Nichols v. Mumford
Nichols v. Mumford
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff, a resident of Grand Rapids, owned or controlled a considerable tract of land near Hunt Spur in Mackinac county, some of which was under cultivation. In the fall of 1918 an arrangement,’ partaking of the nature of a copartnership, was entered into between him and defendant, under which defendant moved to the farm. The bill of complaint alleges that plaintiff and defendant were the joint owners of 29 head of cattle on said farm, worth about $3,000, which had been purchased for the purpose of pasturing, feeding and disposal at a contemplated profit, and also two ponies with saddles and equipment used in looking after said stock; that defendant furnished about $600 of the purchase price of the cattle and plaintiff’s credit had been pledged for the balance thereof. It further alleges that plaintiff was apprehensive that defendant would dispose of said cattle without plaintiff’s knowledge and refuse to account to him therefor. An injunction was prayed for and an accounting asked for. Defendant, answering, admitted the purchase of the cattle and his sale of them, but denied that he was making such sale without the knowledge of plaintiff; alleged that the lack of sufficient pasturage, owing to the drought and forest fires, necessitated such sale, and that it was his intention to deposit the proceeds thereof in the bank from which plaintiff’s loan to pay for the cattle had been negotiated. By way of cross-bill he asked that plaintiff be required to execute the articles of copartnership
The proofs were taken in open court. The decree dissolved the copartnership. It determined the assets, and ordered an equal division of same. It further provided that, if the parties could not agree upon a division, a sale be had under a receiver to be appointed by the court and the proceeds, after deducting the expenses, be equally divided. It denied defendant’s claim for damages and dismissed his cross-bill. Costs were allowed to plaintiff. The defendant appealed.
There had been much negotiation between the
a. The copartnership property, besides that mentioned in the decree, should include 8 calves on the farm at the time suit was brought.
b. The defendant is not entitled to charge the expense incident to his moving to the farm to the copartnership nor any damages occasioned by its dissolution. Neither can he in this proceeding recover for any personal work or labor done for the plaintiff, not within the scope of the partnership.
c. Defendant paid out $36.75 for a reward and expenses incident to the recovery of a bull which had strayed away. This should be treated as a firm obli
d. The expenses of defendant’s trip to Tawas was offset by those of plaintiff, it appearing that each party paid his own expenses.
Other items are claimed by defendant, but we do not think the proofs sufficiently clear to justify their allowance.
The decree will be modified to conform to the conclusions stated, and, as thus modified, affirmed. The defendant will recover his costs of this court.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NICHOLS v. MUMFORD
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published