ACCOUNTANTS' APPEAL CASE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19970, 3 July 1930, Page 6

ACCOUNTANTS' APPEAL CASE.

CLAIM FOR FEES. Public accountants' fees for the flotation of a company were involved in an appeal in the Supreme Court yesterday against the decision of a Magistrate. In the Lower Court Denys Hoar© and Francis Arthur Jarrett, carrying on business as Hoare and Kingsoote, publio accountants and sharebrokors, sued Irvin and Herdman, dental and surgical salesmen for the sum of £137, including £3l 10s for aervices in connexion with the flotation of a company and stocktaking. Defendants admitted liability for £lO5 10s, but resisted the charge of £3l 10s on the ground that it was not the practice of accountants to charge for such work. The Magistrate (Mr H. A. Young) gave judgment for only £lO5 10s, holding that it-was not the custom,amongst accountants in the absence of any' Special agreement to charge those who .instructed them to fojfm a company for work done in their efforts to form the company. _ Plaintiffs appealed against that decision, contending that they wore entitled to the fee or £3l 10s. Mr Justice Kennedy was on the Bench.' Mr K, M. Gresson appeared for the appellant, and Mr W. J. Sim, instructed by. Mr C. S. Thomas, represented the respondent. Mr Gresson said that there was nothing in the evidence to support the Magistrate's conclusion that there was an agreement bv the appellants to do the accountancy work for £5 a month. Appellants were entitled to more than that sum. There was no reasonable usage set out in the evidence to justify the Magistrate in depriving appellants of the charge of £3l 10s. Mr- Sim said that the Magistrate found that appellants were fully paid when they received £5 a month. Ap-. pellants had not shown that the Magistrate was demonstrably wrongs His Honour reserved his decision.