Wilde v. Jenkins

4 Paige Ch. 481, 1834 N.Y. LEXIS 371, 1834 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 106
CourtNew York Court of Chancery
DecidedAugust 5, 1834
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 4 Paige Ch. 481 (Wilde v. Jenkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Chancery primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilde v. Jenkins, 4 Paige Ch. 481, 1834 N.Y. LEXIS 371, 1834 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 106 (N.Y. 1834).

Opinion

The Chancellor.

For the purpose of understanding the complicated proceedings in this case, and the questions to be decided, it is necessary to go into an examination of the transactions between J. Wilde and S. & J. F. Jenkins, so far as they can be understood from the pleadings and proofs before me, somewhat at length. The Columbia Manufacturing Society was incorporated in February, 1809, for the purpose of manufacturing cotton and wool. (See Priv. Laws of 1809, p. 49.) And, by the act of February, 1812, the village of Columbiaville was organized, and certain municipal powers in relation to the same were given to the trustees of the C. M. Society. (Laws of 1812, ch. 9.) S. & J. F. Jenkins were original stockholders of the company and continued to he such stockholders until the purchase of the corporation and the corporate property, by J. Wilde and themselves, as co-partners, as hereafter mentioned. Soon after the incorporation of the company, it had acquired title to a mill scite and manufacturing establishment on the north side of Major Abraham’s creek, in the country of Columbia, and the manufactory was managed and carried on by the society, by its agents, R Jenkins, Seth Jenkins and J. F. Jenkins, who [486]*486Were copartners, under the name or firm of Robert Jenkins St Co. and who received a salary of $1500 a year from the society. In September, 1819, the C. M. Society entered into a contract with J. Wilde, a manufacturer, to carry on the establishment at Columbiaville for the term of five years from the second of the ensuing month of November. By this contract, the society was to furnish the stock, and Wilde was to manufacture it at certain stipulated prices, and to deliver the cloth and yam to the agents of the society at the factory. By a sub-contract between Wilde and Robert Jenkins & Co., which firm, after the death of Robert Jenkins, consisted of Seth and John F. Jenkins only, it was agreed that Robert Jenkins & Co. should have two thirds of the profits which should be made by Wilde under his contract with the C. M. Society, and that he should receive one third of the salary which they were receiving as agents of the society. In June, 1822, Wilde purchased the mills and mill scite on the south side of the creek, directly opposite the factory of the C. M. Society, for the price of $7625, which he subsequently paid for out of his own funds, to Stanley from whom he purchased, including a mortgage thereon of $5000 to the Mechanics’ Bank in the city of New-York. About the time of this purchase, it was agreed between J. Wilde and Seth and John F. Jenkins, constituting the firm of Robert Jenkins & Co. that they should have one half of the property on the south side of the creek at cost; and that Wilde should relinquish his claim to one third of their salary as agents of the C. M. Society, and should receive one half of the profits under his contract with the society. And that the business on both sides of the creek should thereafter be carried on by them as partners. A statement of their accounts was then made, up to the 2d of November, 1822. In May, 1825, Seth Jenkins removed from Hudson to Columbiaville, and the parties commenced mercantile business there, in a store, from which time their business was carried on under the name of James Wilde & Co. In the spring of 1826, the C. M. Society offered all its property, including the charter of the company, for sale. And James Wilde & Co. became the purchasers, at the sum of $23,000, including a judgment of about $10,000 [487]*487in favor of Hicks, Lawrence & Co. which was a lien upon the property; of which judgment the purchasers assumed the payment. The residue of the purchase money was to be paid to the stockholders of the society in proportion to their stock, in three annual instalments, with interest at the rate of six per centum. The title of the property and the stock, or charter of the company, was to be transferred to the purchasers, upon the receipt of the last payment; and in case of a neglect to comply with the terms of sale, the previous payments of the purchasers were to become forfeited to the society. After this purchase, James Wilde & Co. took possession of the property on the north side of the creek, and made great improvements thereon in buildings and machinery; and they paid the interest on the judgment of Hicks, Lawrence & Co. and the two first instalments of the purchase money to the former owners of the stock, out of the profits of the partnership business. The municipal powers of the corporation were carried on by Wilde and S. & J. F. Jenkins, who were from time to time elected the trustees of the C. M. Society. But the accounts of the"business of the factories on both sides of the creek were kept in the name of James Wilde & Co., and in the same books. During the continuance of the copartnership of James Wilde & Co., the partners became the purchasers of a lot on the north side of the creek, contiguous to the property of the C. M. Society; which lot was conveyed to them as tenants in common, and was paid for out of the partnership funds. About the 1st of June, 1827, Wilde became dissatisfied, and proposed a dissolution of the partnership, and a division and settlement of the partnership concerns. Seth and J. F. Jenkins urged a continuance thereof until the C. M. Society factory could be supplied with new and approved machinery, to be constructed under the superintendence of Wilde ; but consented to settle the partnership accounts and to execute written articles of copartnership. And it was agreed that Wilde should convey to each of them an undivided fourth part of the property on the south side of the creek, and that they should execute mortgages to him upon their several shares thus conveyed, for the balance which might be [488]*488found due from them, respectively, on such settlement. On the 12th of June, 1.827, partnership articles were entered into by the parties, by which the continuance of the partnership was limited to two years from the first of that month. And it was specified in the articles that J. Wilde was the owner of one half, and each of the other parties of one fourth of the partnership property and effects, including the stock of the C. M. Society; and that the profits and losses of the copartnership should be shared or borne in those proportions. A stipulation was also inserted relative to the division of the merchandise, manufactured articles, stock on hand, book debts and other loose property and effects of the concern on the dissolution of the copartnership. A statement of the accounts was thereupon made, and entered upon the books of the copartnership, from which it appeared that there was due to Wilde from S. Jenkins, $4769,45, and from J. F. Jenkins, $3881,37. For the security of. these sums, S. & J. F. Jenkins, with their wives, executed mortgages upon their respective shares of the property on the south side of the creek, which was conveyed to them by J. Wilde; which mortgages were payable in two years, with interest. And the principal object of their supplemental bill and bill of review was to correct various errors, which S. & J. F. Jenkins alleged to have occurred in the statement of the accounts at that time, and to reduce the amount for which those mortgages were given.

The first question presented in the case is as to the nature of the interest of the several partners in the C. M.

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Bluebook (online)
4 Paige Ch. 481, 1834 N.Y. LEXIS 371, 1834 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilde-v-jenkins-nychanct-1834.