Ordway-Saunders Co. v. Little

568 S.W.2d 711, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3418
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 26, 1978
DocketNo. 8891
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 568 S.W.2d 711 (Ordway-Saunders Co. v. Little) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ordway-Saunders Co. v. Little, 568 S.W.2d 711, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3418 (Tex. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

REYNOLDS, Justice.

After Dawson Little withdrew as a partner from Ordway-Saunders Company and accepted payment computed under the partnership agreement for his partnership interest, he brought this action to recover additional sums for his share of partnership assets not included in the computation. Judgment was rendered decreeing his recovery of stipulated sums and the jury-found sum which were not included in the computation. We hold that the partnership agreement precluded the surcharges. Reversed and rendered.

Ordway-Saunders Company is, and for many years has been, a partnership engaged in the general insurance and mortgage banking business in Amarillo. From time to time, the partnership has been composed of different partners.

Dawson Little was employed by the partnership in 1959 as a solicitor. On 1 January 1960, he became a partner with the purchase of two separate interests aggregating a seven and one-half (7.5%) per cent interest in the partnership. By a later purchase and contributions connected with changes in the partnership status and personnel, his partnership interest became fixed at seventeen and nineteen one hundredths (17.19%) per cent.

To record a more complete understanding of the partnership, the partners executed an agreement on 15 May 1965. Among its provisions were expressions that “[t]he books of the partnership shall be kept on the accrual method of accounting,” that “[t]he assets and liabilities of the partnership and the capital accounts of the partners are shown on the books of the partnership and made a part hereof for all purposes,” and that “[f]ull and accurate accounts of all transactions of the partnership shall be kept in proper books of account.” Provided for also were the other active partners’ purchases of the interests of active partners who elected to become consulting partners, who died or who were voted early retirement.1

[713]*713Thereafter, amendments to the basic agreement were made with each change of partnership personnel. On 30 June 1974, there' was executed by the partners the seventh amendment which, together with the 15 May 1965 basic agreement, constitutes the entire partnership agreement giving rise to this litigation. Paragraph 5 of the seventh amendment, which was incorporated after Little asked that there be added another alternative by which the partners could voluntarily withdraw, reads, in part:

5. An active Partner may voluntarily withdraw from the Partnership by giving written notice thereof to the other active Partners. Upon withdrawing, all the withdrawing Partner’s interest in the assets, records, business and all other property of the Partnership shall become the property of the Partnership composed of those persons who are Partners other than the withdrawing Partner, and the withdrawing Partner shall receive therefor either
(a) If the withdrawing Partner has been an active Partner of Ordway-Saun-ders Company for a period of at least three (3) years and enters into an agreement not to compete in the insurance and mortgage loan business with the Ordway-Saunders Company Partnership or any of the members of Ordway-Saunders Company Partnership . . . the withdrawing Partner shall receive for a period of thirty-six (36) months after electing to withdraw fifty percent (50%) of the share of the profits he was receiving immediately prior to his election, and fifty percent (50%) of the salary being drawn by each Partner during the thirty-six (36) month period. These amounts shall be paid by the Partnership to the withdrawing Partner out of the income of the Partnership. In addition, the other active Partners shall pay the withdrawing Partner fifty percent (50%) of his capital account at the time of his election to withdraw and the balance remaining in his capital account at the end of the thirty-six (36) month period,
OR
(b) If the withdrawing Partner does not enter into an agreement not to compete or he has not been a Partner of the Ordway-Saunders Company Partnership for a period of at least three (3) years prior to his election to withdraw, the Partnership shall pay the withdrawing Partner an amount equal to, and the withdrawing Partner shall sell and the remaining active Partners shall purchase for cash for an amount equal to the retiring Partner’s capital account at the time of his election to withdraw. In addition to the above, the Partnership shall pay out of the Partnership income an amount equal to one-third (⅛) of the amount of profits and losses which said Partner drew during the immediately preceding thirty-six (36) month period, and one-third (½) of the Partnership salary which he received during the immediately preceding thirty-six (36) month period. These payments will be made in twelve (12) equal monthly installments with the first installment being payable thirty (30) days after withdrawal and a like installment to be made on the same day of each month thereafter until the twelve (12) monthly payments have been made.

A letter dated 11 February 1975, signed by Little and addressed to the other partners contains this language:

I, an active partner of the Ordway-Saunders Company, a partnership, hereby give you written notice of my withdrawal under Part 5 of Amendment Number Seven to the Ordway-Saunders Company, a Partnership, Agreement dated June 30, 1974.
I have been an active partner for a period in excess of three (3) years but do not wish to enter into an agreement not to compete in the insurance and mortgage loan business with the Ordway-Saunders Company, a partnership, or any of the members of Ordway-Saunders [714]*714Company. My withdrawal date shall be the 1st day of March, 1975.2
I realize that I have assigned all amounts due me upon withdrawal from the partnership to the Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo, Texas, as security for its loan to me. I agree that all checks in payment of the amounts due me shall be payable to J. Dawson Little and Amarillo National Bank, Amarillo, Texas, and delivered to the Amarillo National Bank.

Little was furnished a calculation made from the partnership’s books of the amount of his capital account and the total amount of payment he would be entitled to under paragraph 5(b) of the amended partnership agreement. It was later stipulated, without prejudice to Little’s contention that assets were omitted in computing his capital account, that the figures of $30,758.04, as the amount of Little’s capital account, and $78,061.58, as one-third of Little’s net income and salary for the thirty-six months prior to the date of his withdrawal, were accurately taken from the partnership’s books and calculated in accordance with the formula set forth in paragraph 5(b). After consulting with his attorney and an accountant, Little was paid and he accepted the total sum of $108,819.62 in the scheduled periodic payments.

After receipt of the $108,819.62, Little began this action on 21 May 1976. As material to the appeal, he declared on the partnership agreement, alleging that the amounts due him thereunder were not adequately determined and distributed to him in that (1) the fair market value of some realty owned by the partnership was not utilized, (2) the retained earnings of a corporation wholly owned by the partnership were not credited, and (3) the good will attached to the partnership was disregarded in determining his capital.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
568 S.W.2d 711, 1978 Tex. App. LEXIS 3418, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ordway-saunders-co-v-little-texapp-1978.