Rice v. Watkins

191 P.2d 810, 85 Cal. App. 2d 44, 1948 Cal. App. LEXIS 871
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 15, 1948
DocketCiv. 15953
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 191 P.2d 810 (Rice v. Watkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rice v. Watkins, 191 P.2d 810, 85 Cal. App. 2d 44, 1948 Cal. App. LEXIS 871 (Cal. Ct. App. 1948).

Opinions

WOOD, J.

This is an action for dissolution of a partnership and for an accounting. Defendant denied that a partnership agreement had been made. The court, after orally announcing its decision that a partnership existed, continued the trial to a later date, ordered an accounting of the partnership affairs, and appointed an appraiser to make a written report of the value of the partnership assets. Thereafter an accounting was had, the cause was submitted, and the court rendered judgment that there should be a dissolution of the copartnership; that the partnership business and assets be sold; and that the net proceeds from such sale be paid to plaintiff and defendant in accordance with their equities, which it found to be in certain sums hereinafter referred to. Defendant appeals from the judgment.

Appellant’s contention that the evidence was insufficient to establish a partnership agreement is not sustainable. The evidence shows that about October 1, 1941, defendant told plaintiff that he intended to go into the delicatessen business and he needed some money; that plaintiff delivered five checks in the amounts of $1,000, $200, $100, $100, and $25 to defendant, and the total amount of money represented by those checks, $1,425, was a part of the money used in establishing the business; that the written lease, for the space in the general food market where the delicatessen was located, was obtained in the name of defendant as lessee, and the fixtures were also obtained in defendant’s name; that all credit which was extended for the benefit of the business was extended in defendant’s name; that defendant and his wife operated the business; that defendant was in the merchant marine from November, 1942, to July, 1944, and during his absence his wife operated the business; that at the time the business was started, and thereafter until plaintiff entered the Navy, plaintiff was employed full time by a cheese company; that during the time he was not in the Navy he went to the delicatessen at least once a week and remained there a few minutes; and that plaintiff was in the Navy from November, 1942, to September, 1945. The plaintiff testified, in part, that defendant told him if he (plaintiff) would “put up $1,400” the defendant would give him a half interest in the business and it would be a “50-50 partnership deal”; [47]*47that plaintiff stated that since he was selling the products of a cheese company to delicatessens, he thought it would not look well for him to be a competitor of those to whom he sold such products; that the defendant then suggested that plaintiff become a “silent, partner,” and stated that he (defendant) would put everything in his name and “operate the business” with plaintiff’s cooperation; that plaintiff did not have the “cash” to invest in the business, but he borrowed the money on his home; that plaintiff and defendant discussed the salaries which defendant and his wife should receive for operating the business, and defendant “agreed” that his salary should be $50 a week and his wife’s salary $35 a week; that plaintiff’s “understanding” was that the profits would be used first to repay plaintiff the amount of his investment, and then the profits would be used to repay defendant the amount of his investment, and thereafter the profits would be divided between plaintiff and defendant equally, and that both parties would bear any losses equally.

The testimony of plaintiff’s wife, who was called as a witness in his behalf, corroborated in substance the testimony of plaintiff. Another witness, who was a fellow-employee of plaintiff, testified that when he was with plaintiff at the place of business he heard defendant ask plaintiff “if he had any money to give him to operate tomorrow because he did not have any change in the cash register”; and that plaintiff gave defendant a check for $25.

Defendant testified, in part, that a partnership was never agreed upon or discussed; that the plaintiff offered to lend him the money in return for “favors” defendant had done for plaintiff; that when he accepted plaintiff’s check for $1,000 he told plaintiff he would give him 6 per cent straight interest on the total amount until the final payment; that when he accepted the additional $425 from plaintiff he offered plaintiff a note for it but plaintiff said he did not care for one at that time; that it was a personal loan and not a loan to the business; that there was no obligation on defendant’s part to pay the money back at any certain time; that he was to pay it back in payments if he could afford it and at the most convenient times; that the $75 which plaintiff was paid, in addition to the $1,425 he had lent defendant, was sent to plaintiff by defendant’s wife while defendant was in the merchant marine; that he supposed the said $75 should have been applied on the interest owed plain[48]*48tiff; and that defendant had invested between $1,900 and $2,000 in the business.

Defendant’s wife, called as a witness in his behalf, testified in substance the same as defendant had testified.

As- stated in the case of Fewel & Dawes Inc. v. Pratt, 17 Cal.2d 85, at page 89 [109 P.2d 650] : “A finding of the trial court upon conflicting evidence will not be disturbed on appeal if there is evidence of a substantial character which reasonably supports the judgment.” The evidence was sufficient to support the finding that a partnership existed.

Plaintiff and defendant each appointed an auditor to examine the partnership accounts. At the time the trial was resumed the reports of both auditors and the statement of the appraiser were received in evidence. After hearing the testimony of the auditors the court made findings that the plaintiff and defendant, pursuant to an agreement, formed a partnership on December 19, 1941, for the purpose of carrying on a business known as “Watkin’s Delicatessen”; that said agreement provided that plaintiff would contribute the sum of $1,425 and that defendant would contribute cash and property aggregating and having a value of $1,950; that said contributions were made; that said agreement also provided that “each party would receive back his capital contribution out of the net profits,” and that “the defendant would be entitled to withdraw Eighty-five Dollars ($85) per week out of the net profits,” and that the net profits thereafter would be divided equally; that the amount contributed by plaintiff was not a loan, and that said amount has been repaid to him; that defendant has made capital contributions aggregating $4,118.46, and that said sum has been repaid to him; that defendant wrongfully and maliciously applied a portion of the partnership money to his own use, and by reason thereof became indebted to the partnership and the plaintiff; that the report of the auditor (who was appointed by the defendant) was a true and correct statement and audit of the partnership business and accounts to and including August 3, 1946, and that said report was attached to and, by reference thereto, made a part of the findings; that it was true that the “equities” of the partners were in the amounts as set forth in such report, to wit, $3,719.52 as to the plaintiff, and $9,201.66 as to the defendant; that the interests of the said partners cannot be apportioned and distributed until liquidation of the partnership assets has been made; that the appraisal, made by the [49]

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205 Cal. App. 2d 818 (California Court of Appeal, 1962)
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Rice v. Watkins
191 P.2d 810 (California Court of Appeal, 1948)

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Bluebook (online)
191 P.2d 810, 85 Cal. App. 2d 44, 1948 Cal. App. LEXIS 871, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rice-v-watkins-calctapp-1948.