Mitchell v. Lay

60 F.2d 941, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2650
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedSeptember 7, 1932
DocketNo. 6760
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 60 F.2d 941 (Mitchell v. Lay) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mitchell v. Lay, 60 F.2d 941, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2650 (9th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

NETERER, District Judge.

The prior history of this ease appears in (C. C. A.) 48 F.(2d) 79, where an order appointing a receiver was reversed and the trial court was “directed to settle the accounts of the receiver and to order the receiver to turn over to the appellant all property seized under its order by the receiver as soon as the appellant has secured an appointment as receiver thereof in the action now pending in the state court.” Mitchell v. Lay (C. C. A.) 48 F.(2d) 79, 85.

To reverse the order settling the account, approved December 15, 1931, made pursuant to the above direction, the case is now here for review. Objections are made to the account as a whole on jurisdictional grounds and to incumbrance of the estate with unwarranted expenses of receivership.

Instead of filing an account for settlement, the receiver and his attorney incurred further expense in, presenting a petition for writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court without success. The receiver was appointed July 29, but it was not until August 6 that an appearance was entered hy the appellee Lumbermen’s Association admitting the award, its failure to pay, and its insolvency, and consent to the appointment of the receiver, that jurisdiction was conferred upon the court. 48 F.(2d) 79, supra, and cases there cited. Tile sole ground for receivership, if any, was the possible removal from the state of California, of $8592.11 on deposit in a local hank to the state of Texas, corporate homo of the appellee company, and in which state a receiver was appointed at Houston, Tex., July 31. However, such act was restrained on complaint of the appellant, insurance commissioner of California, who, in pursuance of his official duty and the laws of the state of California, filed on August 1 (St. 1919, p. 265), in the state court, praying that he he appointed receiver under the provisions of the state law to carry out his official obligations.

It is obvious-that the state insurance commissioner moved promptly and no loss to the creditors of the state of California was proba^ [942]*942ble, all of which was obvious to the receiver, a lawyer, and his attorney. The duty to preserve the estate to save the'fund for creditors at a minimum expense moves the arm of the chancellor, and before the appellee Lay was a qualified litigant on jurisdictional grounds, made so by the appearancd of appellee company August 6 and its answer August 8, the state court had exclusive jurisdiction, and had restrained removal of funds, but continued the hearing of appointment of receiver until the show cause order issued by the trial court herein enjoining the state insurance commissioner from doing certain acts in relation to the subject-matter.

In Mitchell v. Lay, supra, we held that, although the receiver was erroneously appointed, the court had jurisdiction of the property after appearance and answer of defendant corporation: Objections to many items in the receiver’s reports are made, but, in view of our conclusion, only the hereinafter items will be considered: The fees allowed the receiver and his attorney; an allowance of $750 for expenses of a trip to Washington, D. C., by the'attorney, and costs in the Supremo Court, which the court, will judicially notice.

Worthwhile and necessary services were rendered by the persons who had been on the regular staff of employees of the insolvent corporation in the state of California, and employed by the receiver, and reasonable compensation for services of competent persons of ordinary ability is properly allowed. Walton N. Moore Dry Goods Co. v. Lieurance (C. C. A.) 38 F.(2d) 186, 191. No reason appears to disallowance of any specific item other than the items mentioned.

The reports of the receiver and his attorney are prolix, and accomplishment much magnified. Culled from, the record, we find income reported in the amount of $44,72-6.76 and disbursements, $30,677.74, of which $12,--000 is an allowance to the receiver and his attorney, $6,000 each, and $1,092.75 to Bronson, Bronson & Slaven for special services rendered in the ease of Noble v. Bacon, and other matters. The total allowance for attorneys’ fees is $7,092.75, not including a claim for $2,000 filed by J. L. Kearney, special attorney, employed for services in an ancillary receivership in Los Angeles where $9,-019.71 was collected.

Nine hundred and six elaims, aggregating $211,039, were filed, and after being investigated, elaims amounting to $136,099 were rejected. All of the elaims were investigated and disposed of. The reasons for rejection were either improper verification, want of notice by the policy holders, or insufficient merit; also, some of a miscellaneous nature, and others because filed by nonresidents.

Nineteen suits were commenced and reduced to judgment, $14,091 being collected. Twenty-one other actions were commenced, aggregating $10,611. These eases are pending. Six other eases are reported, involving $129,068. ' One of these was settled for $100. In another, judgment for $899 was recovered. Included is the case of Noble v. Bacon, and statement is made: “Judgment of $10,000 recovered; now on appeal.” But the judgment was unfavorable to appellee, and the ease was handled by a special firm of attorneys. The report states-: “Although the attorney for the receiver did not participate in the trial, he followed it closely and strongly advised taking an appeal.” The receiver testified: “In a strict sense I performed no legal work, but Mr. Woodworth and I were discussing legal matters all the time. * * * My supervision consisted in holding hearings over a period of 90 days, one half dozen trips to Los Angeles, and conducting the business generally, trying to wind it up. * * * I signed cheeks against the funds of the association. I personally took charge of some of the many elaims and some were mailed direct to the office. * * * ”

The Pacific Coast manager of the defendant from November 1,1924, a resident in the city, who had “entire control of all the affairs of the Pacific Coast, including underwriting, accounting and adjustment of elaims arising out of policy contracts,” was retained in the administrative force during the receivership. And from the report, as well as from the argument at bar, it .is reasonably to be deduced that his judgment was controlling in all matters pertaining to administrative functions. His testimony with relation to the estate and the various classes of claims and the disposition made thereof, covering 140 pages of the record, establishes the fact that in practically all, if not all, instances the receiver asked the manager’s advice as to the disposition and, after receiving his opinion, would say: “Under the statement of facts made by Mr. Broekmann, the receiver hereby recommends” that the claim be allowed, or disallowed, or whatever disposition was suggested. The manager and assistants received their pre-insolvency compensation and did the same service. The estate obtained from these employees beneficial service and for this it is properly charged.

[943]*943In tho record appears a statement of the attorney for his services, bearing items of service practically every day, some appearing as conferences with the receiver, on some occasions eon Eerenees with others, and various items o£ detail that of themselves do not contain any informative matter. When the magnitude of tho estate is considered, and in relation to what was said by the court in Moore v. Lieurance, supra (C. C. A.) 38 F.(2d) 186, which expresses tho settled view of this court in the instant issue, it is obvious that the order must be reversed.

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60 F.2d 941, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 2650, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mitchell-v-lay-ca9-1932.