Nisbet v. Great Northern Clay Co.

83 P. 15, 41 Wash. 107, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 1075
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 21, 1905
DocketNo. 5722
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 83 P. 15 (Nisbet v. Great Northern Clay Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nisbet v. Great Northern Clay Co., 83 P. 15, 41 Wash. 107, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 1075 (Wash. 1905).

Opinion

Hadley, J.

This appeal is from an order denying a petition to vacate an order confirming a receiver’s sale. The original action was brought by Robert Nisbet against the Great Northern Olay Company, a corporation. Insolvency of the corporation was alleged and admitted, and a receiver was appointed. The receiver, by authority of the court, conducted the business of the corporation for some months, with unprofitable results. The first receiver appointed conducted the business for a few weeks, when he was succeeded by J. E. Ballou, who managed the receivership* and affairs of the corporation for some months, when he left the state leaving liabilities of the receivership aggregating a large sum. Ballou was then removed as receiver and A. L. Brown was appointed as his successor. The disastrous results ap pear to have been due to the management of receiver Ballou.

During such management, the property deteriorated in value and was in a dilapidated condition when Ballou left it. The expenditure of some thousands of dollars was necessary by way of repairing and improving the brick plant before it could be successfully operated. The receiver was unable to do this inasmuch as the trust was insolvent. The business could no longer be conducted through the receivership. The property was constantly depreciating in value, and with this condition of affairs confronting him the present receiver Brown entered upon his duties. It was the desire of the court and the receiver to prevent further depreciation in value of the assets and thenceforth the efforts of both were directed to the end that the assets of the trust might be converted into cash for the benefit of creditors as speedily and advantageously as possible.

For a better understanding of the questions involved on this appeal, a further definite and somewhat extended state[109]*109ment as to certain facts becomes necessary. On October 1, 1903, a receiver’s certificate was issued by receiver Ballou to the First National Bank of Seattle, for $3,000, bearing interest at eight per cent per annum, and on the 2d day of November of the same year, another certificate was issued by the same receiver to the same bank for $2,000, bearing the same rate of interest. Upon the face of the first certificate, it was declared to be a first lien upon all the assets and property of the corporation. The second one was declared to. be a lien upon all the assets prior to all other liens and claims except that of the said $3,000 certificate. The said certificates were issued by the authority of the court, and were approved by it. The amount of money represented by the two certificates was loaned by said bank to the receiver.

On the 10th day of November, after the issuance of the last certificate above mentioned, another certificate was likewise issued by the receiver to the Ohio Ceramic Engineering company of Cleveland, Ohio1, for $1,500, bearing interest at six per cent per annum. This certificate stated upon its face that it was a prior lien upon all the assets of the corporation, except the $3,000 certificate above mentioned and the costs and expenses of the trust. The certificate was issued in payment for one hundred dryer cars, purchased by receiver Ballou from said payee named in the certificate. Receiver Ballou also employed certain laborers while operating the plant, and premised to pay them sums aggregating $2,077.70. The claims of these laborers were assigned to said First National Bank of Seattle. The total amount thus held by said bank against the trust including the two certificates mentioned and the assigned labor claims, was, with interest, $7,248.86, on the day of the confirmation of the sale which it is here sought to set aside.

On the 9th day of February, 1904, Robert Nisbet, the plaintiff in the action wherein the receiver was appointed, filed his petition with the court, asking an order for the sale of all the property of the Great Northern Olay Com[110]*110pany, then in the hands of the receiver. Such an order was made authorizing the receiver to sell the property at public auction to the highest bidder for a minimum price of $20,000, and requiring not less than ten days’ notice of the sale. Notice as prescribed in the order of sale was given, and the time fixed for the sale was March 5, 1904, at which time the receiver offered the property for sale hut received no bids-, and thereupon he continued the sale until March 10. Immediately after the said adjournment of sale, the receiver and his attorneys, together with the attorneys of substantially all the parties who had appeared in the action, went before the superior court then in session, and in open court reported the failure to sell. Discussion was had between court and counsel with reference to the emergency for immediate sale. The court thereupon instructed the receiver .to re-offer the property for sale as before for the sum of $20,000, and if that sum could not be obtained, to offer the property regardless of price, subject to the confirmation and approval of the court. Thereupon Ernest Carstens offered in open court to bid for the property provided the aforesaid claims of the Eirst National Bank of Seattle should be received as a part of the purchase price. This was made in the presence of the court and counsel at the time they were together as aforesaid. The court thereupon stated in the hearing of all present that, if said Carstens would bid at the adjourned sale a sum which should be accepted and approved by the court, the amount of the claims of said bank would he accepted as a part of the purchase price, if said Carstens could acquire the claims. It was in this manner and through.this understanding with the court and counsel for interested parties that Mr. Carstens became involved in the matters which led to the controversy brought here by this appeal.

Accordingly, on March 10, the property was again offered for sale by the receiver, and Mr. Carstens bid therefor the sum of $11,200, conditioned upon the use of the obligations of the receiver to the Eirst National Bank of Seattle as a [111]*111part of the purchase price. The receiver reported the offer to the court and notice of hearing thereon was given to all parties to the action and to all creditors who had filed appearances in the action. At the hearing the advisability of accepting the offer was fully discussed and considered in the presence of counsel, who represented substantially all of the interested parties, and the court, believing that the offer was the best that could be obtained, directed the receiver to accept it.' Thereupon Mr. Oarstens paid the receiver $11,200, of which sum $7,248.86 consisted of receiver’s certificates and assigned labor claims held by the bank as aforesaid, and the balance, $3,951.14, was paid in cash. The sale was confirmed by the court and by its order a conveyance was executed by the receiver, transferring all the property to Mr. Oarstens.

Therafter the Ohio Ceramic Engineering Oompiany filed a petition asking that the sale, the order approving it, and the conveyance be set aside. The petition recites the facts heretofore stated with reference to the issuance of the $1,500 receiver’s certificate to- the petitioner, and alleges that the petitioner had no notice of the sale or of any of the proceedings had in connection therewith. It is also alleged that-,' as a consequence of said proceedings, all the- purchase price of the property was appropriated by the receiver to the payment of claims other than that of the petitioner, and which were ini fact subordinate and inferior in right and equity to the claim of the petitioner.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 P. 15, 41 Wash. 107, 1905 Wash. LEXIS 1075, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nisbet-v-great-northern-clay-co-wash-1905.