Driskill v. Boyd
Driskill v. Boyd
Opinion of the Court
Upon the hearing of the motion to appoint a receiver and also the motion to dissolve the injunction, the judge of the district court, upon his own initiative, called to the stand and examined the appellant, the appellee and the *717 appellant’s witness Neal, and refused to receive or hear further evidence, as appears by appellant’s bill of exceptions, and upon this action of the court is based appellant’s first assignment of error.
The testimony heard by the court established the fact of the contract and sale of the cotton, substantially as alleged by appellant. The appellant testified that the amount alleged due him from the sale of the cotton was as alleged by him. Appellee testified that he had a final settlement with appellant, in which he had paid appellant the full amount due him. Neal testified that appellee admitted, at a date subsequent to such alleged settlement, that he had in his possession some $2,700 or $2,800 belonging to appellant. Appellant, as shown by said bill of exceptions, offered to prove by another witness “the agreement relative to the handling and disposition of the cotton; payment for the same, and that defendant Boyd had collected for such cotton and had not paid over to Driskill the original cost moneys paid to him therefor.” As above stated, the court refused to hear said testimony.
It was and is the contention of appellee that the transaction as pleaded and proven did not constitute a partnership, and that if appellee is indebted to appellant in any amount, the same is an open account, for which reason the court was not authorized to appoint a receiver nor to issue an injunction against appellee. It was and is the contention of appellant that the proceeds of the sale of the cotton in the hands of appellee is a trust fund, and that, pending the suit to establish the allegations of his petition, he is entitled to both an injunction and the appointment of a receiver. The court evidently took appellee’s view of the matter. The testimony elicited by the court, aside from the question of insolvency of appellee, went mainly to the question of partnership. Appellant .admitted in open court that he did not think the transaction constituted a copartnership, and thereupon the court refused to hear further testimony.
We agree with the court and the parties hereto that the transactions of the parties did not constitute a partnership as to the funds involved in this suit. (There were no losses and the profits appear to have been divided satisfactorily to all parties.) But we do not think that for that reason alone the court should either have refused to appoint a receiver, or have dissolved the injunction. Our view of this case is that the pleadings show that appellee received the proceeds of the cotton as the agent of appellant, that such proceeds in his hands are the property of appellant, held in trust by appellee for appellant, and that the court erred in refusing to hear the testimony offered, which certainly was material as tending to establish such allegations. Lynn v. Bank, 40 S. W. 228; Cotton v. Rand, 92 S. W. 266.
“Where the matter in litigation is a trust fund, an injunction may be granted to preserve the fund and secure it for the party to whom it may belong upon the final decree.” 22 Cyc. 823.
Why? Because the property does not belong to the party in whose possession it is. This we conceive to be the principle upon which injunction is granted in many cases— the basic reason for same. For example, it is well settled that, in a proper case, injunction will be granted in partnership matters to prevent the diversion by one of the partners of the partnership funds; in divorce suits, to prevent a husband from disposing of community property, and against executors and guardians, to prevent an improper distribution of an estate. While a partnership for certain purposes is not a legal entity, it is such to the extent that its property, for certain purposes, does not belong to the partner who may be in possession, but to the partnership. While the legal title to community property may be in the husband, the equitable title is in the community estate. The equitable title to an estate is not in the executor or the guardian, but in the devisees or the heirs. And likewise, the equitable title to property held in trust is not in the trustee, but in the cestui que trust. It is not in fact the property of the trustee, and for this reason he may be enjoined from disposing of it. It is also well settled that, where an agent invests the money of his principal in property, taking the title in his own name, the principal may recover such property. Why? Because he is the real owner thereof. But it is apparent that he is no more the owner of property purchased with his money, where title is taken in the name .of his agent, than he was of his money in the hands of such agent before such investment was made.
We think tliat tBe court sBould have Board tBe testimony offered, and, if satisfied of tBe proBaBle trutB of appellant’s allegations, Be sBould Bave appointed a receiver. We cannot reverse tBis case on account of tBe refusal of tBe court to appoint a receiver, as no appeal can Be taken from tBe judgment in tBat respect. We do, Bowever, reverse and remand tBis ease on account of tBe error committed By tBe judge in refusing to Bear tBe proffered testimony, and in dissolving tBe temporary injunction.
Reversed and remanded.
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