Self Drive It Corp. Case

134 A.2d 662, 390 Pa. 161, 1957 Pa. LEXIS 275
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 30, 1957
DocketAppeal, No. 193
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 134 A.2d 662 (Self Drive It Corp. Case) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Self Drive It Corp. Case, 134 A.2d 662, 390 Pa. 161, 1957 Pa. LEXIS 275 (Pa. 1957).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Benjamin R. Jones,

This appeal was taken from an order of the Court of Common Pleas No. 1 of Philadelphia County, dated December 19, 1956, dismissing appellant’s motion to quash, set aside and dismiss all proceedings in the matter in controversy up to the date of the motion.

Self Drive It Corporation1 is a “closed” Pennsylvania corporation the capital stock of which is owned entirely by two married couples who also serve as its only four directors. Appellants, M. Alexander Forman and Betty Forman own — respectively—49% and 1% of the capital stock; appellees, Richard S. Robinson and Florence H. Robinson, own — in the same proportion — the other half of the corporate stock. The control of the corporation is thus divided evenly between the two families.

On October 26, 1956, appellee Richard S. Robinson petitioned the Court of Common Pleas No. 1 of Philadelphia County.under §1107 (A) (4) of the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1933, as amended,2 for the appointment of a receiver “to liquidate the assets and wind up the business of the corporation in the nature of a dissolution”. The petition contained an allegation, couched in the language of §1107 (A) (4) of the statute, supra, that the directors were deadlocked in the management of the corporate affairs, that the stockholders were unable to break this deadlock, that irreparable damage and injury were being suffered by [163]*163the corporation, and such damage and injury would continue and be of such a character and nature as to destroy the stockholders’ equity and be injurious to the creditors.

On the same day the court below, pursuant to §1108(a) of the Business Corporation Law, supra, appointed one Irwin Apfel and one David Cohen as temporary co-receivers of the corporation, specifically stating that the court would fix a date for the full hearing on the petition and facts at which time it would determine whether, and for what purposes, a permanent receiver should be appointed.

The temporary co-receivers were ordered to file an inventory and appraisement of the assets and property of the corporation and to make a report to the court thereon within 30 days. Pursuant to this order, on November 15, 1956, an exhaustive and comprehensive report was filed in which the temporary co-receivers reviewed the nature, history and problems of the business and concluded with the recommendation, buttressed with full reasons therefor, that a liquidating receiver should be appointed whose primary duty should be to liquidate the corporate assets.

On the same day the court below ordered that a hearing be held for the purpose of determining whether or not a “liquidating” receiver should be appointed. At this hearing, on November 21, 1956, appellee Robinson introduced testimony: (1) that neither the Robin-sons nor the Formans were able to control the corporation because each family owned 50% of the stock; (2) that there had been a serious dispute existent for several months between Richard S. Robinson and M. Alexander Forman which had arisen because of Mr. Forman’s insistence that the corporation’s fleet of motor vehicles should be reduced; (3) that as a result of this dispute Mr. Forman, who served as secretary-[164]*164treasurer of the corporation, on one occasion had refused to sign the payroll checks of the corporation and that this unexplained refusal had resulted in the employees being unpaid at the proper time, thereby revealing to them the dissension existent in the management and affecting their morale; (4) that on another occasion Mr. Forman had refused to sign a check for approximately $29,000 (payable to the bank on which the corporation depended for its financing) on the date when the payment became due and that he persisted in this refusal until Mr. Robinson was forced to reveal to the bank the dispute within the corporation’s management and the inability of the stockholders (who comprise the entire management) to resolve this dispute.

At the hearing appellants’ counsel cross-examined appellee Robinson and his witnesses but failed to offer any evidence at all to rebut their testimony. At appellants’ request and over appellees’ objection the hearing was continued until November 28, 1956 so that appellants could further prepare and review their case.

When the continued hearing was resumed the following colloquy — the importance of which is self-evident — occurred: “The Court: This is a hearing, a continued hearing, is it not, on a petition to have a permanent receiver appointed? Mr. Miller: (counsel for the temporary receivers) Yes, Sir. Mr. Jones: (counsel for the appellants) That is right. At the last hearing I made representation to the Court that I desired to file certain exceptions. Events after that — since then we have worked two business days, Friday and Monday — Events after that had led me and my client to agree and say to the Court that we should do nothing further hut agree to the Court appointing a permanent receiver and move on from that point, your Honor. (Emphasis supplied) Mr. Miller: If it pleases [165]*165your Honor, although the term ‘permanent receiver’ is used, we speak of a ‘liquidating receiver’ within the purview of the Business Corporation Act of 1933, sections 1107 and 1108. The Court: Oh, I see. That is the correct term, is it, ‘liquidating receiver’, rather than ‘permanent receiver’? Mr. Miller: That is right.

It must be noted, parenthetically, that nowhere during the course of this discussion did appellants offer any objection whatsoever to what was being said or being done. The record could not possibly be any more clear on this point. Appellants consented to the appointment of what their counsel incorrectly described as a “permanent” receiver. Appellees immediately corrected this mistake, asserting that the correct term was “liquidating receiver” and the Court took immediate cognizance of the correction. Appellants did not object or, in fact, say anything at all which would have the effect of qualifying their consent. It can only be assumed, from the face of the record, that appellants consented to the appointment of a liquidating receiver.

This conclusion becomes even more inescapable in view of what was said shortly thereafter, at the conclusion of the hearing: “The Court: I will appoint Mr. Apfel as liquidating receiver. As you know, the Court may appoint a receiver on its own motion and eliminate one suggested by the original petitioner. This is no reflection whatsoever on Mr. Cohen, for whom I have high regard. It is just that at this point there is no necessity for two receivers and we want to keep the expense down. Mr. Miller: I appreciate that. The Court: I see Mr. Cohen is in court and I know that he will understand exactly what I am stating, that this is in no sense any criticism of him or any reflection on him. Mr. Irwin Apfel is appointed sole liquidating receiver. The bond heretofore required may be [166]*166continued until further order of the Court. There is no use increasing the amount of the bond unless the necessities of the situation require it. Mr. Miller: Very-good, sir. The Court: Whatever is to be done is to be done with the knowledge of all the parties concerned and nothing will be approved by the Court without ample notice and hearing. I hope that the parties will find a way of getting the most they can from this very profitable business.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
134 A.2d 662, 390 Pa. 161, 1957 Pa. LEXIS 275, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/self-drive-it-corp-case-pa-1957.