Allen v. Distilling Co. of America

100 A. 620, 87 N.J. Eq. 531, 2 Stock. 531, 1917 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 86
CourtNew Jersey Court of Chancery
DecidedMarch 22, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 100 A. 620 (Allen v. Distilling Co. of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Court of Chancery primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allen v. Distilling Co. of America, 100 A. 620, 87 N.J. Eq. 531, 2 Stock. 531, 1917 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 86 (N.J. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Lane, Y. C.

The three suits involve the same facts. The difference is as to the nature of the relief prayed. The point at issue is whether the Distilling Company of America (hereafter called “Distilling Company”) may be dissolved by its stockholders without providing for the contingent liability of the corporation upon its guaranties of the payment of dividends upon the preferred stocks of 'the United States Industrial Alcohol Company (hereafter called the “Industrial Companj'”) and the Cuba Distilling Company (hereafter called the “Cuba Company”). Complainant Allen is a preferred stockholder of the Industrial Company. Complainant Industrial Company is a preferred stockholder of the Cuba Company. Complainants Eice and others are preferred stockholders of both the Industrial and Cuba Companies.

The Allen and Industrial bills seek to enjoin the dissolution of the Distilling Company. The Eice bill seeks to inipress upon the assets, after dissolution, a lien or trust for the benefit of the preferred stockholders of the Industrial and Cuba Companies, and to have this court take over the proceedings in dissolution by the appointment of a receiver.

Upon the filing of the bills, orders to show cause were allowed with, ad interim restraint. Motions have been made in the Allen and Industrial suits to strike out the bills upon the ground that they fail to set up facts sufficient to constitute any cause of action in equity or to entitle the complainants to the relief therein prayed for, or to any other relief in the premises. The hearing-has been had upon the orders to show cause and the motions to strike out.

[533]*533The facts are as follows: On October 17th, 1906, the Distilling Company entered into a contract with the Industrial Company and each and all of the then present and future holders of record of all or any part of the preferred stock of the Industrial Compan)7, the pertinent portions of which read:

“Now, therefore, for good, valuable and adequate consideration to each of the first and second parties in hand paid, the receipt of which by them respectively is hereby acknowledged, it is hereby agreed as follows:
“1. The first party hereto guarantees to said George and to each and all of the present and future holders of record of all or any part of said preferred stock severally, so long as the same shall be outstanding, during said fifty (50) years, that said Industrial Co. shall and will always during said fifty (50) years have and possess adequate, sufficient and available surplus or net profits out of which to pay, and that said Industrial Co. shall and will promptly pay during said fifty (50) years out of said surplus or net profits said quarterly dividend of one and three-fourths per cent. (1%%), on the said fifteenth days of "January, Aprils July and October in each year during said fifty (50) years, beginning with the year 1907, on all of said preferred stock, so long as the same shall be outstanding during said fifty (50) years, and in case of any default by said Industrial Cq. in making any such payment or payments, on any of said respective dates, the first party hereby guarantees that it shall and will immediately upon such default, pay to the then holder or holders of record of all or any part of said preferred stock, so long as the same shall be outstanding during said fifty (50) years, the amount of such' defaulted payment or payments. It being understood and agreed, however, that to the extent of any and all payments which the first party may make by reason of this guaranty it shall and will be subrogated to all of the rights of said holders of record of said preferred stock to whom the first party has made or may make payment or payments hereunder, and the amount of such payments or payments, together with interest thereon at - the rate of five per cent. (5%) per annum shall, and said Industrial Co. hereby agrees will be promptly repaid to the first party by said Industrial Co. from time to time as soon as said Industrial Co. has surplus or net profits sufficient to make siicli repayment in whole or in part.
“2. This guaranty shall be irrevocable. No voluntary or involuntary dissolution or. merger or consolidation of said Industrial Co. or of the i first party shall, except by and with the written consent of the holders j of record of all of said preferred stock outstanding at the time, release,J discharge, modify or affect said guaranty in any way.”

Oil March 25th, 1907, the Distilling Company entered into a similar contract with the Cuba Company and all of the then present and future holders of its preferred stock.

[534]*534The Distilling Company under its charter had full authority to enter into these contracts. They were for valuable considerations, were authorized by the board of directors and ratified and approved by the stockholders of the Distilling Company. The Industrial Company has outstanding $6,000,000 of preferred stock, and the Cuba Company $2,500,000, upon each and every certificate of which the guaranty is printed. The Distilling Company has outstanding, common and preferred stock, to the extent of seven hundred and seventy-three thousand six hundred and ninety-eight shares of the par value of $100 each, of which the Distillers Securities Corporation (hereafter, called the “Securities' Company”) owns seven hundred and seventy thousand and twenty-six shares, or more than ninety-nine and one-half per cent. It is conceded that the only shares not held by He Securities • Company are such as cannot be located. At the time the guaranties were entered into the stock ownership of the- Distilling Company was the same as now. Prior to November 27th, 1916, the directors and stockholders (i. c., the Securities Company) of the Distilling Company took proceedings to dissolve it, and on that date there was filed with the secretary of state the record of the proceedings under the terms of the statute. The consent to the dissolution was executed by the Securities Company as a holder of more than two-thirds of the stock of He Distilling Company. Thereupon the secretary of state issued his certificate. Publication was begun and would have been completed about December 20th, 1916, if ad interim restraint had not intervened.

It will.be at_once pereei.ved .that He same stock ownership as approved the contracts of . guaranty now assert the power to dissolve His..guarantor company wiHout regard to any supposed riglxts„eNthe=guaraiite.e.d_.preferred_ stockholders. The stock of He Securities Company is widely distributed. It is dealt in on the New York stock exchange. The Industrial and Cuba Companies are prosperous operating concerns. The Distilling Company has never yet been called upon to respond to the guarantees. It is a holding corporation having assets of a par, and, concedeály, real, value of approximately $66,000,000.

[535]*535The effect of the dissolution will be substantially a turning over of the assets of the Distilling Company to the Securities Company. There is then nothing to prevent the Securities Company from dissolving and the distribution of its assets, including those now of the Distilling Company, or their value, to its stockholders, who are, as before stated, very numerous and who reside in many parts of the United States, and probably in foreign countries. The guaranties have about forty years yet to run. The Industrial and Cuba Companies now have assets which, if reduced to cash, would be sufficient to retiré the preferred stock at par and above.

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Bluebook (online)
100 A. 620, 87 N.J. Eq. 531, 2 Stock. 531, 1917 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allen-v-distilling-co-of-america-njch-1917.