Mason v. Martin

232 N.W. 29, 57 S.D. 299, 1930 S.D. LEXIS 110
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 2, 1930
DocketFile No. 7025
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 232 N.W. 29 (Mason v. Martin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mason v. Martin, 232 N.W. 29, 57 S.D. 299, 1930 S.D. LEXIS 110 (S.D. 1930).

Opinion

BROWN, P. J.

Thomas E. Mason and his son J. E. Mason, doing business as a partnership under the firm name of “Mason’s Funeral Home,” brought this action against appellant, Eva Martin, for an alleged indebtedness growing out of the burial of her deceased husband. As one defense appellant pleaded failure [301]*301of plaintiffs to comply with the statute requiring filing of a certificate of the true names of the firm. Applicable to this case, Rev. Code 1919, § 1334, provides that “every partnership transacting business in this state under a fictitious name, or a designation not showing the names of the persons interested as partners in such business, must file with the clerk of courts of the county in which its principal place of business’ is situated * * * a certificate stating the names in full of all the members of such partnership, and their places of residence, and publish the same once a week for four successive weeks, in a newspaper published in the county,” and section 1336 provides that, until such certificate has 'been filed and publication made, no action shall be maintained by such partners on any contract made or transaction hadi in the partnership name. It is conceded that the contract or transaction involved was had in the partnership name, and that section 1334 has not been complied with by plaintiffs. The name “Mason’s Funeral Home” in itself gives no indication that it designates a partnership. It would be equally applicable and appropriate to a corporation. Perhaps a reasonable inference might justify the belief that the name was meant to designate a single individual, but we think it clearly was not a designation showing the names of the persons interested as partners in the business, and that it was better adapted to give the impression that the business was that of an individual rather than that of a partnership. In Patterson v. Byers, 17 Okl. 633, 89 P. 1114, 10 Ann. Cas. 810, it was held (Burford, C. J., not sitting and Burwell, J., dissenting) that the name “Patterson Furniture 'Company,” under which two persons named Patterson transacted a partnership business, was neither a fictitious name nor a designation not showing the names of the partners. The Oklahoma court seems to base its decision in the Patterson Case largely on what it deemed to be the construction placed on the statute by the Supreme Court of California before the statute was adopted by Oklahoma from California, but in Schwarz & Gottlieb v. Marcuse, 175 Cal. 401, 165 P. 1015, the Supreme Court of California (in bank) designates the decision in Patterson Furniture Company Case as a “remarkable conclusion,” and in Andrews v. Glick, 205 Cal. 699, 272 P. 587, the Supreme Court of California (again sitting in bank) holds that the name Andrews-Cordano Plumbing Company, as the name of a partnership composed of Harry W. [302]*302Andrews and Frank Cordano, does not designate the names of the persons interested as partners in the business, and that a partnership conducted under such name cannot maintain an action on a contract had in the partnership name.

In the instant case appellant requested a finding which was strictly in accordance with the evidence on this point. The trial court refused to make such finding and made no finding' on this branch of the case. In this the court erred. Plaintiffs were not entitled to maintain this action, not having filed a certificate as required by section 1334, and for this reason alone the judgment and order appealed from must he reversed and the action dismissed.

But the cause of action remains, and the plaintiffs by filing the certificate required by section 1334 may commence a new action, and, inasmuch as the questions involving the merits have been fully argued upon this appeal, and are likely to arise in another action should one be commenced, we deem it proper to indicate our views on those questions.

Thomas Mason was not a licensed embalmer in this state. ITis son J. E. Mason was. Both worked on the preparation of the body of deceased for burial. Appellant contends that, because the statute (Rev. Code 1919, § 7785) makes the practice of embalming without a license a misdemeanor, no recovery can be had by plaintiffs. There is nothing in the statute forbidding a licensed embalmer having assistance of one who is unlicensed in the performance of his work. J. E. Mason, who was a licensed embalmer, had the responsibility for 'that work, and assistance therein by Thomas Mason did not contravene an}»- law.

One of the findings of the trial court is that on or about January 2, 1928, defendant entered into an agreement with plaintiffs by which she purchased from plaintiffs a casket, suit, vault, and flowers, and engaged plaintiffs to do the necessary work in connection with the burial of her deceased husband for an agreed price of $410. We find no evidence in the record that will sustain this finding. Included in plaintiff’s total bill was a burial vault for which the sum of $100 was charged. Plaintiffs’ own testimony in regard to this vault is that, at the time of selecting the casket, defendant said she did not know whether she would want a vault or not, and she at no time agreed to buy or take a vault. She was [303]*303the second wife of deceased. A married son by the former wife was present at the time of the selection of the casket. This son said that they would let plaintiffs know later about the vault. From then on the son seems to- have taken charge of the funeral arrangements. Thomas Mason testifies that this son came later and ordered the vault, andi that the burial was from a church and in a cemetery designated by him, that defendant was not present at the funeral. There is no evidence in the record that defendant at any time purchased the vault or had any connection with its purchase. It is true that Thomas Mason testified that after the funeral was over she went with him with the insurance policies to a bank in Winner, and that there an arrangement was made with Mr. Kares, vice-president of the bank, that he should get the money on the insurance policies and; from this money deduct the amount of plaintiff’s bill, $410, and that defendant agreed to this. But her unexecuted agreement, without any new consideration, to' pay for the vault for which she was not liable, cannot be enforced against her. The evidence supports the finding that she is liable for all the bill except the vault.

There were two so-called insurance policies; one is designated as “Certificate 166, Circle 7,” issued by the Union Aid Life Insurance Company of Rogers, Ark. The total sum realized on this was $451. The other policy was for $1,000 in the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. Deceased had a loan of $59' on this, and the amount realized on this policy was $941. Both of these amounts were procured by defendant. The $941, together with $100 which she had, in addition to what was realized on the insurance, defendant deposited in the Security Bank at Winner, and this deposit was garnished by plaintiffs when they commenced the present action. Defendant in proper time made a claim of exemption and schedule of all her property showing that all the property she had at the time of this exemption claim was- a small amount of household furniture of the approximate value of $50, and the $1,041 in the bank against which checks for $116.30 had been issued, and also the right to the proceeds of the certificate in the Union Aid Life Insurance Company, which at that time had not been paid’, and that she claimed the whole of said property as 'exempt. The furniture and the $100 she had outside of the insurance money would clearly be exempt, and no controversy is raised [304]

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Bluebook (online)
232 N.W. 29, 57 S.D. 299, 1930 S.D. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mason-v-martin-sd-1930.