Stokes v. Dimmick

48 So. 66, 157 Ala. 237, 1908 Ala. LEXIS 238
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJuly 3, 1908
StatusPublished

This text of 48 So. 66 (Stokes v. Dimmick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stokes v. Dimmick, 48 So. 66, 157 Ala. 237, 1908 Ala. LEXIS 238 (Ala. 1908).

Opinion

SIMPSON, J.

— The bill in this case was filed by the appellee, against the appellant, and sought to collect certain debts, by the appointment of a receiver and the sale of certain property which had been pledged for the payment of said debts. The allegations of the bill are, in substance: That said appellant (Stokes) had obtained from one Smith an option on the timber on certain lands, and had also obtained from one Robinson a conveyance of the timber on certain other lands, to [240]*240be paid for in the future; that on August 23, 1904, said respondent (Stokes) entered into an agreement with the said complainant (.Dimmick) by which, in consideration of $5,000 cash, and $13,699.60 due November 23, 1904, said Stokes conveyed to said Dimmick one-half interest in said timber contracts, also 166 2-3 shares of the capital stock of the Alabama Central Railway, being two-thirds of the entire stock of said railway com-' pany, and it was therein agreed that said Dimmick should receive, from the proceeds of timber sold, $16,-699.61 and any further sums advanced by him to finish said railroad, before Stokes should participate in the proceeds; also, that the interest of Stokes in the timber and his stock in said railway should be held by Dimmick to secure any debts that Dimmick might pay for Stokes or said railway company, not stipulated in the contract. It was also agreed that Stokes should be general manager of said railway, “subject to the approval of the stockholders.” On October 18, 1904, said Dimmick loaned to said Stokes $750 and took his note therefor, due January 18, 1905; the agreement being — as shown by a letter and the note — that the stock in said railway owned by Stokes, being 83 and one-third shares, should be held as collateral by Dimmick to secure said note, also that said note and the $16,699.61 should be paid out of the proceeds of timber sales before Stokes should participate in profits from sales of timber or property of said railway. On October 27, 1904, Stokes and Dimmick entered into another contract, reciting that Dimmick had furnished $3,750, and agreed to furnish $13,699.61 to pay S'cott & Sons for their interest in the capital stock of said railway and their interest in the timber contracts, and had agreed to furnish $3,000 to complete the first five miles of said railway, and Stokes pledged his stock in said railway and his interest in the timber con[241]*241tracts to secure the payment of said several amounts, aggregating $20,500, Avhich Avere to be paid out of sales of timber. On June 21, 1905, M. M. Smith, the party from Avhom 3,500 acres of said timber land had been bought, entered into an agreement Avith said Stokes and Dimmick, by Avhich certain parts of the timber were reconveyed to said Smith, in consideration of Avhich said Smith acknoAvledged full payment for the timber, with certain other stipulations. On August 26, 1905, one Robinson, from whom the other timber had been purchased or optioned, executed a paper extending the time of payment for “two years from October 27, 1905.”

The bill alleges: That said complainant, Dimmick, has paid out in all $42,000, or more, under the various agreements, for which said timber and stock in said raihvay are pledged; that the time alloAved for cutting said timber will expire on October 27, 1907; that it will require at least four months to remove it; that Stokes has no other property; that the contracts do not authorize complainant to sell said timber; that said Stokes is hostile to him and refuses to agree to sell said timber ; that one item of the advances made by complainant was $10,000 paid to the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company for certain steel rails on the track and an engine and á passenger coach, which had been leased by said Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company to said Alabama Central Railway, and the lease had expired, so that it became necessary to buy said property, or the raihvay would be deprived of the use of same; that the amount due said Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company was $17,000, but, in consideration of said $10,000 paid by complainant, said Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company executed a conveyance of said property to complainant; that, before the consummation of said sale, he had procured an option and offered to transfer said option to purchase said [242]*242property, but said railway company, not having the money, adopted a resolution authorizing the purchase of said property, by borrowing the money, and pledging the property of said corporation, and complainant made arrangements to lend said money to said railway company, but said Stokes protested against said action, insisting that said sum advanced by complainant should be covered by the contract existing between him and Dimmick. It is also alleged that said Stokes had filed a bill to place the affairs of the said railway company in the hands of a receiver, to sell its property and distribute the proceeds, and that this was done for the purpose of depreciating the market value of its stock. The bill prays: First, for a receiver of the Robinson land and of the shares of stock, that said property be sold to the highest bidder, and the proceeds brought into court, and applied to the payment of the debts due complainant, with a reasonable attorney’s fee for the collection of the $750, in accordance with the provisions of the note; second, that it be referred to the register to ascertain the amount due complainant, under said several contracts; third, that, upon the coming in of said report, a decree be rendered “directing that all said prop erty pledged for the payment of said debts, so ascertained, under the orders and directions of this court,” be sold; and, fourth, for general relief. The answer alleges that, before the bill in this case was filed, to wit, on Janury 5, 1907, respondent filed his bill in the chancery court against Dimmick and others, that a decree had been rendered therein appointing a receiver, and that the bill is still pending.

The first insistence is that the chancery court, having by said bill, acquired jurisdiction of the subject-matter of this suit, the present bill is without equity. The bill in chancery, as shown by Exhibit A to the answer, was [243]*243filed by said Stokes against tbe “Alabama Central Bail-way, Joseph W. Dimmick (the complainant in the present case), and J. P. Dimmick,” who, with complainant, Stokes, constitute the board of directors of said raihvay company, and the prayers of said bill were: First, for a receiver to take charge of and operate said railway; second, to construe the contract between said Stokes and Dimmick, for the purpose of determining whether any of said indebtedness is a proper charge against the corporation, and to “marshal the securities;” third, to decree the sale of the property of the corporation, to pay all debts properly owing by it, and distribute the assets. In the present bill said railway company is not a party defendant or complainant, nor are its directors as such, but the bill is by J. W. Dimmick, individually, against said Stokes, individually, and prays for a receiver, not to take charge of and operate the railway; but merely of certain timber interests which, it is claimed, are owned jointly by the parties complainant and defendant, and also of the shares of capital stock in said railway owned by said Stokes and claimed to have been pledged for the debts alleged to be due, and that said property be sold and subjected to the payment of said debts. The bill in the chancery court relates entirely to corporate matters, while this one- touches only individual interests.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 So. 66, 157 Ala. 237, 1908 Ala. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stokes-v-dimmick-ala-1908.