Snyder v. Eagle Fruit Co.

75 F.2d 739, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 3049
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 13, 1935
DocketNos. 10039-10041
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 75 F.2d 739 (Snyder v. Eagle Fruit Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snyder v. Eagle Fruit Co., 75 F.2d 739, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 3049 (8th Cir. 1935).

Opinion

WOODROUGH, Circuit Judge.

These appeals are to reverse and to modify a decree in equity rendered in the suit of the receiver of the Vandeventer National Bank against the Eagle Fruit Company, its three stockholders, Samuel C. Breadon, W. C. Anderson, and Susan B. Schneider; the conservator of the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, being also a party defendant. The suit was in the usual form of stockholder’s bill brought by the receiver, as the holder by way of pledge of certain capital stock of the Eagle Fruit Company, for an accounting on the part of Samuel C. Breadon and W. C. Anderson, officers of the corporation, of their conduct of the corporate affairs, and to compel Samuel C. Breadon to pay to the corporation $50,000 which it was alleged he owed it. Winding [740]*740up of the affairs of-the corporation was also prayed for and distribution to creditors and stockholders. Jurisdiction exists because tlie suit arose under laws of the United States and involves the winding up of the affairs of a national bank. The suit was tried upon the pleadings and stipulation of fact's, and very full and complete findings arid conclusions w'ere made by the trial court.

By" the terms of the decree the affairs of the Eagle Fruit Company were wound up; • defendant Samuel C. Breadcyn was held bound on his contract to pay to creditor's and stockholders of the Eagle Fruit Company-' '$50,000- in- 'consideration of the company’s having, conveyed its farm to a thiid party at his ‘instance ■ and for his use and benefit. The receivers of the Vandeventer National Bank and of the Grand National Bank were found to be pledgees in good faith of the capital stock of the Eagle Fruit Company which belonged to W. C. Anderson, and were found to have liens as such pledgees superior to any claim of Samuel C. Breadon upon the stock, and Breadon was ordered to make payment to them accordingly.^ Mr. Breadon was not required to pay interest on the $50,000 found to have been due from him to the corporation since 1932.

Each of the receivers files a separate appeal and Samuel C. Breadon and the Eagle Fruit Company, join in an appeal.

It appears that the Eagle Fruit Company was a Missouri corporation having 245 shares of capital . stock outstanding, of which Susan" B. Schneider owned' 61.33% shares and Sáriiuel C. Breadon and W.' C. Anderson each had 91.83% shares. Practically the only 'important asset of the corporation was á' 'fruit -farm in Florida of some 893 acres, for which the corporation was offered property at 15th and Spruce streets in St. Louis in exchange. The proposal-contemplated the payment of $35,000 cash for the St. Louis property in addition to a deed for the Florida farm. The Eagle Fruit Companydid not háve the cash necessary to carry out the exchange, but a contract was arrived at whereby terms of an exchange were agreed upon, and, in pursuance of - the contract, the Eagle Fruit Company conveyed its 893 .acres of Florida land to the nominee of the'owners of the St. Louis property and the St. Louis property was deeded by its owners to Samuel C. Breadon fof- his exclusive use and benefit. As consideration to the Eagle Fruit Company for such transfer of its lands, Samuel C. Breadon promised to pay it $50,-000 on or before June 15, 1932. Mr. Breadon- has hot paid the money or made any tender of payment, although it is stated in argument that he has applied some $3,000 to the payment of claims of creditors of the corporation.

It appears that prior to the consummation of the exchange of properties W. C. Anderson was indebted to Samuel- C. Breadon in .a sum approximating $10,000 and Anderson had agreed with Breadon that he would turn over to Breadon all of his (stock) holdings in the Eagle Fruit Company free of all debts and liens, and that Breadon should ^ deduct all of Anderson’s notes with interest from the amount to be paid to Anderson as a stockholder, if- Breadon “should elect to purchase the Eagle Fruit Company.” . ¡ -. ■ ,

Breadon at all times believed that Anderson owned the 91.83% shares of capital stock of the Eagle Fruit Company, which appeared in Anderson’s name on the stock record of the company free and clear of liens, and orie of the inducements to Breadon in causing the exchange of properties to be made and in agreeing to pay $50,000 for the assets of the Eagle Fruit Company was that he would get the amount that Anderson owed him out of the distributive share of the $50,000 to which the owner of the Anderson stock would be entitled on winding up the Eagle Fruit Company. The fact was, however, that Anderson had pledged one of his stock certificates for 76y2 shares of Eagle Fruit Company stock to the Vandeventer National Bank as collateral .for loans which aggregate over $9,000, and had pledged the remainder of his shares to. the Grand National Bank for loans amounting to $3,339.51, and these banks had the stock in their possession duly assigned by Anderson in blank. So that Anderson, being insolvent, could not comply with his promise to turn the stock over free and clear of liens to Breadon.

■■ There is no complaint against that part of the decree of the trial court directing that the affairs of the Eagle Fruit Company be wound up and its assets distributed to creditors and stockholders, but the receivers of the banks complain that the trial court erred in not compelling Mr. Breadon to pay interest on the sum of $50,000 which it clearly appears and the court found Mr. Breadon promised to pay to the Eagle Fruit Com-pany on or before June 15, 1932. The trial [741]*741court found that Mr. Breadon had not paid the money because of the pendency of this suit and it is contended that there was uncertainty by reason of the suit and conflicting claims that excused payment or tender. It is also contended that decree for no interest was justified for lack of specific prayer for interest in the plaintiff’s bill of complaint.

We think it clear that interest should have been awarded. Mr. Breadon received the St. Louis property as the result of the Eagle Fruit Company’s transfer of its Florida farm, and at the same time that the Eagle Fruit Company divested itself of its property for his benefit, and he has had the use of the St. Louis property ever since. He promised to pay the money at a certain date and we see no excuse for his not having paid or tendered it, which would be sufficient to save him from payment of interest. The plain provision of the Missouri statute (section 2839, Rev. St. Mo. 1929 [Mo. St. Ann. § 2839, p. 4623]) requires payment of interest on the breach of such a promise to pay and the plaintiff’s pleading, in the usual form of a stockholder’s bill, was sufficient.

In Spalding v. Mason, 161 U. S. 375, at page 395, 16 S. Ct. 592, 600, 40 L. Ed. 738, the court said:

“Interest is allowed both at law and equity upon money due. As said by this court in .Curtis v. Innerarity, 6 How. 146, 154 [12 L. Ed. 380], considering and overruling an exception to an allowance of interest from the time certain payments had become due:
‘“It is a dictate of natural justice, and the law of every civilized country, that a man is bound in equity not only to perform his engagements, but also to repair all the damages that accrue naturally from their breach. * * * Every one who contracts to pay money on a certain day knows that, if he fails to fulfill his contract, he must pay the established rate of interest as damages for his nonperformance. Hence it may correctly be said that such is the implied contract of the parties.’

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Bluebook (online)
75 F.2d 739, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 3049, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snyder-v-eagle-fruit-co-ca8-1935.