FLORENCE TAYLOR, APPELLANT,
v.
TWIN CITY TRANSIT COMPANY, A CORPORATION, AND L. M. MERSHON, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF THURMAN A. WHITESIDE, DECEASED, APPELLEES

Fla. 3d DCA | 1962-10-16
No. 61-813
Before PEARSON, TILLMAN, C. J., and CARROLL and BARKDULL, JJ.
145 So. 2d 543 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1962) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Taylor appealed a summary judgment dismissing her action seeking to impose a constructive trust on monies held by Mershon as administrator of Whiteside's estate, alleging preferential transfers of Twin City Transit Company assets while it was insolvent. The court affirmed, finding that Whiteside received only repayment of bona fide loans from proceeds of asset sales, not improper corporate transfers.


Holding

The court held that because the record failed to show that Whiteside received consideration resulting from the sale of Twin City assets, the transfer could not violate § 608.55, even though Whiteside was an officer of the judgment debtor corporation. The repayment of bona fide loans from Venetian Sedan and Frank L. Love did not constitute an improper preferential transfer.


Key Quotes

“Without the record disclosing that Whiteside received consideration resulting from the sale of assets of Twin City [even though he was an officer of the judgment debtor corporation], such transfer could not be held to be in violation of § 608.55 of the Florida Statutes, F.S.A.”

Establishes the key holding that absent evidence of transfer of Twin City's own assets to Whiteside, no statutory violation occurred despite his officer status.

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Facts & Procedural History

Taylor obtained a money judgment against Twin City Transit Company and sought to enforce it against L.M. Mershon, administrator of Thurman Whiteside's…

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Opinion of the Court
BARKDULL, Judge.

BARKDULL, Judge.

This appeal is brought from a final summary judgment dismissing the cause, entered in an action wherein the appellant was attempting to impose a constructive trust against certain monies in the hands of the appellee, L. M. Mershon, as assets of the appellee, Twin City Transit Company.

The appellant, by her complaint, sought collection of a money judgment [obtained in a prior proceeding against the appellee, Twin City Transit Company] against L. M. Mershon, as the personal representative of the late Thurman A. Whiteside, upon two theories: first, a creditor’s bill and, second, a preferential transfer of corporate assets of Twin City Transit Company to White-side while he was an officer of said corporation and it was insolvent, contrary to the provisions of § 608.55, Fla.Stat., F.S.A. Following discovery proceedings, both parties moved for a summary judgment and entered into a stipulated set of facts, and upon the record then before the chancellor he entered the summary final decree here under consideration.

The only point preserved for appellate review is the applicability of the provi*545sions of § 608.55, Fla.Stat., F.S.A., to the admitted facts. The record fails to reveal that any valuable asset of Twin City was transferred to Whiteside. Instead, it affirmatively appears that what Whiteside received was repayment of bona fide loans made to Venetian Sedan Service, Inc. [a corporation not a party to this action], and of a personal loan to one Frank L. Love, the principal stockholder of both Twin City and Venetian Sedan. These loans were paid from the proceeds of a sale of 26 jitney permits belonging to Venetian Sedan Service, Inc., and 2 such permits belonging to Twin City Transit Company. The record fails to reveal that the Twin City permits had any value or that the monies paid to Whiteside by Venetian Sedan and Frank L. Love were in excess of the value received by Venetian Sedan on the sale of its permits. Venetian Sedan did not violate any provisions of the Florida Statutes in discharging its just debts, and Frank L. Love, who was the principal stockholder of Venetian Sedan as well as Twin City, did not violate any of the provisions of the Florida Statutes in discharging his just debts from any money he received from the sale of the assets of Venetian Sedan. Without the record disclosing that Whiteside received consideration resulting from the sale of assets of Twin City [even though he was an officer of the judgment debtor corporation], such transfer could not be held to be in violation of § 608.55 of the Florida Statutes, F.S.A.

On appeal, every presumption favors the correctness of the decree of the lower court, and the burden is upon the appellant to show that it is erroneous. Meadows Southern Construction Company v. Pczzaniti, Fla.App.1959, 108 So.2d 499; Walton v. City of Clermont, Fla.App.1959, 109 So.2d 403. In reviewing the record on appeal in the instant case and considering the contentions of the appellant, we find the appellant has failed to meet that burden. Therefore, as the appellant has failed to clearly demonstrate error, we cannot disturb the judgment of the lower court. Carolina Lumber Co. v. Daniel, Fla.App.1957, 97 So.2d 156; First National Bank & Trust Co. of Eustis v. Boyd, Fla.App.1960, 124 So.2d 27.

Affirmed.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Sullivan v. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co., Inc., 230 So. 2d 18 (Fla. 4th DCA 1969)
    …sed. Dade County, etc. v. Peppers, Fla.App.1964, 168 So. 2d 198; Bertman v. Solomon, Fla.App.1964, 166 So. 2d 499; Global Aero Service, Inc. v. Lloyd Aero Boliviano, S.A., Fla.App. 1963, 157 So. 2d 708; Taylor v. Twin City Transit Co., Fla.App.1962, 145 So. 2d 543. Affirmed. WALDEN, REED and OWEN, JJ., concur.…

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