all of the property mentioned in the affidavit as transferred to the corporation as paid in capital stock of the corporation was at Cold Springs, except the said Anderson engine, which was at Houston, Tex., and that the value of said engine was discounted, in setting its value for stock purposes, in the sum of $500 from its real value, to cover taking said engine down transporting it to Cold Springs, and setting it up for service there; that it was the duty of the corporation to so dismantle, transport, and set up same; and that the corporation could at its own pleasure at any time have taken said engine from Houston to Cold Springs and installed same.

Defendants Bessie Kaplan and Jessie Covert were dismissed from the suit.

The case was tried to the court without the aid of a jury, and judgment rendered against Dave Kaplan and A. J. Covert, each, in the sum of $1,600, and against them jointly and severally for all costs of suit. This appeal is by defendant Dave Kaplan.

We doubt whether appellant’s brief is such as that, under the rules for briefing, it should be considered. Article 1757, R. S. 1925, as amended by Acts 42d Leg. (1931) c. 45, p. 68 (Vernon’s Ann. Civ. St. art. 1757), provides that, in cases appealed to the Courts of Civil Appeals or the Supreme Court, it shall be sufficient if the briefs contain:

1. A statement of the nature and result of the suit.

2. The alleged error or errors upon which the appeal is predicated.

3. The authorities relied upon.

4. A statement and/or argument on the errors assigned.

At the back of the brief there are set out two assignments of error, “a”- and “b,” which are not believed to be proper, as each contains and refers to several different matters, which renders them multifarious, and hence in violation of the rule that an assignment of error must be specific and point out the error complained. While the assignments are in the brief at the back, yet neither of them are set out in any portion of the brief proper, nor are they referred to in any wise, nor are they followed by any statement, argument, or authorities, as required by article 1757, supra. Holsomback v. Taylor (Tex. Civ. App.) 61 S.W.(2d) 544. It is believed that the assignments should follow the statement of the nature and result of the suit, as the statute requires, and that the argument and authorities should follow the assignments of error. There being no assignments of error following the statement of the nature and result of the suit, there apparently is nothing upon which to base the authorities cited, and/or the argument of the proposition or question at issue. It follows that we are authorized to search only for fundamental error, and, as the pleadings are sufficient to support the judgment, it should be affirmed.

However, if it should be said that the brief is such as to entitle it to consideration, then we think the judgment should be affirmed. The record reflects that on March 10,1932, A. J. Covert and Dave Kaplan, jointly, by full warranty deed, conveyed to the Cold Springs light & Ice Company of .Cold Springs, San Jacinto county, Tex., certain enumerated property, among which was one 45-horse power Anderson engine, the conveyance reciting that said engine was then in Harris county but was to be “moved at once to Cold Springs.” Said instrument further recited that $5,000 of the consideration for said conveyed property was to be paid in stock of said company as soon as same was incorporated and the corporation ready to do business. The charter of incorporation was obtained, but the name of the corporation was the “Cold Springs Utility Company.” The articles of incorporation were drawn up andi signed by Dave. Kaplan, Bessie Kaplan, A. J. Covert, and Jessie Covert, on March 10, 1932, the same day that Dave Kaplan and A. J. Covert executed the conveyance to Cold Springs Light & Ice Company, same to be incorporated. April 19, 1932, said incorpora-tors, Dave Kaplan, Bessie Kaplan, A. J. Covert, and Jessie Covert, who¡ had subscribed ' the proposed charter (naming the corporation as the Cold Springs Utility Company), made affidavit to secure the charter stating in said affidavit that the full amount of the capital-stock of said corporation ($10,000) had in good faith been subscribed, and that 50 per cent, thereof ($5,000) had been paid in certain property, itemizing same and stating the value of each item, among which was one 45-horse power Anderson engine valued at $3,-200. The affidavit made no mention of the location of said engine. On this affidavit the charter was obtained, and capital stock of [586]*586the corporation thus chartered was issued to and accepted by Dave Kaplan and A. J. Covert, each in the sum of $1,000, one-half of the value of said engine. The corporation proceeded to engage in business as authorized. In course of time an execution (not in favor of the corporation) was levied upon the stock of A. J.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Holsomback v. Taylor
61 S.W.2d 544 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1933)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
76 S.W.2d 584, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kaplan-v-cold-springs-utility-co-texapp-1934.