See Ben Realty Co. v. Employment Security Commission
See Ben Realty Co. v. Employment Security Commission
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
I am unable to agree with may colleagues as to the result in this case. However, I think no useful purpose will be served by a lengthy discussion of our areas of disagreement.
It is clear and apparently undisputed that real estate salesmen do not and cannot obtain benefits under the Wyoming Employment Security Law, §§ 27-22 to 27-47, W. S.1957 — a situation which existed both before and after the 1963 amendment to § 27-25, requiring a recipient of benefits to have earnings in each week for 26 weeks. That being so, it is difficult for me to believe the legislature intended to assess a special purpose unemployment tax in such a manner that a whole class of persons for whose benefit the tax is levied would never be able to obtain benefits from the act.
I consider real estate salesmen independent contractors not covered by the Employment Security Law. Provisions of the Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen Act, §§ 33-344 to 33-355, W.S.1957, are not in pari materia
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff company, licensed by the State as a real estate broker, sued to recover from the Employment Security Commission contributions paid under protest after they had been assessed on account of the earnings of two salesmen working out of plaintiff’s office and sponsored by it. The trial court, finding that the salesmen were employees within the meaning of the statutes and that the plaintiff was therefore obligated to pay the assessment, gave judgment for the defendant; and this appeal has resulted, presenting the question of whether or not real estate salesmen under the circumstances shown by the record are employees within the meaning of the Wyoming Employment Security Law, §§ 27-22- — 27-41, W.S.1957.
The facts are undisputed, the court’s unchallenged findings disclosing that: plaintiff was a licensed real estate broker with an office at Casper, the two salesmen operating out of its office under an informal oral agreement with no wages or salaries paid to them by plaintiff for their services, their only compensation being derived from an agreed participation in a share of the commissions obtained from the sale of real
In addition to these findings, the parties without dispute say that the record discloses certain other germane facts, the plaintiff asserting that at the time of the trial there had been no claim for unemployment benefits submitted by real estate salesmen; that the defendant had advised an inquiring salesman that he would not be considered to be unemployed within the meaning of the Wyoming “Unemployment Compensation Act” as long as he had a valid license, was associated with a broker, and still qualified to sell property; that the relationship between plaintiff and a salesman could be terminated by either party at any time without notice, whereupon a salesman could find another sponsoring broker and thereafter immediately resume selling.
Plaintiff argues that the association of salesmen with the -broker does not constitute employment within the meaning of § 27-23, subd. I, that instead the salesmen are affiliated with plaintiff as independent contractors, to which situation the provisions of §§ 27-22 — 27-41 do not apply, and that the provisions of the Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen Act, §§ 33-344 — 33-3SS, W. S.1957, passed generally to protect the public from dishonest and untrustworthy real estate salesmen who might defraud the public, should not be construed to bring real estate salesmen within the provisions of the Employment Security Law. In so arguing, plaintiff sets out § 27-23, subd. I, par. 1:
“ ‘Employment’ means any service performed prior to April 1, 1941 which was employment as defined in this subsection prior-to such date, and after April 1, 1941, ‘employment’, subject to the other provisions of this subsection, means service, including service in interstate commerce, performed for wages or under any contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied.”
and § 27-23, subd. N:
“ ‘Wages’ means all remuneration payable for services from whatever source, including commissions and bonuses and the cash value of all remuneration payable in any medium other than cash. * * * ”
saying that even though wages are defined to include remuneration from any source, including commissions and bonuses, the Act when it refers to employment nonetheless means employment in a true sense, citing Realty Mortgage & Sales Co. v. Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, 197 Okl. 308, 169 P.2d 761.
The question here is not a novel one, having heretofore arisen numerous times in the various states under statutes quite similar to those in Wyoming.
“ * * * Accordingly, the occupation of real estate salesman, insofar as the Unemployment Insurance Act is concerned, is one that may be classified as that of an employee, or an independent contractor, depending Upon the facts of the partictilar case. * * * Insofar as Lowmiller v. Monroe, Lyon & Miller, Inc., * * * is contrary to this conclusion, it is disapproved.” (Emphasis supplied.) California Employment Stabilization Commission v. Morris, 28 Cal.2d 812, 172 P.2d 497, 500, 501.
We think the principles enunciated in the Tharp case were valid and approve them; the trial court correctly applying those principles to the instant situation arrived at a correct result. Consideration of the testimony disclosed by the record in the light of the public policy statement of the Wyoming Employment Security Law set forth by the legislature and in pari materia with the Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen Act, as this court in Tharp announced to be correct, reveals substantial evidence upon which the trial court’s finding could be predicated. The judgment is affirmed.
. Although appellant insists in its brief that “Few, if any, real estate salesmen in Wyoming earn a commission in each of twenty-six weeks in any one year, so that they would [under § 27-25, W.S.1957 (1965 Cum.Supp.)] qualify for benefits,” we must agree with appellee that such a statement is no more than conjecture on the part of appellant. Even if such were the case, it could not affect any decision in the matter before us; rather, it would be for the salesmen thereby affected to bring the inequity of such a situation to the attention of their legislators.
. The historical setting of the Wyoming Act was discussed by Judge Blume in Janssen v. Employment Security Commission, 64 Wyo. 330, 192 P.2d 606, 608. The Act itself, by the adoption or paraphrase of many sections, shows the influence of the January 1936 “draft bill relating to unemployment compensation” prepared by the United States Social Security Board.
. See generally 19 Wyo.L.J. 70.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SEE BEN REALTY CO., a Wyoming Corporation, Appellant (Plaintiff Below), v. EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION of Wyoming, Appellee (Defendant Below)
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published