Cabot Orton v. Eliot Orton, Gardner Orton

VCS was opened in 1946 in Weston, Vermont by Lyman’s parents, Vrest and

Mildred, as the first restored rural general store in the United States. Over the decades that

followed, and under Lyman’s leadership, the store expanded to an additional brick-and-mortar

location and a tremendously successful catalog and internet order business.

In the early 2000’s, Lyman decided to transition ownership and operation of VCS

to his three sons, Plaintiff, Eliot and Gardner and formed the Trust on or about June 5, 2002,

naming William O. Cranshaw as Trustee (the “Trustee”) and Plaintiff and Defendants as

beneficiaries.

In or around 2010, Lyman sold all of his voting shares in VCS to the Trust and

therefore the Trust holds those shares as assets, along with other non-VCS related assets and

property.

As of Lyman’s sale of his voting shares in VCS to the Trust in or around 2010 and

following a judicial modification of the Trust in 2011, Plaintiff and Defendants became active

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Causes of Action

FACTS COMMON TO ALL CAUSES OF ACTION

1. Declaratory Judgment

2. Breach of Contract: Specific Performance

3. Promissory Estoppel