Apartment Properties, Inc. v. Luley

239 N.E.2d 403, 143 Ind. App. 227, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 461
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 20, 1968
DocketNo. 268A13
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 239 N.E.2d 403 (Apartment Properties, Inc. v. Luley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Apartment Properties, Inc. v. Luley, 239 N.E.2d 403, 143 Ind. App. 227, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 461 (Ind. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

Bierly, J.

Prior to the time this cause was fully briefed, appellee filed on February 23, 1968, a motion to dismiss the appeal, which motion was not accompanied by a brief. The court, on March 27, 1968, denied the appellee’s motion to dismiss. On June 3, 1968, one day prior to the date set for oral argument, and which oral argument was held on [229]*229June 4, 1968, appellee filed a second motion to dismiss the appeal, and filed therewith a brief in support of her said motion.

We shall briefly comment on said second motion to dismiss. In the said motion to dismiss the appeal, the appellee states “that the appellant’s appeal arose by way of an appointment of appraisers to appraise stock owned by the appellee in a corporation which was merged into the appellant, said merger being objected to by the appellee.” Such appointment, appellee contends, constitutes an interlocutory order from which no appeal may be taken, therefore, this appeal should be dismissed.

Since we shall decide hereinafter, however, that prior to its issuing of its order appointing appraisers, the trial court erred in overruling the appellant’s motion to dismiss on the issue of appellee’s failure to give notice and demand for the payment of the value of the shares of stock to the merging corporation, the Port Realty Corporation in which appellee was a shareholder, we must overrule this second motion to dismiss.

This appeal arose from an adverse judgment against appellant by Superior Court of Marion County, Room 1.

The nature of this action, as summarized in the appellant’s brief, is as follows:

This is a statutory proceeding under § 37, Ch. 215, Indiana General Corporation Act (Burns’ Ind. Stat. § 25-236).

The appellee, Corneila Luley, was the holder of 101 shares of Class B Common Stock of Port Realty Corporation, which corporation merged into the appellant corporation, Apartment Properties, Incorporated, on August 14, 1967. The appellee petitioned the court below for appraisal of the shares she held in Port Realty, as provided for in the cited statute.

[230]*230The: appellee’s complaint petitioned the court to appraise the value of the shares of the appellee’s Common Stock in Port Realty. Said complaint, in part, reads as follows:

“IV
“That Apartment Properties, Inc. and Port Realty Corporation did on June 5, 1967, enter into an Agreement of Merger of the two corporations subject to the approval of the Board of Directors and the Shareholders of both corporations.
“V
“That the Board of Directors of Port Realty Corporation at a special meeting held June 5, 1967, adopted a resolution approving an Agreement of Merger of said corporation with Apartment Properties, Inc. and directed that the plan be submitted to the shareholders at a special meeting to be held on the 12th day of July, 1967.
“VI
“That on July 12, 1967, the shareholders approved the Agreement by Merger by a vote of 304 to 197.
“VII
“The shareholders of Apartment Properties, Inc. also approved the Agreement of Merger at a meeting held on July 10,1967.
“VIII
“That the merger became effective when the Articles of Merger were filed with the Secretary of State of Indiana, and approved on the 14th day of August, 1967, with Apartment Properties, Inc. the surviving corporation.
“IX
“That your petitioner opposed said merger.
“X
“That your petitioner made written demand for payment of the value of petitioner’s shares of stock in Port Realty Corporation by delivering written notice of said demand at the office of both the surviving and merging corporations and the office of Thomas A. Moynahan, the [231]*231Resident Agent of both corporations. A copy of said demand is marked “Exhibit A” and attached hereto.
“XI
“That more than thirty days have elapsed since the effective date of said merger and your petitioner and the surviving corporation have been unable to agree as to the value of petitioner’s shares.
“WHEREFORE, your petitioner prays the Court:
“1. That this Court appraise the value of petitioner’s shares in Port Realty Corporation,
“2. That such appraisal be made, as far as practicable, in accordance with the practice and procedure under the eminent domain laws of the State of Indiana.
“3. That the Court order the defendant to pay the appraised value of such stock, together with interest as provided by law, to the petitioner within 60 days after the order of this Court finding the appraised value of such stock.
“4. That the defendant be notified by the Clerk of this Court to show cause why this pétitioner should not be granted her appraised rights.
[232]*232“5.- That the Court appoint three disinterested persons to appraise the fair value of petitioner’s share in Port Realty Corporation as of the effective date of the merger.
“6. That the costs of this action be assessed against the defendant, and for all other relief just and proper in the premises. (Tr. p. 4,1. 8 to p. 6,1. 24)”

Appellant filed objections to the proceedings raised in appellant’s complaint on the grounds that the court had no jurisdiction of the subject matter, and that the appellee had no legal right to petition the court to appraise the value of her shares of Common Stock in Port Realty. The court overruled the appellant’s objections to the proceedings, and appointed appraisers as requested by the appellee.

The single error to be considered in this appeal is whether the trial court erred in overruling the appellant’s objections to the proceedings below, the question being, may a shareholder who dissents to the merger of a corporation with another corporation avail himself of the appraisal provisions of § 37, ch. 215, of the Indiana General Corporation Act (Burns’ § 25-236) by filing written objections to the merger and demand payment of the value of shares from the surviving corporation rather than from the corporation in which he is a shareholder?

Section 37, ch. 215, of the Indiana General Corporation Act (Burns’ Ind. Stat. § 25-236), is as follows:

“If any shareholder of any corporation a party to a merger or consolidation who did not vote in favor of such merger or consolidation at the meeting at which the agreement of merger or consolidation was adopted by the shareholders of such corporation, shall, at any time within thirty [30] days after such adoption of the agreement of merger or consolidation by such shareholders, object thereto in writing and demand payment of the value of shares, the surviving or new corporation shall, in the event that the merger or consolidation shall be made effective, pay to such shareholder, upon surrender of his certificates therefor, the value of such shares at the effective date of the merger or consolidation.

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

Related

Apartment Properties, Inc. v. Luley
247 N.E.2d 71 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1968)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
239 N.E.2d 403, 143 Ind. App. 227, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 461, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/apartment-properties-inc-v-luley-indctapp-1968.