Kilsby v. Aero-Test Equipment Co.

301 S.W.2d 703, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1766
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 8, 1957
Docket15212
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 301 S.W.2d 703 (Kilsby v. Aero-Test Equipment 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
Kilsby v. Aero-Test Equipment Co., 301 S.W.2d 703, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1766 (Tex. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinions

[705]*705YOUNG, Justice.

By this suit plaintiff Kilsby seeks to recover as compensation for having been one of three signers of an indemnity agreement of August 4, 1952, a one-third of 40% of the net profits of two projects undertaken by defendant Company, and based on alleged corporate action to such effect. Upon trial to the court and a take nothing judgment, Kilsby then moved for findings of fact and conclusions of law which were filed, he making general and special objections thereto along with request for additional findings. The latter motion being denied, a statutory statement of facts was filed and becomes controlling of this appeal. Swanson v. Swanson, 148 Tex. 600, 228 S.W.2d 156. In consequence, only incidental reference will be hereafter made to these court findings.

By first amended petition it was alleged that on August 4, 1952 plaintiff, for benefit of defendant, along with K. E. Soder and T. W. Howard, Jr., had executed a certain standard form General Contract of Indemnity in favor of the National Fire Insurance Company, a member of the National of Hartford Group, thereby holding said indemnitee harmless as a result of writing certain bid and performance bonds, which bonds were necessary for defendant to furnish as a condition precedent to its obtaining the following valuable contracts: “(a) Air Force Contract No. AF33(600)20709, calling for 35 generator test stands for Wright Field, Ohio, at a contract price of $102,451.81. (b) Ford Motor Company, Aircraft Engine Division, contract No. 267-1-53, calling for six engineering cells at a contract price of $351,454.00.” He further alleged that on basis of said August contract of indemnity, performance bonds were executed on above two jobs by the Insurance Company, plaintiff obligating himself for a potential liability in total amount specified in these projects.

That prior thereto on or about June 12, 1952, at a joint meeting of stockholders and Directors of defendant, a resolution had been adopted whereby stockholders of the Company were given the opportunity to participate in making bonds required by the corporation in excess of its bonding capacity and to pay 40% of the net profits arising from specific jobs as compensation for participation in the making of such bonds; that above described projects had been completed, resulting in estimated net profit to defendant of approximately $100,000. That thereafter the co-indemnitors Howard and Soder had been paid their portion of the profits so realized by the Corporation but that the latter had refused to pay plaintiff anything, to his damage in the sum of $13,-333.33; praying for an accounting by defendant as to the true profits accruing from the two successful bids, judgment for his portion thereof, interest, costs, etc.

Though undisputed in considerable part, the salient facts underlying this controversy must next be stated. Aero-Test Equipment Company was incorporated March 24, 1952 with capital stock of $50,000, consisting of 500 shares of stock, one-half paid in, with full payment of balance to the corporation between August 1 and 10, same year. Its purpose was the designing, development and manufacture of test equipment for aircraft and accessories. By-laws of the corporation called for a management of ten Directors. Kilsby had initially subscribed for and been issued Fifty shares of said stock and served as Company Director until December 1952. In course of business defendant was frequently required to provide bonds in securing of bids or for performance of contracts awarded; which bonding was often provided by Surety Companies with prerequisite of indemnities for the surety bonds required. In this connection on June 12, 1952 a joint meeting of stockholders and Directors of the corporation was held; and among other things the following action was taken:

“Resolved, that when additional bonding requirements of the corporation are needed, that the officers should [706]*706seek outside bonding indemnity and that for same the corporation agree to pay not to exceed 40% of the net profit on the specific job.
“Resolved, that if the bonding requirements should exceed the corporate bonding capacity, all of the stockholders should be notified and given the first opportunity to participate equally in making the bond required; second, if acceptable to a bonding company such a bond could be made on a prorated basis in accordance with the individual shareholders; third, if sufficient bonding capacity could not be secured in either of these two manners, the management of the corporation is authorized to obtain bonding indemnitors outside the corporation.”

Kilsby had been employed by Aero-Test during. 1952 on prior projects for the U. S. Navy at Daingerfield, Texas; his Company connection terminating at end of that year, inclusive of stock interest. He was also operating on his own under name of Trinity Engineer Builders and in June 1952 had participated with defendant as a joint venture in bidding for a Navy Office Building contract at Daingerfield on basis of 50-50 interest in profits if secured, the two concerns furnishing a bid bond only. However, the contract for this Daingerfield job was never awarded by the Government. Also in June 1952, Kilsby, Howard and Soder had executed a like general contract with the National of Hartford Group indemnifying the Insurance Company for all bonds executed by it on behalf of Aero-Test, with the. following recital opposite their names: “This indemnity agreement is signed subject to the understanding that the agreement will be released when the $25,-000.00 balance on stock subscribed has been deposited in a Dallas bank.” Defendant Company did not sign such prior indemnity contract or that of August 4 on which plaintiff’s suit is based; and at this point notice should be taken of record testimony to effect that said August 4 contract was also thus limited as between these signers (Howard, Soder and plaintiff); and of further testimony that, as between themselves, said two indemnities would apply only to the joint venture bidding for the U. S. Navy Office Building at Daingerfield. Undisputedly, neither defendant Company nor any of its officers had specifically agreed to compensate plaintiff for signing the dated indemnity contracts, he relying solely on the corporate resolution of June 12, as an agreement by appellee to pay him for executing the indemnity contract of August 4, 1952.

The projects described in plaintiff’s pleading on which claim is made for a one-third interest in net profits were otherwise known as E-M-2, Wright Field Job, and E-M-6, Ford Motor Company. The former job was bid on prior to execution of either of above indemnity contracts (June 11 and August 4, 1952), no'bid bond required, and awarded September 12, 1952. This job had not been completed on date of trial (April, 1956), no exact amount of profits determined, but estimated by President Howard at $20,000. The Ford Company job was bid in December 1952, no bid bond required, and awarded to defendant; the Insurance Company thereafter executing, performance bond in its behalf. This project was completed with profits estimated at $61,123.18; and pursuant to said determination of profits, the Executive Committee of Defendant Board of Directors, as authorized by its By-laws, met on December 10, 1953, taking the following action': “The indemnitors of the Ford Motor Job (E-M-6) shall be paid a maximum of 16 per cent of the net profit of $61,123.18.” This rate of compensation was reduced by Messrs.

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Kilsby v. Aero-Test Equipment Co.
301 S.W.2d 703 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1957)

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301 S.W.2d 703, 1957 Tex. App. LEXIS 1766, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kilsby-v-aero-test-equipment-co-texapp-1957.