Texas Steel Co. v. Huey & Philp Hardware Co.

79 S.W.2d 636
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 7, 1935
DocketNo. 3134
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 79 S.W.2d 636 (Texas Steel Co. v. Huey & Philp Hardware Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Texas Steel Co. v. Huey & Philp Hardware Co., 79 S.W.2d 636 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinions

WALTHALL, Justice.

On the 20th day of November, 1929, Huey & Philp Hardware Company, a Texas corporation, as plaintiff, brought this suit against Staples & Fowzer, a Texas corporation, and against T. A. Staples and F. Fowzer, individually, as defendants; the principal place of business of the defendant corporation and Staples and Fowzer was at Wink, Tex The suit was based upon a promissory note in the principal sum of $940.12, payable at Dallas, Tex., executed by the corporation arid personally indorsed by Staples and Fowzer, and was then due; the note bore interest and provided for the payment of attorney fees, and was placed with attorneys Winfrey & Lane for suit. Plaintiff asked a receiver be appointed of defendant Staples & Fowzer corporation, stating as grounds for the appointment of the receiver that the corporation was insolvent or in immediate danger of insolvency; that it has assets which if sold in a businesslike manner, and not at forced sale, could probably be marketed for ■ approximately $40,000; that the bulk of the assets were not liquid, but consisted of heavy-duty machinery and equipment, automobiles, real estate, and accounts receivable; that some of the creditors with large claims are insistent and threatening forced proceedings, which, if allowed, would result in depriving the general unsecured creditors of participation in any equity which the defendant corporation owns in the property; that in addition to plaintiff’s claim there are numerous unsecured creditors of defendant corporation whose claims aggregate approximately $25,-000, .and plaintiff asks for receiver for the benefit of such unsecured creditors as well as for itself. Plaintiff prayed for the appointment of a receiver without notice, “with full power and authority to take possession of and to preserve all of the assets of said corporation, and with such other powers as may seem proper to the court under the circumstances; for judgment for .its debt, costs.” The petition was verified. On the date of the filing of the' petition the defendant corporation entered its appearance and requested the immediate appointment of a receiver with power as prayed for in plaintiff’s petition. On the same day of the filing of the petition the district judge entered an order appointing R. F. Henderson, of Dallas county, .as receiver of said corporation “and of all of its properties and assets wheresoever situated, with full power and authority to take immediate possession of all of said assets, and to preserve them in his care and custody, subject to the further orders of this court.” The judge fixed the receiver’s bond at $10,000, “conditioned as required by law.”

[637]*637The transcript does not show that the receiver gave a bond, nor the time when given. From other proceedings in the case we assume that a bond in receivership was given, and that it was given before any subsequent orders were given, and that the bond given contained the statutory requirements of such bonds, and that the bond was approved with American Surety Company of New York as surety for the receiver on his official bond as receiver.

The propriety of the appointment of a receiver is not questioned or brought under review on this appeal.

It appears from the record that much of the assets of defendant corporation were located at Hobbs, in Lea county, N. M., and on November 22, 1929, the judge of the district court of Lea county, N. M., appointed R. F. Henderson ancillary receiver of the assets of the defendant corporation in New Mexico, and authorized him to operate the defendant’s Hobbs Shop, under the conditions stated, should similar authority be given by the Texas court. On November 25, 1929, Receiver Henderson applied to the Texas court for permission to operate the Hobbs Shop in New Mexico, and reported that in order to do so he should be authorized to have transferred into the New Mexico jurisdiction from Wink, Tex. certain tools, machinery, and material, and tnat it would be necessary to have transferred to New Mexico sufficient money to meet pay rolls for certain days.

The court granted the receiver’s application and authorized the transfer from Wink, Tex., of certain equipment specified, stating its aggregate value.

On application of the receiver the court authorized the receiver to enter into a contract with defendant T. A. Staples for the manufacture, distribution, and use of a rotary bit upon the terms specified, and to borrow money from the Mercantile Rank & Trust Company, in order to carry on the said business.

The record shows that the receiver by permission of the court removed the property to New Mexico and operated the same there; contracted with Staples in the matter of the rotary bit; and manufactured and sold some and used some.

During the receivership and in the conduct of the business by the receiver, the receiver bought goods on time, of various kinds from various parties. Such parties filed pleas of intervention asking judgment establishing said claims as expenses of administering said estate, and that same be paid in preference to all debts owing by defendants Staples & Fowzer at the time of the appointment of said receiver.

The intervening claimants are Texas Steel Company, Mid-Continent Metal Alloys Company, Fort Worth Well Machinery Company, Rowdry & McKinley Company, and Clem Lumber Company. All the claims of said in-terveners were for supplies sold to the receiver during the receivership, and were classed by the court as third-class claims. In-tervener, Texas Steel Company, for itself and on behalf of other intervening creditors of the third class, excepted to the final report of the receiver on the ground that said report was insufficient, in that it did not show the profits and losses of the business and the amounts paid out by the receiver on secured and unsecured claims; and, further, on the ground that the reports of the receiver showed that he had paid in full many creditors, secured and unsecured, and had made a profit of $34,494.73 in the operation of said business, but failed to show what disposition had been made of the assets; and further, on the ground that the reports showed that the receiver had invested $7,886.09 in the Staples Bit Company, without lawful authority; further, that Huey & Philp Hardware Company had advanced large sums of money to the receiver for which they have been fully reimbursed, and that they are now in possession of property and effects of said estate of great value and that they, their agents and attor‘ neys, have participated actually in the management of said estate and in the promotion and operation of the Staples Bit Company; that with the knowledge of the receiver’s surety, American Surety Company, the receiver had not faithfully discharged his duties as such.

Interveners asked judgment against the receiver and the surety.

T. A. Staples having died pending the suit, the suit was dismissed as to him.

The court entered final judgment substantially as follows:

In favor of appellee Huey & Philp Hardware Company against Staples & Fowzer and Frank Fowzer, on its note for $1,399.48, with interest.

In favor of intervener supply company against Staples. & Fowzer, for $1,563.63.

The court overruled all exceptions to the receiver’s final report made by interveners Texas Steel Company, Fort Worth Well Machinery & Supply Company, Bowdry & McKinley Iron Works, Clem Lumber Company, Mid-Continent Metal Alloys Company, and [638]

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Related

Mid-Continent Supply Co. v. Conway
240 S.W.2d 796 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1951)
Texas Steel Co. v. Huey & Philp Hardware Co.
110 S.W.2d 964 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1937)

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Bluebook (online)
79 S.W.2d 636, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-steel-co-v-huey-philp-hardware-co-texapp-1935.