American Microtel, Inc. v. Secretary of State

3 Mass. L. Rptr. 479
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedJanuary 27, 1995
DocketNo. CA935874
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 3 Mass. L. Rptr. 479 (American Microtel, Inc. v. Secretary of State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Microtel, Inc. v. Secretary of State, 3 Mass. L. Rptr. 479 (Mass. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

Cowin, J.

The plaintiffs, American Microtel, Inc. (“Microtel”), D&S Marketing, Mark Bowen (“Bowen”), John McMaster (“McMaster”), Mark Sheiner (“Sheiner”), Paul Tabora (‘Tabora”), and Michael Weiner (“Weiner”), seek judicial review of a decision of the Secretary of State of Massachusetts, acting through the Director of the Securities Division (“the Director”). The decision imposes sanctions on Microtel for violating several provisions of G.L.c. 110A, the Uniform Securities Act of Massachusetts (“the Act”). The conduct at issue involved the services Microtel offered in connection with the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) lottery for Multi-Channel MultiPoint Distribution Service (“MMDS”) (wireless cable television) licenses. The Director adopted the report of the Hearing Officer who ruled that the plaintiffs had illegally offered and sold a “wireless cable” investment program in Massachusetts without being registered to sell securities, and that the plaintiffs had misrepresented and omitted material information in connec[480]*480tion with their solicitation of Massachusetts investors. Microtel alleges generally that the Hearing Officer’s decision, as adopted by the Director, was not supported by substantial evidence, G.L.c. 30A, §14(7)(e), and was based upon errors of law, G.L.c. 30A, §14(7)(c). See Complaint, ¶10.

This Court concludes that the Hearing Officer’s findings and rulings are supported by substantial evidence and are in accord with the applicable law. Accordingly, the decision of the Director is affirmed.

BACKGROUND

Microtel, a Nevada corporation, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halo Holdings Group, Inc. (“Halo”). Through its Massachusetts branch office, D/S Marketing, Microtel offered a wireless cable television lottery application filing service to Massachusetts residents. Neither Microtel nor D/S Marketing were registered as securities broker-dealers in Massachusetts. See G.L.c. 110A, §§201(a), 401(c).

Microtel representatives led prospective Massachusetts investors to believe that they would be joining with Microtel and up to sixfy-five other applicants in a common enterprise which would put them in an ownership position in wireless cable television stations licensed by the FCC. Microtel’s oral and written solicitations indicated that it would prepare an FCC license application for its investors, take part in selecting the market(s) for which the license application should be filed, assist them in forming alliance groups to ensure receipt of a license, aid them in securing the financing and construction of an MMDS station, and manage that station once it became operational.

James D. Greenbaum (“Greenbaum”) is the Chief Executive Officer and majority shareholder of Microtel, and the officer and majority shareholder of Halo. Bowen, McMaster, Sheiner, Tabora, and Weiner worked for D/S Marketing as sales agents. Neither Greenbaum nor the D/S Marketing employees were registered as agents of a broker-dealer. G.L.c. 110A, §§201(b), 401(b).

On July 8, 1991, the Director initiated proceedings against Microtel alleging violations of the Act and issued a Temporary order to Cease and Desist. After extended hearings, the Hearing Officer for the Division of Enforcement issued a report containing detailed findings of fact and conclusions of law. His report was adopted by the Director, who, on May 7, 1993, issued a Final Order Imposing Sanctions. The Final Order: (1) directed the plaintiffs (respondents there) to cease and desist from violating §§101, 201, and 301 of the Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (2) prohibited the plaintiffs from destroying, altering or disposing of any books or records relating to the offer or sale of services of American Microtel to Massachusetts investors; (3) required plaintiffs to provide the Director with a list of every offer or sale of its services made to Massachusetts residents, including the name and address of each offeree; (4) held the plaintiffs jointly and severally liable for making a rescission offer to each Massachusetts investor who purchased services from Microtel; (5) imposed a $5,000.00 fine on Bowen, McMaster, Sheiner, Tabora, and Weiner; and (6) imposed a $5,000.00 fine on Microtel, D/S Marketing, and Greenbaum, for each offer made to a Massachusetts investor as shown on the list required by (3) above.

On May 21, 1993, the plaintiffs filed a Petition for Rehearing and/or Reconsideration of Hearing Officer’s Report and Final Order Imposing Sanctions. On September 2, 1993, the Director denied Microtel’s motion. This action followed.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard of Review

Judicial review of a decision of an administrative agency is governed by G.L.c. 30A, §14. The parly appealing an administrative decision bears the burden of demonstrating the decision’s invalidity. Merisme v. Board of Appeals on Motor Vehicle Liab. Policies & Bds., 27 Mass.App.Ct. 470, 474 (1989). In reviewing the agency decision, the court is required to give due weight to the agency’s experience, technical competence, specialized knowledge, and the discretionary authority conferred upon it by statute. Flint v. Commissioner of Pub. Welfare, 412 Mass. 416, 420 (1992).

The reviewing court may not substitute its judgment for that of the agency. Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School Dist. v. Labor Relations Comm’n, 386 Mass. 414, 420-21 (1982). A court may not dispute an administrative agency’s choice between two conflicting views, even though the court would justifiably have made a different choice had the matter come before it de novo. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Wellesley v. Housing Appeals Comm’n, 385 Mass. 651, 657 (1982). New claims may not be raised on appeal if they were not also raised at the administrative appeal. M.G. Gordon & Son, Inc. v. Alcoholic Beverages Control Comm’n, 386 Mass. 64, 73 (1982).

Review of an administrative agency’s decision under the substantial evidence test is limited; a court will uphold the agency’s decision “as long as the findings by the authority are supported by substantial evidence in the record considered as a whole.” Costello v. Department of Public Utilities, 391 Mass. 527, 539 (1984), quoting 1001 Plays, Inc. v. Mayor of Boston, 387 Mass. 879, 885 (1983). Substantial evidence is “such evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” G.L.c. 30A, §1(6). Almeida, supra at 341.

II. Claims of Error

Microtel cites four areas of error. First, Microtel claims that the Hearing Officer erred in finding that the Microtel service constitutes an investment contract and thus a security within the meaning of G.L.c. 110A, §401(k). Second, Microtel alleges that the Hearing Officer erred in ruling that Microtel violated the [481]*481antifraud provisions of the Act, G.L.c. 110A, §101(1)-(3). Microtel also contends that the Director acted improperly in issuing administrative subpoenas after he had commenced the adjudicatory phase of the case. Finally, Microtel alleges that the Director did not have personal jurisdiction over Greenbaum.

A. G.L.c. 110A, §401(k)

Microtel’s first claim concerns the Hearing Officer’s finding that Microtel’s service constituted an investment contract, and thus a security under G.L.c. 110A, §401(k).2 In so ruling, the Hearing Officer relied on 950 CMR 14.401(N), which defines an investment contract as including:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
3 Mass. L. Rptr. 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-microtel-inc-v-secretary-of-state-masssuperct-1995.