Kennedy v. Rothrock Co.

104 A. 746, 261 Pa. 580, 1918 Pa. LEXIS 793
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 11, 1918
DocketAppeal, No. 305
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 104 A. 746 (Kennedy v. Rothrock Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kennedy v. Rothrock Co., 104 A. 746, 261 Pa. 580, 1918 Pa. LEXIS 793 (Pa. 1918).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Moschzisker,

By written agreement of December 3, 1914, E. W. Rothrock Co., a Pennsylvania corporation, sold all its capital stock and property to “E. W. Rothrock Co., Inc.,” [583]*583a new (Delaware) corporation, for $26,800, payable in 268 shares of stock of the latter and the assumption of the debts of the former company in the amount of $31,-201.13, such stock to be. transferred as follows: One hundred shares of preferred stock of the Pennsylvania corporation in exchange for the same number of shares of like stock of the Delaware corporation, each of the par value of $100, and, in addition, 168 shares of the common stock of the latter to be divided pro rata among the holders of the common stock of- the former. The new corporation was capitalized at $100,000, and the old at $15,000.

Subsequent to the arrangement just outlined, but on the same day, E. W. Rothrock Co., Inc., — hereinafter called the Delaware company — entered into a written agreement with plaintiff, E. J. Kennedy, who held thirty-five shares of the capital stock of the Pennsylvania company, and was about to receive, in exchange, the same number of shares of preferred stock of the new corporation, whereby it was agreed (a) that the Delaware company would purchase these thirty-five shares for $3,500, payable in seven notes of $500 each, dated December 1, 1911, with interest, the first maturing one month thereafter, and one falling due each succeeding month; (b) that the Delaware company would give its notes for $9,100, payable at such times as could be arranged with the then holders of $9,100 in notes of the Pennsylvania company, upon which Kennedy was either accommodation maker or endorser, as new obligations to lift these old ones; (c) that he, Kennedy, would “use his best endeavors to have the present owners of the nine thousand one hundred dollar notes exchange the same and accept in payment thereof the notes of [the Delaware'company]” and that .he would “endorse and renew his endorsements of all notes from time to time, so long as the contract and agreement [was] fairly carried out by the [Delaware company]......”; (d) that the Delaware company would pay the aforesaid $3,500 of notes [584]*584given for Kennedy’s stock, and the obligations for $9,100, upon which he was to become endorser, “out of the money realized from the sales of its capital stock for cash,” excluding the before-mentioned 268 shares, and fifty in addition, specially set aside for certain designated purposes; (e) that such money would be applied as follows: “The first $6,000 upon account of the outstanding bills of said Pennsylvania corporation, the next one thousand (1,000) dollars, half on said thirty-five hundred (3,500) and half on said nine thousand one hundred (9,100) dollar notes to said E. J. Kennedy; the next one thousand (1,000) dollars, on account of such bills; the next one thousand (1,000) dollars, half and half on said E. J. Kennedy notes as aforesaid; etc.,” until all of the notes were fully paid.

In pursuance of this last mentioned agreement, the Delaware company delivered seven notes of $500 each to plaintiff for his stock, and the latter procured the holders of the old notes for $9,100 to take in lieu thereof like obligations of the new corporation; Kennedy thereafter signed and, from time to time, renewed his signature, upon the new notes for $9,100 until the banks refused further to accept him either as maker or endorser. Finally, suit for $1,000 having been brought on one of the latter obligations, judgment obtained and execution issued, Kennedy was compelled to pay that amount, with interest and costs, such note having been signed by him jointly with defendant corporation, he acting as an accommodation maker ; after its payment, this obligation was duly assigned to plaintiff.

The first of the seven notes was paid, but those subsequently maturing were not; Kennedy brought this action of assumpsit against the Delaware company to recover the $3,000 yet due on these obligations, and, in addition, claimed the $1,000 which he had paid as accommodation maker, $342.50, due him on a check, and $300, for rent of premises occupied by defendant. All these items were sued for by Kennedy as legal plaintiff except [585]*585the one of a thousand dollars, which he claimed as use-plaintiff.

Defendant denied liability on the six five-hundred-dollar notes upon the ground that plaintiff, in February, 1915, had committed a breach of contract by transferring some of his property, resulting in the refusal of the banks further to accept his endorsements; which defendant alleged, in a general way, resulted in damage to it in the sum of $10,000. Defendant also averred that the capital stock available for the purpose, which it had sold to time of suit, would not-aggregate sufficient, if applied as stated in the contract, to' pay its obligations held by plaintiff, since the corporation had accepted notes, instead of cash, for a large part of such stock, some of Avhich notes had not been paid.

The various issues of fact involved in the controversy Avere submitted to the jury, and, as shown by the verdict, Avere found against defendant; judgment was entered accordingly, and this appeal followed.

With reference to the stock sales, the court below was entirely correct in charging that, on the facts at bar, sales on notes, forthwith discounted, were to be treated as sales “for cash” within the meaning of the contract between plaintiff and defendant, Avhich distinguishes stock sold for cash from that issued in exchange for stock of the old company and to accomplish certain other purposes therein mentioned. The agreement in question provides that the proceeds of such cash sales are to be applied, in the manner hereinbefore stated, to the reduction of defendant’s various obligations to plaintiff. In disposing of its stock, upon several occasions defendant accepted notes, which were forthwith discounted for cash. Under the circumstances, it would work grave injustice to permit such a subterfuge to delay the enforcement of this company’s contractual obligations; but it is not necessary to rest upon that ground the affirmance of the present judgment, for there is ample evidence upon the record to prove that, at the time of this action, defendant [586]*586had sold for actual cash enough stock fully to pay the notes in suit.

As to the question of the first breach of contract, there is evidence sufficient to sustain a finding that, in February, 1915, the Delaware company refused to pay the note of $500 then accruing, at the same time notifying plaintiff it would not meet any more of such obligations, and he would have to sue thereon; with this evidence believed by the jury, as the verdict indicates it was, a breach was proved against defendant; and plaintiff’s testimony shows that, upon the date in question, the latter Avas not in default as to his promised endorsements on the notes for $9,100. Defendant contends, however, that plaintiff was in default in the respect last mentioned, in that he transferred property to such an extent as to impair his financial credit; and it complains because the trial judge refused testimony concerning these alleged transfers.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
104 A. 746, 261 Pa. 580, 1918 Pa. LEXIS 793, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kennedy-v-rothrock-co-pa-1918.