Cabana Nutria, Inc. v. The Way, Inc.
Cabana Nutria, Inc. v. The Way, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff appeals from two orders which have the effect of denying a preliminary injunction, dissolving a temporary restraining order and vacating upon the court’s own motion the entry of default of defendant, The Way, Inc.
Plaintiff seeks to enjoin performance of an agreement between defendants W. S. Curtis and Associates and The Way, Inc., which is asserted to be violative of its own rights under an existing contract between plaintiff and defendant, The Way, Inc. Plaintiff’s contract confers upon The Way, Inc. exclusive distributorship of plaintiff’s nutria animals within certain specified counties of southern Florida. The distributor is named in the document as “The Way, Inc. (Victor P. Wierwille, Pres.) dba Cabana Nutria of Southern Florida.” Paragraph 7 says: “Distributor will buy and sell Nutria supplied to him by Corporation exclusively, and will not buy or sell Nutria from any other company, corporation or individual, except the Nutria supplied by Corporation.” Giving this language universal import plaintiff claims that the contract between the Curtis company and The Way, Inc. (actually made before knowledge of plaintiff’s contract) invaded its own rights and should be enjoined as unfair competition or on some similar ground. The Curtis agreement appoints The Way, Inc. as its distributor of nutria within an exclusive territory in the western portion of the state of Ohio. The distributor therein agrees to sell only nutria supplied by Curtis.
Section 1648, Civil Code, governs this case: “However broad may be the terms of a contract, it extends only to those things concerning which it appears that the parties intended to contract.” (See also Eastman Oil etc. Corp. v. Lane-Wells Co., 21 Cal.2d 872, 873 [136 P.2d 564]; Newby v. Anderson, 36 Cal.2d 463, 470 [224 P.2d 673]; Southern Cal. Gas Co. v. Ventura etc. Co., 150 Cal.App.2d 253, 257-258 [309 P.2d 849].) The language of paragraph 7 of plaintiff’s agreement cannot be fairly construed to prevent The Way, Inc., from doing business outside of Florida or to require it in Ohio or other
Appellant’s argument that there was error in vacating the default of The Way, Inc., cannot be considered for appellant has waived its appeal from that portion of the order.
The agreement between plaintiff and The Way, Inc., says: “It is further agreed that the within contract is to be performed at Arcadia, County of Los Angeles, California. Both parties, Distributor and Corporation, expressly consent to the jurisdiction of the California Court having the venue of this matter in accordance with the foregoing, so long as either party, Distributor or Corporation, receive actual service of process.” The record shows personal service within the state of Ohio of summons and complaint, order to show cause and supporting affidavits upon the president of The Way, Inc., a corporation. This probably constituted a valid basis for a personal judgment against that defendant. (See Smith v.
Of course it is no longer necessary to serve a notice of appeal. Before the statute was thus amended, failure to serve the notice upon any of the successful opponents worked a waiver or abandonment of the appeal as to the party or parties not served. (2 Hayne on New Trial and Appeal (rev. ed.), § 210, p. 11.17 et seq.) Under existing rules failure to serve appellant’s opening brief upon any adversary effects the same result and the court in the exercise of its inherent power may dismiss the appeal on its own motion so far as concerns the respondent who has not been served with the brief. (Palmer v. Holcomb, 147 Cal.App.2d 94, 99-100 [305 P.2d 107]; Brooks v. Duskin, 159 Cal.App.2d 629, 634-635 [324 P.2d 351].) However, as a dismissal works an affirmance, it will suffice in this case to affirm the order in its entirety.
The orders now on appeal are affirmed.
Pox, P. J., and Herndon, J., concurred.
Appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied November 5, 1958.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CABANA NUTRIA, INC. (a Corporation) v. THE WAY, INC. (a Corporation), Defendants W. S. CURTIS AND ASSOCIATES
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published