Texas Westheimer Corp. v. 5647 Westheimer Associates

68 S.W.3d 15, 2001 WL 83541
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 14, 2001
Docket01-99-00172-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 68 S.W.3d 15 (Texas Westheimer Corp. v. 5647 Westheimer Associates) 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 Westheimer Corp. v. 5647 Westheimer Associates, 68 S.W.3d 15, 2001 WL 83541 (Tex. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

OPINION

MIRABAL, Justice.

Defendant, Texas Westheimer Corporation (TWC), appeals the judgment rendered on a jury verdict finding defendant breached its contract with, and committed fraud against plaintiff, 5647 Westheimer Associates (the partnership), and assessing actual damages and exemplary damages against defendant. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

Sam Siam, who had some experience in the nightclub business, Robert Mousa, and Saman Khalaf decided to open a nightclub at 5647 Westheimer, the former location of Cutter Bill’s, a western wear store. Siam, Mousa, and Khalaf each formed a corporation, and the three corporations became the partners in 5647 Westheimer Associates, a Texas general partnership. The partnership obtained a lease on the building at 5647 Westheimer, and each partner contributed $200,000 to renovate the building to make it suitable for a nightclub. In late 1989, they opened the club, Humphrey’s, which was intended to attract a mature clientele with music from the 1950s and 1960s, entertainment, dining, and dancing. The opening was not successful, and the club operated at a loss for several months. The partners changed the name and format of the club in an attempt to increase its business, and each partner contributed at least an additional $100,000 to the business, but the club continued to lose money.

In March 1990, Siam was approached by Thomas Woodall, an attorney, on behalf of David Fairchild and Texas Richmond Corporation, to discuss operating a sexually oriented business at 5647 Westheimer. [18]*18Fairchild had been involved in managing sexually oriented businesses since 1979 or 1980 and was a shareholder in Texas Richmond Corporation, which operated The Men’s Club in Houston.

On May 14, 1990, Fairchild, on behalf of the newly-formed Texas Westheimer Corporation (TWC), and Mousa, on behalf of the partnership, executed an agreement of sale and a profit participation agreement. The agreement of sale provided that the partnership would sell, and TWC would purchase, all the assets of the partnership. According to this agreement, TWC would assume the lease on 5647 Westheimer and would expend up to $75,000 to discharge the partnership’s debts, which totaled $114,947.

The profit participation agreement, executed as partial consideration for the sale of the assets, provided that costs incurred in design, construction, and opening the new business would be considered capital expenditures and would not be charged against the profits and losses of the club; and costs of advertising, payroll, liquor and food inventory, uniforms, and other equipment would be considered costs of operation in determining profits and losses. The partnership liabilities discharged by TWC, specifically referenced in the agreement of sale, would be charged against the partnership’s share of the profits. The accounting was to be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. TWC was to keep records of expenses and revenues and, based upon the records, would provide a full monthly accounting of profits and losses for the business. Payments of profit distributions were to be made at the time the monthly accounting was delivered. Based on this monthly accounting, TWC would render, for the benefit of the partnership, to two appointed trustees “that portion of the profits and losses of the business operation” as follows: 30 percent until the partnership had received $500,000, 20 percent until the partnership had received an additional $250,000, and 10 percent “thereafter but not to exceed six years from the effective date hereof.” The agreement provided that it would “terminate on its anniversary date, six (6) years following the effective date hereof, after which time the [partnership] will have no further entitlements whatsoever.”

Two trustees were appointed in the agreement: Woodall by TWC and Mousa by the partnership. These trustees were charged with receiving and reviewing the accounting, questioning errors or discrepancies, reviewing TWC’s books and records, investigating complaints regarding the accounting or allocations, and distributing profits and proceeds, if any, to the partnership. Any objections to the monthly accounting were to be referred to the trustees within 30 days for investigation and resolution. The trustees were to be paid for their services, Woodall at $150 per hour and Mousa at $2,500 per month.

Because the owner of the property at 5647 Westheimer refused to approve a sublease, TWC negotiated a new lease at a higher monthly rent with the owner. An addendum to the agreement of sale was executed by TWC and the partnership. This addendum recognized the termination of the partnership’s obligation and rights under the original lease and provided that the additional rent would be deducted from the money due the partnership under the profit participation agreement.

On May 25, 1990, the Internal Revenue Service executed a search warrant on Fairchild’s office and seized documents and records. Fairchild and others involved with Texas Richmond Corporation were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States by skimming cash from two nightclubs in San Antonio and a topless [19]*19club in Houston, tax evasion, and illegally structuring financial transactions from December 1980 through August 16, 1990. In December 1993, Fairchild entered into a plea agreement with the federal prosecutor in which Fairchild would plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by participating in cash skimming. There was no allegation of cash skimming relating to the club at 5647 Westheimer, and the actions for which Fairchild was prosecuted were concluded before that club was opened.

The topless club, called Cutter Bill’s, opened at 5647 Westheimer in October 1990. In January 1991, the club’s name was changed to Baby’O. Fairchild set up a separate corporation, TRC Management Consultants, Inc., to pay management salaries because the managers worked for both Baby’O and The Men’s Club. TWC sent monthly accountings to the partnership. These accountings indicated that, although some months in 1991 showed a profit, overall, the club was operating at a loss.

The partnership raised questions about the profit and loss statements at least as early as January 1991. On February 6, 1991, Woodall wrote the following to Fair-child:

In our meeting with you in January we went over the P & L Analysis for Texas Westheimer Corporation for July through October 31, 1990; November 1, 1990 through November 30, 1990; and December 1, 1990 through December 31, 1990 and you answered many of our questions. Present at the meeting were the undersigned and Saman Khalif [sic], Paul Hanna, and Sam Siam. At that time you agreed to provide us with additional information such as the month to date paid items by account.
Since the meeting other questions have arisen.
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Please furnish the undersigned the month to date paid items by account, general ledger, accounts receivables, and accounts payable for the periods set out above. When the January 1991 P & L is prepared we would like the above items and accounts for January also. We will be glad to pick them up at your convenience.
Further, Bob Moussa [sic] has arranged with his accountant, Richard Hopkins (C.P.A.), to have him personally review the books and records. Please advise when this may be done....
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