Millett v. Langston

327 P.2d 253, 8 Utah 2d 15, 1958 Utah LEXIS 175
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJune 30, 1958
DocketNo. 8750
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 327 P.2d 253 (Millett v. Langston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Millett v. Langston, 327 P.2d 253, 8 Utah 2d 15, 1958 Utah LEXIS 175 (Utah 1958).

Opinions

WORTHEN, Justice.

Appeal from the trial court’s finding that plaintiff and defendant entered into a partnership agreement for the construction and running of a trailer court, from a judgment for plaintiff for the sum of $781.-36, being one-half of the profits on the operation of the trailer court, and from the judgment of the court for distribution of the purported partnership assets.-

In Crockett v. Nish,1 this court said:

“Since this is a suit in equity, it is our duty under Art. VIII, Sec. 9 of the Constitution, to review the facts. In examining the transcript to determine what our conclusions from the evidence will be we are to make an independent analysis of it. If at the end of the investigation we are in doubt or even if there be a slight preponderance in our minds against the trial court’s conclusions we will affirm.”

Plaintiff’s various and irreconcilable positions evidenced in his pleadings, his deposition, his affidavit in support of his motion for the appointment of a receiver, his answers to interrogatories and his testimony while on the witness stand are so fantastic, and so vacillating as to compel the conclusion that the same is unworthy of credence. To fully demonstrate the extent of his contradictions and inconsistencies would require setting out in full all of [17]*17.these portions of the record, but we are of the opinion the following will suffice.

The cornerstone of the claimed partnership as contended for by plaintiff is that the laiid purchased by defendant at Moab on which the trailer court was built was partnership property in which he owned a one-half interest.

In paragraph 2 of his complaint he alleged :

“On or about April, 1954, the Plaintiff and Defendant entered into a partnership agreement to purchase certain property located in the city of Moab, Utah, from a person named Frank Peterson. Said property consisting of fifteen (15) acres of ground at the price of One Thousand One Hundred Dollars ($1,100.00) per acre.”

To the following interrogatories the plaintiff made the following answers:

“16. Under the terms of the alleged partnership agreement what interest do you state was to be received by you in the real estate from the Defendant?
Ans. “One-half. (^4).
“17. Who was to make the payments on such property and who was to be responsible for seeing that such payments were made, both before and after you terminated your connection with the River-sands Trailer Court in about July, 1955?
Ans. “Gloria Langston”
“57. What interest in real estate do you claim you are entitled to receive under the alleged partnership agreement? And in what properties?
Ans. “One-Half 04), the River Sands Trailer Court.”

He testified that he and defendant purchased five acres of land at Moab, but that defendant took the property in her own name; that when the purchase was made he requested that it be put in the names of plaintiff, defendant and plaintiff’s brother, Ira Millett. He further testified that the original arrangement was for defendant to put up all the money, for his brother Ira to furnish the cabins, and he would go down and pioneer the project, run the court, build the buildings and collect the money, and each would have a one-third interest. His deposition discloses the following testimony.

“Q. And it was your contention that at that time you wanted-the property put in all three names? A. Yes.
“Q. Did you put any money up at that time? A. No. No, I didn’t put any money up.
“Q. Did Ira put any money up? A. No, he didn’t put any money. He just put the cabins up.
[18]*18“Q. The only person, who paid any money to the real estate' people was * * * A. Was her, and that was the arrangement. That’s why we had her. She couldn’t do nothing else. She said she had a little money.” (Emphasis added.)

Yet plaintiff testified that he borrowed $100 and made down payment on the additional eight or nine acres of land. But when the receipt was issued for the down payment, it was made in favor of defendant. Plaintiff failed when he had the chance to provide for this land to be taken in his name.

Plaintiff’s story as to how he became entitled to a half interest instead of a third interest was given while on the witness stand as follows:

“Q. Well, can you tell me how you two were going to share in any profits? A. Well, after she let Ira go— see, he worked, or after he shipped the cabins down, then approximately a couple of months she came up after some more lumber from him, so — see, he’s supposed to he third owner then, and so she came up after lumber, and he didn’t have that kind of lumber ready, so she took the other, but it made her mad, so she told him he was out of it now, he didn’t have any part of the business, but never offered to settle nor never settled for it at all, so he just out, so she told me, ‘Now,’ she says, ‘you and I will go in half on it. We will be half,’ and...I told Ira, ‘Well, all I can do, and then I can fix it up with you later on my part. That’s all we can do now.’ ” (Emphasis added.)

.Plaintiff admitted that he was not present and that, the above statements so far as Ira is concerned were hearsay, and defendant denied that any such conversation occurred.

Plaintiff’s version of how he became entitled to the one-half interest is no more fantastic and incredible than the balance of his stories. He acquired the larger interest by defendant’s being obliged to take over Ira’s obligations but without her getting Ira’s interest in the venture. He further testified that the partnership agreement was made in the Allen Real Estate office find he, his sister, Roxie Boshard, and defendant were present. Mrs. Boshard called as a witness for the plaintiff testified that she was never in the real estate office. She further testified that she rode to Moab with plaintiff and defendant; that from what she heard discussed plaintiff was just helping.

Plaintiff testified at the trial as follows:

“Q. Now, is it your contention that Gloria Langston was to put up all the money and that you were to take the money out of the proceeds of the operation of the motor court for your expenses, that you did not send her any [19]*19money, and that she was still to give you one-half interest in the real estate? A. Yes because we was working to get the trailer camp in operation so we could make some money. * * *
“Q. And you say she should have given you one half of the $16,000.00 property without your putting anything into it except spending fifteen months down there? A. Well, we were putting in time and work.
“Q. And you were living off of the income that came in? A. Absolutely.
“Q. And in addition you were to get one half of the property? A. Yes sir.
“Q. Were you also to take over the obligation after that fifteen months to pay one half of the payments? A. We was making the trailer camp make the payments.
“Q. You were not to

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Bluebook (online)
327 P.2d 253, 8 Utah 2d 15, 1958 Utah LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/millett-v-langston-utah-1958.