Stratton v. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.

190 Cal.App.3d 286 (1987) 235 Cal. Rptr. 374 HARRY W. STRATTON et al., Cross-complainants and Appellants,

v.

PEAT, MARWICK, MITCHELL & CO., Cross-defendant and Respondent.

Docket No. A028016. Court of Appeals of California, First District, Division One.

March 17, 1987. [287] COUNSEL

Rankin, Oneal, Center, Luckhardt, Lund & Hinshaw, Gary S. Vandeweghe and Selby Brown, Jr., for Cross-complainants and Appellants. [288] McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen, Barry P. Goode, Dale E. Barnes, Jr., and Mary Lu Christie for Cross-defendants and Respondents.

OPINION

NEWSOM, J.

Appellants and cross-complainants Harry W. Stratton and Don L. Van Eeghen appeal from a summary judgment entered on June 11, 1984, in favor of respondent and cross-defendant, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 437c.

The original complaint in this action was filed by plaintiff McPhail's, Inc. (hereafter McPhail's) on November 6, 1981, against appellants Stratton and Van Eeghen, alleging breach of sales contract, fraud and misrepresentation in connection with appellants' sale of their business, Miller's Home Appliances, Inc., to McPhail's.

On December 30, 1981, appellants filed a cross-complaint against respondent Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (hereafter PMM), alleging causes of action for indemnity, breach of contract and negligence with respect to accounting services performed by PMM. At the same time, appellants filed a separate action against PMM in the superior court for the County of Santa Clara, case No. 490558, alleging breach of contract and negligence based upon the same transactions. The parties subsequently agreed to sever the breach of contract and negligence claims in the cross-complaint and to consolidate them with case No. 490558, leaving only the indemnity claim in this case.