Brice v. Mt. Scott Park Cemetery Corp.

178 P. 935, 91 Or. 333, 1919 Ore. LEXIS 43
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1919
StatusPublished

This text of 178 P. 935 (Brice v. Mt. Scott Park Cemetery Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brice v. Mt. Scott Park Cemetery Corp., 178 P. 935, 91 Or. 333, 1919 Ore. LEXIS 43 (Or. 1919).

Opinion

HARRIS, J.

H. R. Reynolds purchased 335 acres of land from the late H. W. Scott. Reynolds had investigated various cemeteries in different parts of the United States and his purpose was to prepare and maintain a modern, well-equipped cemetery. The price was $300 per acre, totaling $100,500 for the entire tract. Reynolds made an initial payment of $20,000 and the remainder was to be paid at times and in amounts not disclosed by the record. At some time, not definitely shown by the testimony, but probably in 1909, Reynolds transferred his interest in the contract to the Mt. Scott Park Cemetery Corporation, which [336]*336presumably had been organized for the purpose of taking over the property. The corporation was capitalized at $500,000. The capital stock was delivered to Reynolds in payment for his interest in the land. The corporation issued and sold bonds. A corporation organized by Reynolds was made the selling agent for the bonds. Each of the bonds contained a stipulation as follows: “This issue of bonds shall be limited to the amount of $300,000.” The company caused its bonds to be sold and it used the proceeds in making payments on the land contract until the amount due was reduced to $42,500. At some time, not definitely appearing in the record, but after the amount due on the contract had been reduced to $42,500, the corporation secured a deed to the land and gave a mortgage for the $42,500, the balance due on the purchase price. The corporation continued to sell bonds and “continued on putting this money into the cemetery, developing it and preparing it later for sale.” At some subsequent time, not made certain by the' testimony, the Scott mortgage, after having been reduced by partial payments to $28,000, was paid, and then the corporation “negotiated another mortgage of $28,000.” An additional $7,500 was borrowed for the purpose of building a crematorium and this money was also secured by a mortgage. We infer from the record that when Thomson purchased the bonds and stock only a part of the land, about 35 acres, was being developed for cemetery purposes. In October, 1911, the corporation owed $28,000 either on the Scott mortgage or on the subsequent mortgage which was negotiated for that amount; and we infer, too, that the mortgage for $7,500 was also in effect at that time. In a word, the corporation owed approximately $35,000 when it sold, the bonds and stock to Thomson [337]*337and this indebtedness was secured by mortgages. However, these mortgages did not cover the 35-acre tract which was being developed for cemetery purposes, although they did embrace the remaining 300 acres. The bonds were not secured by a mortgage or a trust deed. "We understand from the evidence that the corporation desired to keep the 35-acre tract free from encumbrances so as to avoid the necessity of securing releases whenever lots were sold. In this connection it is appropriate to direct attention to what Reynolds testified concerning the stipulation in the bonds for the payment of a dividend equal to the dividend paid on the stock. He explained that because of the fact that no mortgage or trust deed had been given as security the corporation

“decided to put in a profit sharing feature which enabled the bondholder in addition to receiving his 6 per cent interest, to participate in the profits which might come to the cemetery in the excess of interest to the extent of 14 per cent”; and hence this “would make it a liberal bond more in the nature of an investment ; make it more liberal than a mere interest-bearing proposition.”

Such was the situation when Thomson purchased the bonds and stock in October, 1911.

Interest was promptly paid to and received by Thomson for the years 1912, 1913 and 1914. Some difficulty was experienced, however, in obtaining the interest which became due on January 1,T916, for the year 1915. Thomson placed the matter in the hands of his attorney who subsequently collected the money for Thomson. In 1917 the interest for the year 1916 was tendered to Thomson, but he refused to accept it.

Meetings of the bondholders and stockholders were held on June 10, July 18, July 25 and August 15 in [338]*3381916; and, with one possible exception, Thomson not only attended bnt voted at each of those meetings. The bondholders, presumably at one of those meetings, appointed a committee; and we infer that this committee made certain recommendations to the corporation, for it appears that, acting on the recommendations of the committee, the corporation obtained authority to decrease its capital stock to $60,000. We are also justified in inferring that the corporation, acting on the recommendation of the committee selected by the bondholders, authorized and executed a mortgage to secure the outstanding bonds. A circular letter was addressed to bondholders advising them of what had been done and requesting them to present their bonds so that the instruments could be registered and stamped. The circular also recited that stock had been given to bondholders as a bonus and the holders of such stock were requested to return their certificates. The bondholders were informed by the circular letter that

“The new capitalization of $60,000 goes into the Treasury and will be issued only to those who have paid cash or its equivalent while the bondholders will receive, in new stock 6 per cent of face value of their bond, the same to be given in payment of interest due January 1st, 1915. The balance of this stock will remain in Treasury as a Company asset.”

Thomson refused to comply with the request contained in the circular; and afterwards he commenced this suit by filing his complaint and bringing the stock and bonds into court for the corporation.

1. If it be assumed that Reynolds made any of the statements, ascribed to him in the transcript of testimony, concerning, the value of the land or the shares of stock, the most that can be said of such statements [339]*339is that they were mere expressions of opinion and did not amount to representations of facts.

Reynolds admits that he told Thomson that “it was a good safe investment”; and we may add that the witness still insisted at the trial that it was in truth a good investment. The record does not tell us how many lots have been sold, but the transcript of testimony does disclose that lots have been and are being sold at a price per square foot amounting to $30,000 per acre. The record is silent as to the amount of outstanding bonds.

2. We cannot say, after reading and re-reading the evidence, that Reynolds made any representations concerning the safety of the investment which would warrant a rescission of the sale.

Reynolds denied that he made any representations about a sinking fund. Thomson testified that he

“understood that these bonds would be paid off as they would run to a valuation of a dividend of 14 per cent. That they would be paid off, that they were setting off a dividend of 4 per cent to meet these bonds at the time that they would come up to that amount. ’ ’ Mrs. Thomson stated that Reynolds “gave us to understand that there was a sinking fund, and I didn’t know at that time what a sinking fund was, and I was wondering what a sinking fund was, until I found out that it was money that was put up to pay these bonds off as they were called in.”

When Reynolds negotiated the sale he had with him a blank bond which he read to Thomson and to Mrs. Thomson.

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Related

Scott v. Walton
52 P. 180 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1898)
Hills v. Campbell
170 P. 298 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1918)
Churchill v. Meade
171 P. 565 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 P. 935, 91 Or. 333, 1919 Ore. LEXIS 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brice-v-mt-scott-park-cemetery-corp-or-1919.