Stone v. Turfmen's Supply Co.

45 S.W. 78, 103 Ky. 318, 1898 Ky. LEXIS 61
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMarch 15, 1898
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 45 S.W. 78 (Stone v. Turfmen's Supply Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stone v. Turfmen's Supply Co., 45 S.W. 78, 103 Ky. 318, 1898 Ky. LEXIS 61 (Ky. Ct. App. 1898).

Opinion

JUDGE DuREIfLE

delivered the opinion oe the court.

Appellee brought suit against appellant Stone and one Allen, as partners doing business under the name of the “Jacobin Stables,” on an account for horse-feed and groceries, averring that they were partners in two race horses, that appellee had recently learned that appellant Stone was a partner in the ownership of the horses, and that the supplies were used in caring for and keeping them. By amendment, appellee averred more explicitly that Stone and Allen were partners, doing business under the name of the “Jacobin Stables,” in owning, selling, feeding, training, handling and racing thoroughbred horses, under an agreement by which they shared the profits and losses of the business; that the feed and groceries were used by Allen in the management of the business, in feeding and providing for the horses and the men employed in the conduct of the business, and that some $54 was ad-, vanced for freight due by Stone and Allen to the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company for transporting certain horses.

The answer of Stone denied the partnership alleged, denied that there was any agreement whereby Stone and Allen were to share in the profits and losses, or did share, them, or that the feed and groceries were used as alleged, or that the amount advanced for freight was for freight-[320]*320on any horses in which he was interested as a partner or otherwise.

Upon the trial, the court refused a peremptory instruction asked by appellant, and instructed the jury that if they believed from the evidence that the account, or any part of it, was contracted by Allen for supplies for employes or horses engaged under Allen in the pursuit of racing, under an agreement between Allen and Stone that the profits and losses of such pursuit were to be equally shared between them, they should find for plaintiff (appellee).

The only ground relied on for reversal is the refusal of the court to give a peremptory instruction for appellant, no exception being taken to the instruction which was given, and which, in our opinion, was clearly erroneous.

It appeared from the testimony taken by appellee that the money advanced was for freight on horses in which appellant had no interest, and the jury in their verdict appear to have omitted this item. It further appeared that, some two years before the account sued on, an agreement was entered into between Stone and Allen, by which it was provided:

“That the first named party has this day delivered to the second party the bay colt Rienzi, one year old, by Col. Clark, dam Delturno by Volturno, for the purpose and on the following terms: The colt is the property of thp first party and the said Allen is to take charge of said colt and keep him without any expense to the first party of any kind whatever, train him to the best advantage possible and enter him for races and race him in the two and [321]*321three-year-old form, and for such races the colt is to he entered in the name of the second party or in the name of the Jacobin Stable and all winnings made by said colt are to be equally divided between the parties to this contract, except that the second party is to first receive out of winnings of any race won by said colt the entrance fee for said race, and balance divided. When the cost is sold the sale price is to be equally divided between the parties hereto, the said first party to be at no expense on any account whatever. This paper further witnesseth that the said Stone also delivered to the second party his chestnut filly, Mary Crigler, of the same age, by Col. Clark, dam G-lorietta, for the same purposes and on the same terms as the colt Rienzi, and to be treated in the same manner. It is also understood and agreed that if the first party can make satisfactory arrangements with Murphy to ride one or both of the said animals, each of the parties hereto is to pay one-half of the amount, and it is further agreed and understood that all gross winnings, except entrance fees as above stated and herein referred to, are to be divided as herein agreed by the secretary of the meetings at which the winnings are made.”

Two subsequent agreements were made, signed by Allen, certifying that he had taken other horses from Stone to keep and train on the same terms as he then had Rienzi and Mary Crigler. There was absolutely no testimony taken in any way to show that, under the agreement between Stone and Allen, the former was, in any event, to be responsible for any losses or expenses, except for the employment of Murphy, in case his services [322]*322should be secured, and for the entrance fees in such races as' the horses should win. The instruction given was, therefore, erroneous, because it presented to the jury for their consideration a state of fact which there was no evidence to support, viz.: that there was an agreement to share profits and losses. This instruction, however, as before stated, was not excepted to, and the question for decision is, whether the peremptory instruction asked for by appellant should have been given.

There is no pretense that Stone held himself out as a partner in the undertaking, and it is evident that he did not intend to become responsible, as partner, for the expenses incurred in the management and training of his horses, the only question being whether, by implication of law arising out of the contract into which he entered, he actually became a partner, and as such responsible for the debts of the partnership.

Allen did not become a co-owner of the horses under the contract, which expressly recited the fact that they were the property of Stone, and which contains nothing which, either expressly or by any reasonable implication, provides for any interest in them vesting in Allen. Undoubtedly, Stone did not intend to become responsible for the expense of training and running his horses; the contract expressly provides against such responsibility. If, therefore, a partnership existed, it existed not because Stone intended to become a partner, and as such responsible for the debts of the partnership, but because he intended to. do something which, as matter of law, made him a partner. It is insisted that the agreement to divide [323]*323tlie gross earnings was an agreement which, by implication of law, had this effect.

The earlier English authorities lay down the proposition, broadly stated, that the sharing of profits constitutes, a partnership; but the better modern authority, shows many exceptions to this rule. It is exceedingly difficult to lay down an absolute rule for the determination of the existence of a partnership. It has been suggested —and in a number of modern English and American cases the theory has been acted upon — that agency is the test by which the partnership existence may be ascertained. This doctrine has been criticised upon the ground “that agency is, in such cases, deduced from partnership, rather than partnership from agency” (Holme v. Hammond, 5 Ch. Div., 458), but has been widely applied and seems now to be the prevailing doctrine. This test of agency clearly can have no application as indicating partnership in a case like the one at bar, where the power of one party to bind the other has been expressly contracted against; and the agency, if any exists, arises in spite of that pro hibition from an actual partnership, if there was one.

“The intention of the parties will be determined from the effect of the whole contract, regardless of special expressions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 S.W. 78, 103 Ky. 318, 1898 Ky. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stone-v-turfmens-supply-co-kyctapp-1898.