Saviano v. Westport Amusements, Inc.

180 P.3d 874
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedApril 15, 2008
Docket36121-3-II
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 180 P.3d 874 (Saviano v. Westport Amusements, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Saviano v. Westport Amusements, Inc., 180 P.3d 874 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

180 P.3d 874 (2008)

Dennis SAVIANO, Appellant,
v.
WESTPORT AMUSEMENTS, INC., an inactive Washington corporation; Harold Prater and Dawn Prater, husband and wife, and the marital community composed thereof, Respondents.

No. 36121-3-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

April 15, 2008.

David P. Horton, Law Office of David P. Horton Inc., PS, Silverdale, WA, for Appellant.

John Michael Morgan, J. Michael Morgan PLLC, Olympia, WA, for Respondents.

*875 ARMSTRONG, J.

¶ 1 Dennis Saviano appeals the trial court's findings that his loans to Westport Amusements, Inc. were acts of "self-dealing" and its conclusion that Saviano was not a secured creditor of Westport and thus was not entitled to reimbursement of his loans before sharing the dissolved corporation's capital with the other stockholders. Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2 Westport Amusements, Inc. (Westport) is a Washington corporation formed in 1993 by Saviano and Harold and Dawn Prater. Saviano holds 55 percent of the corporation's stock and the Praters hold 45 percent. At the time of its formation, Harold Prater and Saviano were the corporate directors.

¶ 3 Westport's sole business was the Westport Family Fun Center amusement park. The Praters lived nearby and contributed $40,000 annually in labor and some financial backing in managing the park while Saviano, who lived out-of-state, contributed capital and business expertise to start and maintain the company. Both parties undertook personal financial responsibility for corporate obligations.

¶ 4 On April 28, 2002, Saviano wrote a letter to the Port of Grays Harbor County enclosing "our check" for $28,791.12 to cover past due lease payments. Ex. 1. In seeking a lease amendment, the letter noted that the park was experiencing difficulty due to the economic downturn and described the parties' financial contributions:

I have never taken out one cent for my time or the money that I have put into the fun center. I personally have over $400,000.00 in the fun center. Harold and Dawn haven't taken any money out either. They haven't even been able to take wages or any other compensation out for all the time and effort they have devoted to the fun center. They also have as much money as I do in the fun center. All the money we have put into the fun center was not for any payables. It was used to create new attractions. Up until two years ago we were always able to pay our payables timely.

Ex. 1 at 1. On May 1, 2002, Saviano executed a promissory note for $150,000 with the corporation as borrower and himself as creditor.

¶ 5 In August 2002, the Praters informed Saviano that they would stop operating the park as of October 31, 2002. When the Praters resigned, the parties abandoned Westport's ongoing business operations. Saviano stepped in and undertook the responsibility to preserve and sell the corporate assets. Notable debts included the port lease, lending institution financial obligations, and corporate taxes owed to local governments.

¶ 6 The Praters and Saviano held an annual shareholders' meeting on April 14, 2003. Saviano passed a resolution to amend the corporate bylaws to allow only one director and nominated and elected himself as that director, as well as president.

¶ 7 On April 15, 2004, Saviano prepared a "Written Consent of the Director Without a Meeting" whereby he authorized the corporation to borrow money from him. Ex. 16; Clerk's Papers (CP) at 185. In April 2006, Saviano executed another promissory note for $300,000 that superseded the 2002 note.

¶ 8 In August 2006, the corporation negotiated a sale of its assets. When the shareholders could not agree on the terms of the sale, Saviano commenced this action to dissolve the corporation and asked the court to sell the corporate assets on the terms he had negotiated with the purchaser. The Praters then consented to dissolution and to the sale, which resulted in a payment of $350,000 into the court registry for distribution. When Saviano sought reimbursement for the loans he made to Westport, the Praters disputed his right to be repaid the loans. The parties moved for summary judgment on this issue, and the trial court denied both motions.

¶ 9 After a two-day trial, the trial court found Saviano's promissory notes a product of "self-dealing" and unenforceable, but it recognized that his actions in paying Westport's debts and selling its assets entitled him to recover the payments he made on Westport's behalf from 2003 to 2006. CP at *876 172. The trial court entered the following disputed findings and conclusions:

Findings of Fact
. . . .
8. The Court finds that the Praters had abandoned the corporation in 2002, and that Mr. Saviano's actions on behalf of the corporation and personally were conflicting. Mr. Saviano's actions were self-dealing and he undertook this course of action to further enhance his future ability to recover all of his future and past investments by executing promissory notes on behalf of the corporation to repay the amounts he paid to creditors and filed UCC documentation (Exhibit 22) to secure the amounts.
9. Through his actions in running the corporation he failed to acknowledge and preserve for capital contribution purposes the investment of past labor by the Praters.
10. During the course of these actions, Mr. Saviano incurred the additional debt, he renegotiated the Port lease and made payments on same; paid corporate tax obligations and basically took all necessary actions to preserve the assets of the corporation in order that losses for personal obligations not occur or be limited. The parties stipulated that the amounts paid by Saviano were accurately reflected in Exhibit 4, which was admitted, and that those amounts were paid to corporate creditors. His actions did not benefit the corporation, but benefited both parties on a personal basis.
11. Saviano undertook, for personal reasons, to wind down and sell the corporate assets. For all intents and purposes Mr. Saviano became a "quasi" receiver from 2002[sic] until the time of trial.[1]
. . . .
Conclusions of Law and Order
. . . .
3. Based on the foregoing Findings of Fact, the Court finds that the net proceeds should be distributed as follows:
. . . .
B. The promissory notes and other corporate actions making Saviano a secured creditor of the corporation are unenforceable and shall not be paid.
C. Mr. Saviano incurred additional debt in the amount of $179,108 for calendar years 2003 through 2006 to preserve the assets of the corporation and further preserve personal assets of the parties. He is thus entitled to be reimbursed for those sums similar to what a receiver would have been allowed to arrive at the situation we are with the corporation's assets being sold and proceeds to be received.
. . . .

CP at 186-87.

¶ 10 Saviano now appeals, contending that the 2006 promissory note is enforceable and that he is entitled to receive the $122,000 he paid on Westport's behalf in 2002, in addition to the $179,108 he paid from 2003 to 2006. He also contends that he is entitled to prejudgment interest and attorney fees.

ANALYSIS

1. The 2006 Promissory Note

¶ 11 Saviano first argues that the trial court erred in ruling that the 2006 note was unenforceable.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Brian Green, V Department Of Corrections
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Pio Augustino Fagaautau, V. Jason Bennett
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Linda Omori Et Ano. V. Theresa Mcdonald
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Michael Schermerhorn, V. Wslcb And Cannabis Board
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Chanmalaty Touch, V. Wa State Gambling Commission
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Zachary Gibson, V. Holly Lyon
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2025
Mdb Landmark Llc, V. William Washington
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024
Jc Aviation Investements, Llc, V. Htp, Inc.
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2021
Sing Cho Ng v. Bing Kung Association
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2019
Kassa Ins. Services v. Ryan Pugh, et ux
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014
CalPortland Co. v. LevelOne Concrete, LLC
321 P.3d 1261 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014)
Calportland Company v. Levelone Concrete, Llc
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014
Hal And Melanie Moore, V Steve's Outboard Service
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014
Gregory R. Swilling v. Susan Fay Bengston
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2013
Courchaine v. Commonwealth Land Title Insurance
296 P.3d 913 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
180 P.3d 874, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saviano-v-westport-amusements-inc-washctapp-2008.