Whaler Motor Inn, Inc. v. Parsons

339 N.E.2d 197, 3 Mass. App. Ct. 662, 1975 Mass. App. LEXIS 690
CourtMassachusetts Appeals Court
DecidedDecember 29, 1975
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 339 N.E.2d 197 (Whaler Motor Inn, Inc. v. Parsons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Appeals Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Whaler Motor Inn, Inc. v. Parsons, 339 N.E.2d 197, 3 Mass. App. Ct. 662, 1975 Mass. App. LEXIS 690 (Mass. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinions

Hale, C.J.

These two cases were tried together before a master and are here on the defendants’ appeals from interlocutory and final decrees entered in the Superior Court in each case. Both cases arise out of complaints by Whaler Motor Inn, Inc. (corporation) against its promoters and certain of its stockholders other than the promoters.2

In the first case the corporation sought the return for cancellation of capital stock which it issued to the defendants Richard Parsons (Parsons), Nathaniel Lipton (Lipton), and Lipton’s wife, allegedly without payment. The trustees for the benefit of the creditors of the Liptons were also made defendants since the Liptons’ stock in the corporation had been transferred to those trustees. The corporation also sought an accounting against Lipton and Parsons, recovery of “secret profits” of Parsons arising from his sale of real estate to the corporation, the recovery of cash paid, and the cancellation of a promissory note of the corporation given to Parsons in connection with the repurchase by the corporation of certain shares of stock originally issued to him.

In the second case the corporation sought the return for [664]*664cancellation of capital stock issued to the defendants David and Louis Freedman, allegedly without payment.

Following an extensive hearing the master submitted his report, to which the defendants filed timely objections together with a request for summaries of certain evidence pursuant to Rule 90 of the Superior Court (1954) (as in effect prior to July 1, 1974).3 The material portions of the transcript were supplied to the master by the defendants in support of their objections. The master failed to provide any summary, and upon motion of the parties the report was recommitted with an order that a summary be made. The master then filed the summary. The plaintiff moved for confirmation of the report, and the defendants moved for its recommittal, claiming that the summary was not fair and accurate. The court entered an interlocutory decree which confirmed the report and impliedly denied the defendants’ motions to recommit. The defendants appealed from the interlocutory decree confirming the report. As no affidavits setting forth what would be a fair summary of the evidence were submitted in support of the motions to recommit, no error appears from the implied denials thereof. Minot v. Minot, 319 Mass. 253, 260 (1946). Cantor v. Cantor, 325 Mass. 719, 721 (1950). See Cross Co. v. Clermont’s Inc. 361 Mass. 874 (1972).

The final decree in the first case contained the following provisions: (1) Parsons and the trustees were ordered to deliver to the corporation the stock held by them; in the alternative the corporation was authorized to cancel the stock if it was not so delivered; (2) Parsons was ordered to return the corporation’s promissory note in the amount of $71,000, which it had issued in connection with the repurchase of Parsons’ stock; and (3) Lipton and Parsons were jointly and severally ordered to pay to the plaintiff $82,525.96, of which $29,000 (less a credit of $68.55) represented payment to Parsons for the repurchase of part of his stock by the corporation; $37,500 represented the amount of the profit received by Parsons from the sale of [665]*665real estate to the corporation; and $16,094.51 represented interest on the latter amount.4

The final decree in the second case ordered the Freed-mans to deliver their stock in the corporation to the plaintiff and provided for the cancellation of such stock in the event of nondelivery.

The defendants in each case appealed from final decrees.

The bulky and unindexed appendix filed in this court includes most of the exhibits which were before the master and which have been certified to us in their original form, purportedly pursuant to Rule 1:06 of the Appeals Court (as in effect until July 1, 1974), 1 Mass. App. Ct. 886 (1972). In addition, about 100 pages of the transcript of testimony before the master have been “designated” and reproduced, apparently pursuant to Rule 1:02 of the Appeals Court (as in effect until July 1, 1974), 1 Mass. App. Ct. 883 (1972). Neither of these inclusions is appropriate or proper in a case where, as here, the evidence has not been ordered reported and the exhibits are not incorporated in the master’s report (see Royal Tool & Gauge Corp. v. Clerk of Courts for the County of Hampden, 326 Mass. 390, 391 [1950]; Papale v. Westboro Country Club Inc. 2 Mass. App. Ct. 313, 315-316 [1974], S. C. 368 Mass. 808 [1975]; contrast Shelburne Shirt Co. Inc. v. Singer, 322 Mass. 262, 265 [1948]), and we do not consider them. Joyner v. Lenox Sav. Bank, 322 Mass. 46, 57-58 (1947). Peters v. Wallach, 366 Mass. 622, 626 (1975).

As all but one5 of the defendants’ objections, which are now exceptions, were directed to the insufficiency of the [666]*666evidence to support the findings of fact made by the master, and as the summary of the evidence does not demonstrate error in the master’s findings, the exceptions cannot prevail See P & D Serv. Co. Inc. v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Dedham, 359 Mass. 96, 98 (1971), and cases cited therein.

There remains for our determination the question whether the facts found by the master justified the relief granted by the final decrees. New England Overall Co. Inc. v. Woltmann, 343 Mass. 69, 75 (1961). Sarnow v. Sarnow, 359 Mass. 764 (1971). Medeiros v. Medeiros, 2 Mass. App. Ct. 84, 88 (1974). We summarize the facts found by the master, reserving certain of the findings for inclusion later in this opinion.6

Sometime in late 1965 or early 1966, at Lipton’s behest, Lipton, Parsons and the Freedmans met for the purpose of exploring the possibility of constructing a motel or motor inn in the New Bedford area. All four men had considerable experience in business. They met frequently to discuss the economic feasibility of the project, to exchange opinions and to develop plans. They visited existing motels and motor inns to gain insight into the development and operation of a motel or motor inn. Having accomplished the preliminary work, they decided early in 1966 to go forward with their plans to construct and operate a motel or motor inn.

Having determined that site location was of paramount importance, they considered several sites in New Bedford and surrounding towns. They contracted for a feasibility study, which was completed on November 30, 1966. They selected a site owned by Parsons on Hathaway Road in New Bedford, close to Route 140 and Interstate Highway 1-95. This site was superior to the other sites which they had considered because of its location in the center of in[667]*667dustrial, business and recreation areas to which a motel would cater, its elevation, and its visibility and accessibility from major highways and roads. Thereafter the defendants traveled to Memphis, New York City, Connecticut and other places to investigate and determine the choice of a franchise best suited to the contemplated operation.

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Whaler Motor Inn, Inc. v. Parsons
339 N.E.2d 197 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
339 N.E.2d 197, 3 Mass. App. Ct. 662, 1975 Mass. App. LEXIS 690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whaler-motor-inn-inc-v-parsons-massappct-1975.