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MATHEW M. GASSER v. J. J. WALL

Minnesota Supreme Court1910-05-06No. Nos. 16,537—(55)
111 Minn. 6

Summary

Holding. The order denying a new trial is reversed. While Gasser could potentially recover compensation for Wall's alleged misrepresentation regarding the purchase price, he is entitled only to his proportionate share of the profit difference (approximately $150 plus interest from February 1907), not the full $1,500 he paid, because he cannot rescind the original purchase agreement with the third-party seller.

Mathew Gasser and J. J. Wall agreed to jointly purchase stock rights in February 1907. According to Gasser's testimony, Wall represented that the purchase price would be thirty cents per share ($3,000 total), but Wall allegedly acquired the stock for only fifteen cents per share ($1,500 total) without disclosing this to Gasser. Both parties paid $1,500 each for their half-interest. After the stock declined in value, Gasser attempted to rescind the transaction in August 1908 and demanded return of his money. The trial court instructed the jury that if Wall made false representations about the purchase price that induced Gasser to participate, Gasser could recover the full amount he paid plus interest. The jury awarded Gasser $1,500 with interest.

The appellate court found that the evidence supported a fiduciary relationship between the parties in their joint venture. If Wall knowingly concealed that he obtained the stock at a lower price while representing a higher price to Gasser, Wall would have breached his duty of good faith. However, the court determined that Gasser was not entitled to rescind the underlying purchase agreement—which was made with the original seller, not with Wall—but rather was entitled only to his share of the stock at its actual cost. This meant Gasser should recover only $150 (half the difference between the represented and actual price) plus interest, not the full $1,500. Additionally, the trial court improperly admitted Gasser's self-serving memorandum into evidence without proper foundation.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether a fiduciary duty of good faith applies between parties in a joint stock purchase venture
  • Whether misrepresentation regarding the actual purchase price entitles a party to full rescission and restitution or only to shared profits
  • Admissibility of a self-serving memorandum lacking proper foundation

Procedural posture

The trial court submitted the case to the jury on the theory that Gasser could rescind the entire transaction and recover his full payment with interest if Wall misrepresented the purchase price; the jury returned a verdict for Gasser; and the trial court denied defendant's alternative motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or new trial.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

O’Brien, J.

The testimony upon behalf of the plaintiff, introduced upon the trial of this action, was to the effect that the defendant having an opportunity of purchasing the right to ten thousand shares of the Parry Sound Consolidated Copper stock at the price of fifteen cents per share, aggregating $1,500, approached the plaintiff February 1, 1907, and said: “ ‘Mr. Gasser, I have a chance to buy a certificate calling for ten thousand shares of the Parry Sound Consolidated Copper stock for a price of $3,000, or thirty cents a share.’ He says: ‘Now, Mi*. Gasser, I am not in shape to handle this entire deal; but I could put in $1,500, and I want to know if I cannot persuade you to put in $1,500 and buy this certificate on a joint account.’ ” The plaintiff claims to have agreed to this proposition. Defendant’s testimony was to the effect that he made no statement as to the price for which he was to buy the stock, but told plaintiff what the price of his share would be to him. It was conceded that defendant thereafter purchased the right to ten thousand shares for $1,500, and transferred a half interest therein to plaintiff, also for $1,500. The contract showing the plaintiff to be entitled to such interest was deposited in escrow with a third party. The plaintiff claims to have subsequently discovered that the purchase price paid by defendant was only $1,500.

Very shortly after this transaction the stock of the company was listed upon the market at Duluth at one dollar per share, but subsequently and quite rapidly declined to a much smaller price. On August 8, 1908, which was after some of the decline in price had occurred, the plaintiff tendered the defendant his interest in the stock and demanded a return of the money paid by him. This, the court in its charge to the jury, held to be a rescission of the purchase, and further instructed the jury that if the defendant made the representations claimed by plaintiff, and such representations were false, and the plaintiff was induced to purchase the stock in reliance upon the same, he was entitled to a verdict “for the añiount he paid the defendant, with interest thereon at - six per cent, from the eighth day of August, 1908, when he rescinded the contract.” The jury found for the plaintiff in the sum of $1,500 and interest. An alternative motion for judgment notwithstanding* the verdict or for a new trial of the actionwas denied. Defendant appeals from that order.

It is entirely clear from the record that the testimony of the plaintiff tended to establish a joint enterprise for the purchase of the stock, which placed each of the parties in a position of trust toward the other, requiring the exercise of good faith by each. If in fact the defendant, when he proposed this joint enterprise to the plaintiff, knew the stock could be purchased for $1,500, and thereafter secretly purchased it for that amount, the plaintiff is entitled to share equally with the defendant in the amount of the profit or advantage which he obtained; and the amount of such profit or advantage is to be measured by the difference in the actual price paid and that represented. The plaintiff cannot rescind the contract of purchase, as that was made with the original owner, who is not a party to this action, and against whom no complaint is made; and although that purchase was made in defendant’s name alone, plaintiff, according to his testimony, was jointly interested in it. But plaintiff is, if his testimony is true, entitled to his share of the stock at its actual cost. We think, under the complaint and the evidence, a verdict might properly .have been rendered in plaintiff’s favor for $150 and interest from February 2, 1901, but for no greater sum. Church v. Odell, 100 Minn. 98, 110 N. W. 346.

Upon the trial of the action, against the defendant’s objection, plaintiff was permitted to introduce in evidence a memorandum previously made by him reading as follows:

“Have 5,000 shares Parry Sound Consolidated Copper stock in the hands of N. S. Mitchell, it is % of a 10,000 share receipt J. Jl Wall owes the other %, 15,000. Bought from Baldwin, Baldwin & Dancer for the sum of $3,000.00 Oct. 19, 1906. Brot suit to recover on account fraud.”

This memorandum does not appear to have been an entry in any regular account book, nor was the entry shown to have been made with defendant’s knowledge. Its admission was, therefore, prejudicial error, unless, as suggested by the learned trial judge, the facts sought to be imoved by the memorandum were conclusively proved by other competent evidence.

In view of what we have said as to the erroneous basis upon which the case was submitted to the jury, it is not necessary to determine whether the evidence sustains the suggestion of the learned trial court that no prejudice resulted from this error, as for the reasons already given this verdict cannot be permitted to stand. We find no other error in the record.

The order denying a new trial is reversed.