Doyle v. Leitelt
Doyle v. Leitelt
Opinion of the Court
The complainant is one of two brothers, who were engaged in business at Detroit under the name of Doyle Bros. In the year 1880 the Canadian government issued what is called a “timber license” to John A. H. Campbell and Charles Wilson Pratt, which license gave said Campbell and Pratt authority to cut timber upon certain lands upon the north half of Cockbnrn island, subject to certain restrictions, and*upon conditions prescribed'by the instrument and by law, for the period of one year ending April 30, 1881. This license was renewed to April 30, 1882. On November 7, 1881, an indorsement was made by the “department” that it had been trams
A corporation with a capital stock fixed at $200,000 was then formed “for the purpose of engaging in and carrying-on a general lumbering business, including the manufacture, purchase, and sale of lumber, timber, telegraph poles, railroad ties, wood for wood pulp, fence posts, paving blocks, wooden building blocks, shingles, and other products gotten out or manufactured from wood, and the acquiring, holding, and disposing of such lands, tenements, and hereditaments, and such other property of every kind,, as shall be necessary for the purposes of said corporation, and such other lands, tenements, and hereditaments as shall be taken in payment of or as security for debts due to such corporation; and also for the further purpose of engaging in and carrying on a general mercantile business in’ conjunction with the
The venture did not prove profitable, and, Leitelt becoming dissatisfied, the following agreement was executed in two parts by Leitelt and the four Doyles:
Memorandum of agreement made this 12th day of May, 1885, between Adolph Leitelt, of Grand Rapids, Kent county, Michigan, of the first part, and John G. Doyle and Harriet E. Doyle, his wife, and William H. Doyle and Mary Jane Doyle, his wife, of the second part.
“W'hvreas, said parties of the second part have sold and assigned to said party of the first part all their right, title, and interest in and to the timber licenses from the Indian department of Canada in a,nd to the north half of Cock-burn island of Canada, granted to said party of the first part and Oscar C. Ransom; and—
“ Whereas, it is agreed that the same shall be resold and reconveyed to them (the parties of the second part) so soon as the said party of the first part has been able, under and by virtue of the profits and proceeds arising from and under the business to be carried on under said licenses, to pay, liquidate, and discharge all debts and liabilities due by the Cockburn Island Timber Company, and all fair and legitimate expenses incurred in carrying on said business:
*301 “Now, this indenture witnesseth that the said party of the first part, for the considerations above recited, doth hereby covenant, promise, and agree, for himself, his heirs, executors, and administrators, to and with the said parties of the second part, their and each of their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, that the said party of the first part, so soon as he has been able to derive from the proceeds and profits arising under said licenses enough to pay off and discharge all debts and liabilities due by the Cockburn Island Timber Company, and ail fair .and legitimate expenses incurred in carrying on said business, shall and will resell and reconvey unto the said parties of the second part the right, title, and interest so heretofore sold and conveyed, and reinstate them in same plight and condition as they were before said sale: that the said party of the first part will supply all necessary funds and moneys to carry on the business, and employ all necessary servants and employes, and will carry on -and conduct the affairs and business on said island (Cockburn) to the best of his ability, and as lie, in bis judgment, may deem best.
“’In witness whereof the parties hereto have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year above written.
“Auouph Leiteia. [Seal.]"
“Memorandum of agreement made this 12th day of May, 1885, between John G. Doyle and Harriet E. Doyle, his wife, and William II. Doyle and Mary Jane Doyle, his wife, of the city of Detroit, Wayne county, Michigan, of the first part, and Adolph Leitelt, of Grand Rapids, Kent county, Michigan, of the second part.
“ Witnesseth, that the said parties of the first part, for good and valuable consideration to them paid by the said party of the second part (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged), have and by these presents do sell, assign, transfer, 'and set ove): unto the said party of the second part all and each of their claim, right, title, interest, and demand at law or in equity in and to the timber licenses from the Indian department of Canada in and to the north half of Cockburn island, Canada, granted to. the said party of the second part and Oscar C. Ransom, and assigned and set over to the Cockburn island Company; to have and to hold unto the said party of the second part, his executors, administrators, and assigns.'
“In witness whereof the parties hereto have hereunto*302 set their hands and seals the day and year above written.
“John G-. Doyle. [Seal.]
“Harriet E. Doyle. [Seal.]
“Vm. H. Doyle. ' [Seal.]
“Mary Jane Doyle. [Seal.]”
