Brock v. Hines

1924 OK 133, 223 P. 654, 97 Okla. 147, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 1066
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided February 5, 1924·No. 12712·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

'Opinion by

MAXEY, C.

This case turns on the question of whether the transaction between the plaintiff and the defendant comes within the purview of what is known as the Blue Sky Law, being chapter 49 of Session Laws of 1919. The plaintiff contends that the transaction between him and the defendant, as shown by the pleadings and the exhibits in the case, comes clearly within the provision of said chapter 49, Session Laws 1919. The defendant contends that it does not come within the provisions of the law. The trial court held that it did, and that is the question presented to this court. The first section of *149 saia act known as the Blue Sky Law is as follows:

“The term ‘securities’ as used in this act shall be taken to mean stock certificates, shares, bonds, debentures, certificates of participation, membership contracts, contracts or bonds for the sale and conveyance of land on deferred payments or installment plan, or other instrument in the nature thereof by whatsoever name know* or called and including the capital stock of any and all corporations offering the same for sale. The term ‘speculative securities’ as used in this act shall be taken to mean and include: (1) All securities to promote or induce the sale of which, profit, gain or advantage unusual in the ordinary course of legitimate business is in any way advertised or promised; (2) all securities for promoting the sale of which a commission of more than ten per cent, is offered or paid; (3) all securities into the specified par value of which the element of chance or hazard of speculative profit or possible loss equal or predominate over the element of reasonable certainty, safety and investment; (4) all securities the value of which materially depends on proposed or promised future promotion or development rather than on present tangible assets and conditions; (5) the securities of any enterprise, association, partnership or corporation, which has included or proposes to irclude in its assets as a mau-.xial part thereof, patents, formula, good will, promotion, or intangible assets, or which has issued or proposes to issue a material part of its securities in -payment for formula, patents, good will, promotion or intangible assets; (6) securities made or issued in furtherance of promotion of any enterprise or scheme for the sale of unimproved or undeveloped land on any payments or installment plan, when such lands are not situated in the state of Oklahoma and the value of such securities materially depend on the future performance of any stipulation by the promoters of such enterprise to furnish irrigation or transportation facilities, or other value enhancing utility or' improvements. The term ‘speculative enterprise’, as used in this act shall be taken to mean any business undertaking, project, venture oi- activity for the promotion of furtherance of which ‘speculative, securities’ as herein defined, are made, issued, sold or offered for sale. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this act, there is hereby created a Commission, to be known as the State Issues Commission, composed of the Bank Commissioner, who shall be chairman thereof, the Secretary of State and State Auditor. The said commission shall have authority to appoint with- the approval of the Governor, a secretary, who shall receive a salary of $2,500 per annum, payable monthly.”

Section 2 of said chapter makes it unlawful to sell, or offer for sale, or attempt to sell speculative securities; and section, 3 provides for obtaining a permit to sell from the Issues Commission. .

The plain and evident purpose' of this statute is to prevent what is called “fly-hy-night concerns,” or “get-rich-quick schemes," which are sold to unsuspecting — oft-times ignorant and inexperienced individuals. That is a fraud, and for the protection of just such people that are too ignorant or inexperienced to protect themselves. This statute so far as we have been able to learn has not been construed by this court. The Criminal Court of Appeals, in the case of Hornaday et al. v. State, decided June' 30, 1922, not yet officially reported, 208 Pac. 228, says:

“The purpose of this statute, as gathered from the title considered together with the context of the act, appears to be two-fold: First, to prevent stock brokers and promoters from perpetrating frauds and impositions on unsuspecting investors in hazardous undertakings; second, to protect credulous and incompetent persons from their own inclinations to speculate in hazardous enterprises, entered into on their own account or on the advice of friends, though not brought about by interested promoters or stock brokers.
“The objects, then, are to prevent fraud and unfair dealing in securities, as well as to- prevent honest people, free from sinister influences, from investing in uncertain, ephemeral, ‘get-rich-quick’ stocks and securities.”

Again, Corpus Juris, in defining “Blue Sky Law,” says:

“A popular name for acts providing for the regulation and supervision of investment companies, a law intended to stop the sale of stock in fly-by-night concerns, visionary oil wells, distant gold mines, and other like fraudulent exploitations.” 8 Corpus Ju-ris, page 1130.

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Brock v. Hines, 1924 OK 133, 223 P. 654, 97 Okla. 147, 1924 Okla. LEXIS 1066 (Okla. 1924).

1924 OK 133 (Brock v. Hines) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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