Van Tassel v. Williams

This action was brought to recover upon several promissory notes alleged to have been given by the defendants, doing business under the firm name of F. Williams & Co., to the plaintiff. The only question involved was whether the plaintiff was a partner with the defendants in their business, and the

There is a preliminary question raised as to the burden of proof, it being claimed by the defendants that under the pleadings the defendants were entitled to the opening and closing of the case. It is not necessary, in view of the disposition which was made of the case, to consider particularly this question. There being no denial contained in the answer of any of the allegations contained in the complaint, it was an admission of the plaintiff’s cause of action, unless the defendants could establish the allegations set up in their answer by way of defense, namely, that the plaintiff was jointly interested with the defendants in the business out of which these notes arose, and hence could not maintain this action against the defendants. In fact, upon the trial the plaintiffs offered no proof, and the court held the notes to be admitted. It is true, some letter-heads and signatures of F. Williams & Co. to .letters showing the individual names of the defendants were offered, but these were entirely unnecessary, in view of the fact that the copartnership of the defendants was not denied, the only allegation being the affirmative allegations as above stated. The court, however, having disposed of the question of the right of plaintiff to recover as matter of law, if such ruling was correct, this error should not affect the judgment. It appeared that prior to April, 1887, the defendant, Sanford H. Weeks, and the plaintiff were engaged in business together, and in said month the defendants Williams, Hungerford and Weeks entered into an agreement in writing for copartnership, the firm name to be F. Williams & Co.; Williams to do the outside work, Hungerford to attend to the correspondence, and general inside work, and Weeks to have charge of all the financial affairs and furnish the capital. It was further agreed that the capital invested in the business should draw six per cent.- interest, to be charged to expense account; that AYilliams should have one-fourth, Hungerford one-fourth and AVeelcs one-half of the profits; that Williams should draw out of the business $25, Hungerford the same amount and Weeks $50, per week; and that this agreement was to continue for two years. It further appears that there,was an understanding or agreement between all the four parties that the three defendants should form a copartnership, which was done by the agreement above referred to ; that the plaintiff should furnish the monev, and that Weeks should divide his half with the plaintiff; that the reason why the plaintiff did not wish his name to appear in the firm was that it would conflict with his other business ; that his name as a capitalist would be sufficient for the backing of the business; and that he was to have one-fourth of the profits of the business, being one-half of the half reserved to Weeks by the written agreement. It was in pursuance of this arrangement that

In the case cited it was held that a contract between two or more partners and a third person, with the knowledge and assent of the other partners, by which the third person is to share in the profits and losses in the firm business of the partner'with whom lie contracts, does not constitute such a participation in the profits as will make the third person a partner, or liable for partnership debts. The ground upon which that decision was based seems to be that participation in the profits of the business does not, in all pases, make the participant a partner as to third persons. To haye that effect, the participation must be in the profits, as such, under circumstances which give him a proprietary right, as principal trader, in such profits before division. In that case it appeared that the party sought to be charged as partner had refused to become a partner, although his refusal had no connection with the knowledge of the liability which he would incur to creditors by becoming a partner, and that it was arranged between the parties that he should take” a share of one partner’s interest; and the only agreement made, so far as the party sought to be charged as a partner was concerned, was the agreement between him and one of the partners. The business of the firm did not require the contribution of capital, and none was contributed by any of the partners. The party sought to be charged aided the firm by purchases and consignments of merchandise to the firm for sale, but took no part in the management of the business. Upon these facts the court held that he was not a partner, either as to creditors or between himself and the other parties in interest. In the case of Nirdlinger v. Bernheimer, 133 N. Y. 45 ; 44 St. Rep. 323 , it was held that a subpartner with one engaged with others in a joint enterprise is entitled to an accounting in reference thereto; and this, although the other partners had no knowledge of the sub-partnership. In that case, Burnett v. Snyder was referred to, and it was held not to be applicable because the subpartner there made no contribution to the capital of the principal firm, and had no proprietary interest in the funds or in the profits arising in its business before division, and the question involved related solely to his liability to the creditors of the firm. Flow, in the case at bar, it appears that the plaintiff was to contribute the capital of the business. His name was not to appear, but the defendant Weeks was to represent his interest in the firm, and he was to have one-quarter of the profits, the same as the other members,

The exceptions should be sustained, and the motion for new trial granted, with costs to the defendants to abide.the final event.