Swensen v. McDaniel

119 F. Supp. 152, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4132
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedNovember 23, 1953
DocketNo. 976
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 119 F. Supp. 152 (Swensen v. McDaniel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Swensen v. McDaniel, 119 F. Supp. 152, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4132 (D. Nev. 1953).

Opinion

FOLEY, District Judge.

The complaint sets forth three causes of action all having to do with the same accident or transaction. The accident with which we are here concerned is the same as that which is made the basis of Case No. 974, Williams v. McDaniel, 119 F.Supp. 247, and Case No. 975, Roy L. Wilson and Lillian Norcutt, as the sole heirs at law of Oren Wilson, deceased, v. Helen V. McDaniel.

Motion to Dismiss.

The first paragraph of defendant’s motion to dismiss is upon the ground that the complaint does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In support of this ground, defendant urges (a) that the causes of action, if any, did not survive the death of J. B. McDaniel, the alleged wrongdoer; (b) the averments of the complaint are insufficient to place any liability upon defendant for the alleged tort of her husband, J. B. McDaniel.

Pertinent allegations of the first cause of action set forth in the complaint, each of which are incorporated in the second and third causes of action, are as follows:

Paragraph IV of the First Cause of Action:

“That on December 2, 1949, at about 3:15 p. m. Oren Wilson was driving a certain 1940 Plymouth sedan automobile in a westerly direction on said United States Highway 40 approximately sixteen miles east of the City of Elko, County of Elko, State of Nevada; that at said time and place one J. B. McDaniel, a resident of Wells, Nevada, so negligently [154]*154operated, drove, and controlled a certain 1946 Buick sedan automobile, Nevada license no. 38-364 in an easterly direction on said U. S. Highway 40 so as to proximately cause the said 1946 Buick sedan automobile to forcibly strike and collide with the said 1940 Plymouth sedan automobile operated by said Oren Wilson.”

Paragraph V of the First Cause of Action:

“That at the time of the above accident and prior thereto the defendant, Helen V. McDaniel, and said J. B. McDaniel were associated together in business in the City of Wells, County of Elko, State of Nevada, and owned and operated various buildings as joint tenants with right of survivorship, and at the time of the above accident were jointly constructing a certain building known as an auto court in the City of Wells, County of Elko, State of Nevada; that at the time of said accident and prior thereto, said J. B. McDaniel was the manager of the joint venture of the business conducted and carried on by said J. B. McDaniel and defendant, Helen V. McDaniel, and said J. B. McDaniel at the time of said accident was the agent of the said joint venture consisting of said defendant and said J. B. McDaniel, and at the time of said accident was acting on behalf of said joint venture and within the scope and course of his agency.”

Paragraph VI of the First Cause of Action:

“That the said J. B. McDaniel died on December 2,1949, after the above accident.”

In Bonfils v. Hayes, 70 Colo. 336, 201 P. 677, 678, the Supreme Court of Colorado in its opinion stated:

“Anna Hayes, defendant in error, brought suit against Bonfils, Tam-men, and Litzenberger, and had a verdict and judgment for the death of her daughter by the negligence of their servant. They bring error.
“The defendants were stockholders and directors of a corporation and were actively engaged in its business of printing and publishing the Denver Post. After the expiration of its 20 years of existence according to the statute, which was November 4, 1915, they continued business under the corporate name, and while they were doing so, September 16, 1916, a boy, driving a delivery wagon about the said business, ran down plaintiff’s daughter and killed her.
“(5) Some argument is made that the defendants are not partners even if there was no corporation; but if they were actively co-operating in a business enterprise, and in connection therewith committed the tort in question, they are liable whatever the title of their combination — partners, co-adventurers, joint tort-feasors, or what. (Citing cases.)
“Their active co-operation in the business, there being no corporation, makes them responsible for its liabilities, and able to demand its dues. * * *”

A definition of joint adventure is set forth by the Court in Parker v. Trefry, 58 Cal.App.2d 69, 136 P.2d 55, 58:

“(1-6) ‘The courts have not laid down an exact definition of the term “joint adventure”; nor is it possible to enunciate a general rule by means of which the question as to what amounts to a joint adventure may be answered, inasmuch as the answer depends largely upon the terms of the particular agreement, upon the construction which the parties have given it, as indicated by the manner in which they have acted under it, and upon the nature of the undertaking, as well as upon other facts. * * * It may be stated in general terms that the relation of joint adventurer is created when two or [155]*155more persons combine their money, property or time in the conduct of some particular line of trade, or for some particular business deal, agreeing to share jointly, or in proportion to the capital contributed, in the profits and losses, assuming that the circumstances do not establish a technical partnership. * * * To constitute a joint adventure, the parties must combine their property, money, efforts, skill or knowledge in some common undertaking. The contributions of the respective parties need not be equal or of the same character, but there must be some contribution by each eoadventurer of something promotive of the enterprise. Although it has been contended that the property with which the parties to a joint adventure are to operate must be acquired after the relationship has come into existence, it seems clear that it is immaterial whether the property involved was individually owned before the joint venture was entered upon or was afterward acquired, so long as it was contributed and devoted to the uses and purposes of the enterprise. * * * a joint proprietary interest and right of mutual control over the subject matter of the enterprise or over the property engaged therein is essential to a joint adventure.’ ”

It may be in view of Estes v. Riggins, 68 Nev. 336, 232 P.2d 843, no cause of action survived against the estate of J. B. McDaniel, his legal representatives of his heirs as such, however, plaintiff’s theory is that a cause of action exists against the defendant Helen V. McDaniel as a joint adventurer with J. B. McDaniel by virtue of negligence of J. B. McDaniel occurring while said J. B. McDaniel was acting within the scope and course of the joint adventure.

The complaint is not vulnerable to attack on either of the grounds contained in Paragraph (1) (a) or (1) (b) of the motion to dismiss.

In the motion to dismiss, defendant contends that the Court does not have jurisdiction over the first alleged cause of action for the reason:

“Paragraph IX of the complaint [first cause of action] shows that Dorothy Wilson was survived by her husband, Oren Wilson. He would be her sole beneficiary and heir under the statute of Nevada. Dorothy Wilson died December 2, 1949, and her husband, Oren Wilson, died December 3, 1949.

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Bluebook (online)
119 F. Supp. 152, 1953 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swensen-v-mcdaniel-nvd-1953.