O'Bryan v. Zuber

271 S.W. 347, 168 Ark. 613, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 317
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedApril 20, 1925
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 271 S.W. 347 (O'Bryan v. Zuber) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Bryan v. Zuber, 271 S.W. 347, 168 Ark. 613, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 317 (Ark. 1925).

Opinion

Wood, J.

This is an action by the appellee against the appellant in the Pike Chancery Court. The appellee alleged in his complaint that, on or about April first, 1923, he and the appellant associated themselves together as partners for the purpose of buying, cultivating and operating certain lands in Pike County, Arkansas, consisting of 123.95 acres; that each should pay one-half of the purchase price of the land and share equally in the expense and profits in the cultivation and operation of the lands; that, pursuant to the agreement, the lands were purchased by them, title being taken in the name of the appellant in trust for the partnership; that, during the year 1923, peach orchards on the lands produced peaches of the gross value of $11,100; that the expenses incurred in cultivating the orchards and gathering and marketing the crop amounted to $3,200, leaving a net profit accruing to the partnership of $7,900; that appellee was entitled to receive one-half of such profit, amounting to the sum of $3,950; that appellant had repudiated appel-lee ’s interest in the partnership and had thus converted to his own use appellee’s share of the profits. Appellee further alleged that he borrowed from appellant the sum of $1,500 at the time the lands were purchased, for which he agreed to pay the appellant eight per cent, interest from April 1, 1923, until the same was paid; that appellant was entitled to a set-off in the sum of $1,500 at eight per cent, interest from April 1, 1923, against the $3,950, appellee’s share of the profits, leaving a balance due appellee from the appellant in the sum of $2,450. Appellee prayed for an accounting and a sale of the lands mentioned, and a division of the proceeds as their interests might appear, and for judgment against the appellant in the sum of $2,450, and that same be declared a lien upon the appellant’s interest in the partnership. The appellant in his answer denied the allegations of the complaint.

The appellee testified substantially as follows: He and the appellant were both employed by the American Refrigerator Transit Company. Appellee and appellant agreed to associate themselves together for the purpose of buying 123 acres of land in Pike County, about thirty-three acres of which was a peach orchard. In pursuance of such agreement, they purchased the land about April 1, 1923, from the Caddo River Lumber Company, for a consideration of $3,000. Tbe agreement between the appellant and appellee concerning the purchase of the land was oral. The appellee did not have the money to pay his part of the purchase price, and the appellant suggested that he would let appellee have the sum of $1,500, for which the appellee was to pay interest at the rate of eight per cent. The agreement between them was that they should purchase the land and each one own an undivided half interest in it. Appellant was to pay $1,500 and appellee $1,500. The deed was made out in appellant’s name. Appellee further testified in detail to the effect that he had agreed to superintend the application of the spraying material on the orchard, and that he did so until the time the appellee’s son came down on his vacation in June and relieved the appellee of supervision. There was no agreement between appellee and appellant to the effect that appellee was to be paid a salary for his services in connection with the peach crop. There was no agreement as to the time that either party would devote to the crop. On July 3,1923, appellee had an operation for appendicitis, and, a few days after his release from the hospital, appellant advised appellee that the latter had not fulfilled his part of the transaction, and that appellee could either accept the pro rata payment of the amount he had put in on the orchard for expenses or drop out of it altogether. This occurred the day before the crop started moving. Appellee stated that the approximate value of the land was the sum of $3,000. On cross-examination he stated that appellant loaned him the $1,500 when the deed was made over in appellant’s name. Appellant did not take any note or written memorandum as evidence of the loan. Appellant never gave the money representing the purchase price of the land into appel-lee’s hands. The appellant purchased appellee’s part of the land, and appellee was to pay him from the proceeds of the crop the principal sum of $1,500 plus eight per cent, interest, after the crop was harvested. If the crop had lost $10,000, appellee considered himself morally obligated to fulfill Ms part of the agreement. Appellee did not claim that appellant actually loaned him $1,500 to pay for his half of the property. Appellee was to pay the appellant the $1,500, after the crop had been sold, out of appellee’s half of the net proceeds of the crop. Appellee gave no security to appellant except his moral obligation to pay from appellee’s half of the net proceeds or profits. The appellee was present when the arrangements were made for the purchase of the farm in controversy, but was not present when the appellant paid the cash for the land and the deed was turned over to appellant. Appellee had seen the deed. The appellee had no information about the cost of producing the crop or the gross or net return, except that given him by the appellant. All appellee had actually put into the farm or the peach orchard in actual cash was the sum of $338, which appellant had returned to the appellee. If appellant had not suggested to appellee that he would advance the $1,500 for appellee, appellee would have arranged otherwise to secure the money.

John T. Stinson testified that he was director of agricultural development for the Missouri Pacific Eailroad Company, and that he was acquainted with the parties to the action and with the land in controversy. He made a trip with the parties, inspecting the orchards and strawberry fields. At that tim& they inspected the orchard in controversy. Previous to that time witness had an arrangement with the appellee by which they hoped to purchase the orchard jointly, and witness and ap-pellee had made an offer for the same, but afterwards witness found that he could not raise the money to pay for his half. On the day witness and the parties to the action went to inspect the orchard, witness remained at the motor car while appellee and appellant made the inspection. After the inspection, appellee and appellant went into the office of the Caddo Company, and, when they came out, witness asked appellee, in the presence of the appellant, if they had purchased the farm, and appellee answered in the affirmative. “Witness then) asked appellant if lie was going in with the appellee on the purchase, and talked with the appellant about the prospects of the peach crop, etc., and the appellant answered that he was going in with the appellee on the purchase. Witness had conversed with the appellant a number of times since the purchase, during the summer, in his office, because witness was interested in the proposition. He had endeavored to purchase a half interest in it, and was naturally interested in the outcome. He never lost an opportunity to ask appellant how things were coming. Witness was asked the following question: “In speaking to him (appellant) about that orchard after that, did you refer to it as the property which he and Mr. Zuber had purchased?” Witness answered, “I never dreamed of anything else. Q. Well, did he (appellant) ever deny that to you? A. Oh, never. Q. Or did he ever claim to you that Mr. Zuber didn’t have any interest in it? A.

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Bluebook (online)
271 S.W. 347, 168 Ark. 613, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/obryan-v-zuber-ark-1925.