Brown v. Bracking

83 P. 950, 11 Idaho 678, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 7
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 13, 1906
StatusPublished

This text of 83 P. 950 (Brown v. Bracking) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. Bracking, 83 P. 950, 11 Idaho 678, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 7 (Idaho 1906).

Opinion

STOCKSLAGER, C. J.

— From the record in this case we gather the following facts: In October, 1903, Otto Brown and Emil Tomsche were the owners of the “Montana,” “Irene,” “Tacoma” and “Tacoma Fraction” lode mining claims, in Lalande and Placer Center mining districts, Shoshone county, Idaho. That Walter J. Bracking and L. J. Columbus were engaged in the mining brokerage business in Wallace, Shoshone county, at the time above mentioned. That about said time an agreement was entered into between plaintiffs, Brown and Tomsche and defendants, Bracking and Columbus, by the terms of which plaintiffs were to deed all of said property [680]*680to a corporation to be organized under the laws of Idaho by defendants, at their own expense, such corporation to he capitalized at one million shares of the par value of $1 per share. Defendants were to promote the sale and sell treasury stock of said company at a price thereafter to be agreed upon, for sufficient money to keep development work progressing upon the mining claims. That by reason of their influence in promoting the sale of mines, they would have no difficulty in disposing of treasury stock sufficient to develop said mining properties, so that plaintiffs would never be assessed, and by their efforts and influence they would, within a few months after the organization of said company, make the shares of stock to be given plaintiffs worth twenty-five cents per share; they also agreed to use their diligent efforts and ability to promote the sale of treasury stock, and represented that it would be but fair in the organization of the company, for money to be by them expended and for their labor in organizing said company and promoting the sale of treasury stock, to apportion to each of them out of the capital stock of the company 174,000 shares each, and that the apportionment should stand to plaintiffs, Otto Brown, 550,000; Emil Tomsehe, 100,000; and to the said defendants 174,000, to A. C. Olson, 2,000, out of which Brown was to donate 350,000 shares and Tomsehe 50,000, and to be known as treasury stock, and to be sold for the purpose of developing the property. That relying on the good faith and promises of defendants, plaintiffs agreed to such terms, and pursuant thereto the Laclede Mining Company was incorporated and stock apportioned according to said agreement; all the parties to whom stock was issued under the terms of the agreement were directors for the first year; Brown and Tomsehe made and delivered deed to said corporation for the four mining claims. The main consideration for the conveyance w^s the promises of Bracking and Columbus to sell the treasury stock of the company and keep up development work on the claims so as to render stock of plaintiffs of market value. It is alleged by the agreement that neither party could sell any undivided stock, and at request of defendants an option was granted to the Shoshone [681]*681Abstract Company to sell 100,000 shares of treasury stock at three cents per share, which option was for one year; that plaintiffs kept all their agreements and defendants disregarded the material portions of their agreement, in that they did not sell a share of the treasury stock, nor did either of them contribute anything of value in work or money or anything to keep development work in progress in either of said claims, nor did either or both expend in labor or money in the incorporation of said company, procuring books, stock certificates and seal, to exceed $125. That said Bracking did about the-day of-, 1904, sell 15,500 shares of his individual stock, and Columbus prior to August 1, 1904, sold all of his 174,000 shares of stock, and by such sale each of them more than reimbursed themselves for all labor or money expended. That the consideration for which plaintiffs donated 175,000 shares of stock to defendants, each, has wholly failed. That each of said parties is insolvent and unable to respond in damages; that plaintiffs have been damaged in the sum of $20,000; that Bracking has given an option to one Barnard on 75,000 shares of his stock at the rate of four-cents per share, and deposited said stock in the State Bank of Commerce to be kept until July 1, 1905, unless sooner paid for at the rate of four cents a share, and any block of said stock in the amount of-shares or over, may be taken out of said bank at any time upon the payment of four cents a share; and 83,500 shares have been pooled by said Bracking with defendant Laclede Mining Company, Limited, to remain in the custody of said company until July 1, 1905. That said stock is pooled under an agreement with plaintiffs by said Bracking made in 1904 that all their individual stock should be pooled to enable the mining company to sell treasury stock, yet defendant Bracking, in violation of the spirit of said agreement, is selling his written promises to deliver certain blocks of the stock so pooled when the pool expires, and has thus broken the price of treasury stock to the damage of plaintiff; that the only available property of said defendant Bracking is said 158,500 shares of Laclede company stock, and if the option of said Barnard should be exercised, said Bracking [682]*682would be at liberty to withdraw four cents a share for the stock so taken up from the State Bank of Commerce, and said Bracking threatens to, and unless restrained will, dispose of all his interests in the 83,500 shares of stock now in pool with said company.

The prayer is that plaintiffs have judgment against defendants for the sum of $20,000; that all the stock standing in the name of defendant Bracking be decreed to belong to plaintiffs ; that a preliminary injunction issue to restrain Bracking from in anywise selling or encumbering any of the stock now in pool with defendant mining company, restraining said defendant Bracking or said State Bank of Commerce from paying Bracking any of the purchase price of said stock upon which said Barnard has an option; that the Laclede Mining Company be temporarily enjoined from diverting any of said stock to defendant Bracking, or making any transfer of said stock on its books.

The separate answer of defendant Bracking admits plaintiffs’ ownership of the mining claims as alleged; that he was a mining broker as alleged. Denies that he represented to plaintiffs that he would organize a corporation at his expense, etc., as alleged, but avers that about October 19, 1903, plaintiffs solicited his services in the promotion of a corporation, plaintiffs to deed said claims to said corporation, and that it was only at plaintiffs’ solicitation that he agreed to form such mining company; that pursuant to such request he and defendant Columbus agreed to organize such corporation as alleged, procure proper books, certificates of stock and seal, at the expense of defendant, promote the sale and sell treasury stock at a price thereafter to be agreed upon at a sufficient sum to keep development work progressing upon said claims. Admits the allegations referring to his representation that by means of his influence he would have no difficulty in disposing of said treasury stock sufficient to develop such property so that plaintiffs should never be assessed. That at the time of the agreement it was understood that none of them were in a position to bear the expense of development of such property. Denies that he ever represented that within a few [683]*683months he would make their stock worth twenty-five cents a share or any fixed sum.

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83 P. 947 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1905)

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Bluebook (online)
83 P. 950, 11 Idaho 678, 1906 Ida. LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-bracking-idaho-1906.