Wright v. Iowa Southern Utilities Co.

298 N.W. 790, 230 Iowa 838
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 17, 1941
DocketNo. 45527.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 298 N.W. 790 (Wright v. Iowa Southern Utilities Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wright v. Iowa Southern Utilities Co., 298 N.W. 790, 230 Iowa 838 (iowa 1941).

Opinion

Garfield, J.

— The trial court having sustained the demurrer, it will be necessary to summarize the petition. On August 29, 1939, plaintiff-appellant filed his petition which, as amended, states that during 1930 Mrs. Emma Steele purchased from defendant-appellee 34 shares of its stock for $3,400; that at the time of the purchase, one Bulmahn, an executive officer 'of the company, orally agreed that appellee would repurchase the stock at any time Mrs. Steele desired and would return to her within 90 days from any demand for repurchase $3,400 less 2%, and if appellee did not repurchase said stock within said 90 days, it would pay the full par value thereof together with any accrued dividends thereon. That in March, 1932, Mrs. Steele assigned the stock to appellant, together with all rights against appellee for the repurchase thereof.

That in 1932, after the assignment to appellant, he orally informed appellee through said Bulmahn, its president, of said assignment and requested that appellee repurchase said stock; that Bulmahn on behalf of appellee advised appellant that it was impossible for appellee to comply with its contract of repurchase, but orally stated that if appellant would agree not-to enforce demands for the repurchase of said stock at said time and would waive and surrender all rights which appellant had under the original repurchase contract with Mrs. Steele, appellee would agree to repurchase said stock for $3,400 less 2% within a reasonable time but not less than one year thereafter and then only after appellant made demand for the repurchase, and if appellee failed to repurchase said stock within 90 days after demand made in not less than one year, the company would pay the full par value of the stock together with any accrued dividends thereon.

That appellant orally accepted this proposition and agreed that he would forbear bringing suit to recover the $3,400 at said *840 time and waive all rights under the original repurchase agreement with Mrs. Steele and would not make demand upon appellee to repurchase the stock under the new agreement for at least one year. That appellant did forbear bringing suit at said time and did forbear making demand for the repurchase for more than one year and until 1937.

That early in 1937 appellant made demand upon appellee through Bulmahn, its president, to repurchase said stock; that Bulmahn then told appellant that if he would forbear bringing suit against appellee at said time and would waive all rights under the original agreement between appellant and the company until some pending refinancing could be completed which would not take to exceed one year, appellee would.agree to repurchase the stock for $3,400 plus all accrued dividends thereon. That appellant orally accepted this proposition and agreed that he would refrain from bringing suit at said time until the refinancing could be completed and for at least one year and agreed to waive his rights under the original agreement made in 1932; that in accordance with said agreement, appellant did not make demand upon the company until one year after the making of the oral agreement in 1937.

That in 1939 appellant assigned 17 shares of his stock to his wife, together with all rights held by him with reference to the repurchase agreement as to said 17 shares; that later in 1939 appellant made written demand upon the company to repurchase the stock belonging to him and his wife in accordance with the terms of the 1937 agreement.- The petition prayed for a money judgment against appellee.

To the foregoing petition appellee demurred because it appeared on the face of the pleading that the cause of action was barred by the statute of limitations and that the 1937 agreement was without consideration. The trial court sustained the demurrer. Appellant elected to stand upon his petition and suffered judgment against him from which this appeal is taken.

It is of course elementary that before the demurrer could be sustained on the first ground it must appear from the petition that the cause is bárred by the statute of limitations. Section 11141, par. 6, Code, 1939. Nylander v. Nylander, 221 Iowa 1358, 1361, 268 N. W. 7; Ritter v. Schultz, 211 Iowa 106,108, 232 N. W. *841 830. It is conceded that the statutory period for the cause of action declared upon is five years. Section 11007, par. 5, Code, 1939.

This court has held in three eases decided subsequent to the ruling from which this- appeal is taken that a cause of action on an agreement to repurchase corporate stock accrues upon the making of demand rather than at the time of the agreement. Smith v. Middle States Utilities, 228 Iowa 686, 293 N. W. 59; Gregg v. Middle States Utilities, 228 Iowa 933, 293 N. W. 66, 132 A. L. R. 415; and Wilson v. Iowa Southern Utilities, 228 Iowa 724, 293 N. W. 77. Appellee frankly concedes, on the strength of these decisions, that the cause of action on the original agreement made with Mrs. Steele and assigned to appellant accrued upon the making of demand in 1932. Appellee also concedes that such demand was made within a reasonable time.

However, appellant’s cause of action is not based upon the 1930 repurchase agreement but upon the one claimed to have been made in 1937 and the written demand upon appellee in 1939 that it perform this last undertaking. Since the statutory period is five years and the cause of action did not accrue until the making of demand, it is plain that the first ground of the demurrer is not well taken. Appellee concedes as much, for its counsel say in argument (we quote), “The real issue is whether the alleged oral agreements made in 1932 and 1937 were valid.”

No claim seems to be made that the original 1930 agreement of repurchase was not valid and enforceable. Appellee seeks to sustain the ruling of the trial court on the theory that there was no consideration for the 1932 agreement of repurchase; that since the 1937 undertaking was grounded upon the 1932 agreement, it likewise is without consideration. The particular point upon which appellee seems to place most reliance is that appellant did not agree in 1932 to forbear bringing suit for any definite time.

The most widely used definition of the term ‘ ‘ consideration ’ ’ is a benefit to the party promising or a loss or detriment to the party to whom the promise is made. 17 C. J. S. 420, section 70; 12 Am. Jur. 570, section 79. If, therefore, appellee received some benefit in return for its 1932 promise to repurchase, or if appellant suffered some loss or detriment, there was *842 sufficient consideration for that promise. See Blake v. Robinson, 129 Iowa 196, 199, 105 N. W. 401.

The petition alleges that in 1932 appellant agreed: (1) to waive all rights which he had under the original agreement with Mrs. Steele; (2) to forbear bringing suit at said time; and (3) not to make demand upon appellee under the 1932 agreement for at least one year. Appellant’s agreement not to make a demand for at least one year was for a definite time. Such demand is a prerequisite to the right to sue and marks the accrual of the cause of action. See the Smith, Gregg, and Wilson cases, supra. We think it may fairly be said that the promise not to make demand for at least a year necessarily contemplated forbearance from bringing suit for such period of time.

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298 N.W. 790, 230 Iowa 838, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wright-v-iowa-southern-utilities-co-iowa-1941.