Leitelt went to the island, but found affairs in a condition which discouraged him, and finally sold the lumber bn hand, together with the license, to Hitchcock & Foster, for $2,750. Of this sum $750 was used to pay expenses, and the remaining $2,000 he applied upon the indebtedness of the company to himself.
The complainant subsequently secured a judgment against the Cockburn Island Timber Company for $9,200.40, based upon a claim of $4,933.26 for balance of salary of the Doyles at $3,000 a year, and $509.16 interest upon the same, the remainder being for money advanced by Mrs. Mary J. Doyle and Mrs. Hattie E. Doyle. An execution was issued, and returned unsatisfied, whereupon this bill was filed, alleging the recovery of this judgment and issue and return of execution unsatisfied. It further alleges that Leitelt is president of the company, and one of its directors, and that he was such on May 12, 1885. It further states upon information and belief that “the Cockburn Island Timber Company has equitable interests, things in action, or other property of upwards of $100 in value, exclusive of all prior debts and claims thereon, which the complainant has been unable to discover and reach by execution on his judgment.” The bill then proceeds to state that the complainant has been informed and believes that—
“The said Cockburn Island Timber Company, on the said 12th day of May, 1885, conveyed and assigned to the said defendant Adolph Leitelt all of the property, rights, credits, and choses in action belonging to the said corporation, to be held in trust for the said corporation, and that said coi’poration has a considerable amount of money*303 and of legal and equitable debts, claims, and demands due to it from the said Adolph Leitelt, and that it has a large amount of leasehold interests and contracts and other-interests, legal and equitable, in real estate, money, and -other personal property, either in .possession or held ih trust for it (except such trust as has been created by or the fund held in trust as proceeds from some person other than the said corporation), the situation, value, and particulars of which are unknown to your orator, and your orator is fearful that the said defendants will make away with or place the same beyond the control of this court or a court of law. And your orator further sa,ys that, as he is informed and believes to be true, the said Adolph Leitelt, defendant, has acquired to himself, or transferred to others, and has failed to account for the proceeds of the property, credits, and choses in action which were so transferred and assigned to him as aforesaid by the said Cockburn Island Timber Company, and has converted the .same to his own use, and refuses to account for the, same to the creditors of the said corporation, and has lost or wasted, in violation of his duties as such president, trustee, and agent of the said corporation, a large part of the property of the said corporation.'’’’
The bill requires an answer upon oath, praying discovery .and account, and a receiver, and that complainant may have satisfaction of his judgment out of the property of the defendant corporation.
The answer of defendant Leitelt denies the ownership by the Cockburn Island Timber Company of any valuable interests, equitable or otherwise, and denies that it has conveyed its property or interests to defendant upon trust or in any other way. It also denies that he has any property belonging to the company, or that he is indebted to it.
A careful perusal of the evidence satisfies us that the Cockburn Island Timber Company has not property to hire value of §100 or any other sum; that the timber cut and in its possession was lawfully sold by Leitelt to Hitchcock & Foster; and that the timber license, whether lawfully sold or not', lapsed, so far as such, company was concerned, before the bill was filed. The transaction with Hitchcock
It would seem, then, that the merits of this case, when stripped of all disguises, are resolved into the question whether this complainant shall he allowed to collect liis judgment against Leitelt, in whole or in part, either by the application upon it of the amount received from Hitchcock & Foster, upon the theory that it was unlawfully applied by Leitelt to his own debt, or by requiring Leitelt to respond in damages for an improper disposition of the license. Aside from any objection that might be raised upon the pleadings, we think that the proofs do not warrant either. The agreement that was made between. Leitelt and the four Hoyles shows that Leitelt was put in charge of the business by consent of all, under circumstances which justify the conclusion that he was to get the
A claim is made that lie had no authority to sell all of the property of the corporation, and then pay himself; that the court should therefore lay hold of the proceeds of such sale, and pay complainant, if, indeed, it should not go further, and punish the defendant for such sale, and reward this complainant for his connection with the afluir, by permitting the latter to recover his claim by the collection of damages from the former. When we consider that, so far as the case shows, this timber license was sold at the rate of $18,000 to Leitelt; that the Doyles do not show that they paid a dollar towards its purchase, and, indeed, give no light upon what interest they really had in the license, if any; that they and their wives took one-half interest in the same by its conveyance to the company; that not one dollar appears to.have been assessed
The decree dismissing the bill will be affirmed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- William H. Doyle v. Adolph Leitelt and the Cookburn Island Timber Company
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published