Palmer v. Dodge

4 Ohio St. (N.S.) 21
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1854
StatusPublished

This text of 4 Ohio St. (N.S.) 21 (Palmer v. Dodge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Palmer v. Dodge, 4 Ohio St. (N.S.) 21 (Ohio 1854).

Opinion

Ranney, J.

Short and Palmer were partners in business, from 1836, to June 28,1841. During the existence of the partnership, the firm borrowed money of one Sally Dana, for which a promissory note was given, and several times renewed, and which remained unpaid, at the time the partnership was dissolved. After the dissolution, and on April 15, 1842, Short, in. the name of E. Short & Co., with the defendant in error as surety, executed a new note to Mrs. Dana, for the principal and interest then due, payable in one year. It was proved that the agent of Mrs. Dana who took this note, knew the partnership was dissolved; and it was further shown that Dodge took the newspaper in which the notice of dissolution was published. This note was once renewed by the same parties, and subsequently, and after the death of Short, was paid off by the surety, Dodge, who brought this action to recover the amount of Palmer, as so much money paid for the use of the firm.

On these facts the counsel for Palmer requested the court to charge the jury, that E. Short, after the dissolution, had no authority to give said notes to a person having knowledge of th'e dissolution, so as to bind the late firm of E. Short & Co.; and the said Dodge, having gone security on the note given after the dissolution, and with notice of it, had no right to recover from Palmer the money paid by him in discharge of the note.

The court refused to give these instructions, but charged the jury that Short, after the dissolution, could not give a note in the name [27, 28]*27, 28of the firm so as to bind his copartner thereby; but if Short, in the performance of his agency in settling np the business of the firm, thought it necessary for the interests of the firm to renew the note, and in good faith obtained Dodge as security for that purpose, he (Dodge) might recover from Palmer *the amount originally loaned to the firm, with six per cent, interest thereon.

As no claim is made that Palmer came under any direct engagements to Dodge, or that he ever authorized Short to execute this particular note, or afterward recognized or ratified his act, it is evident the case must depend upon the authority retained by Short, as a member of the dissolved partnership, or upon that specially derived from the-agreement of dissolution. We have carefully considered the case in both these aspects, and can see no sufficient reason why the instruction asked for should have been refused. Indeed, it seems quite impossible to justify the refusal, or support the charge as given, consistently with well-established and salutary principles, applicable to the law of partnerships.

During the continuance of the partnership, each member has the undoubted right to bind his associates to the performance of every contract he may make in the name of the firm, within the limits allowed by the articles of association ; and they are equally bound to third persons, having no notice of any special limitation of his power, upon all contracts within the scope and objects of the partnership, although he may have overstepped such limitations. In such cases, the contracting partner acts for himself, and as the authorized agent of his copartners. His authority, it is true, need not necessarily arise from the express terms of the partnership agreement, but the law implies it from the community of interest and joint object for which the association is formed; and, as it is ordinarily necessary to the attainment of its ends, reasonably infers the power of each to act for all, as within the understanding and contemplation of the parties. They are supposed to have reposed this confidence in each other, and however much it may be abused, in behalf of innocent third persons, the conclusive answer is, that the loss must fall upon those who have given the ability to do the wrong.

This capacity continues as long as the joint operations of the *firm endure, and contracts are necessary to accomplish its purposes. Eor the protection of third persons, it may continue longer. As the period of its dissolution, by the agreement of the parties, may only be known to themselves, the law exacts, not only that [29]*29they should hold themselves out no longer as operating jointly, but that they use reasonable diligence to advise others of the termina tion of their previous connection. As to those who have previously dealt with the firm, the notice must be actual; as to others, public notice in some newspaper circulating in the neighborhood is suffi cient, if even that is required.

In such cases, the other partners are charged for their negligence in omitting to perform a duty which the law requires at their hands, intended to protect third persons against the unauthorized acts of their associates. But where no question of notice intervenes, the dissolution works an absolute and unqualified revocation of all power and authority in either of the partners to bind the others to any new engagement, contract,,or promise. In the language of Judge Story (Story on Part., sec. 322): “None of the partners can create any new contracts or obligations binding upon the partnership ; none of them can buy or sell, or pledge goods on account thereof; none of them can indorse or transfer the partnership securities to third persons, or in any other way make their acts the acts of the partnership. In short, none of them can do any act, or make any disposition of the partnership property or funds, in any manner inconsistent with the primary duty, now incumbent on all of them, of winding up the whole concerns of the partnership..”

As the dissolution finds the engagements of the company, they must remain until liquidated and paid, unless all the partners consent to come under new engagements or otherwise change their character. But while the law thus effectually revokes the implied authority of each partner to incur new obligations for his fellows, it leaves upon each of them the duty, and continues to each the right, of doing whatever is necessary to collect the *debts due to the partnership, and to adjust, settle, and pay its debts. “ For (as stated by the same author) all these acts, if done bona fide, are for the advancement and consummation of the great objects and duties of the partners upon the dissolution, to wind up the whole partnership concern and divide the surplus, if any, among them, after all debts and charges are extinguished.”

This right of each of the partners to participate in the settlement of its concerns, can not be interfered with by his copartners, without subjecting them to the controlling power of a court of equity; but it of be him[30]*30self, or lie may, if he sees fit, invest them with more extended authority than the law will imply in their behalf.

Appended to the notice of dissolution signed by the partners, and published in this case, is this clause: “The remaining urn settled business of the firm will be adjusted by E. Short, who is hereby authorized to close all business transactions of the late firm.” This notice is good evidence of the agreement of the parties, and conclusive in favor of third persons who have dealt with Short, relying upon it. But no one could or had a right to understand it as authorizing Short to do more than to adjust and settle the unfinished business, and close up the transactions of the firm. This power he had without the agreement; it added nothing to the authority which the law gave, and took nothing from it.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 Ohio St. (N.S.) 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/palmer-v-dodge-ohio-1854.