Cameron v. White

1927 OK 293, 262 P. 664, 128 Okla. 251, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 440
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 20, 1927
Docket18038
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 1927 OK 293 (Cameron v. White) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cameron v. White, 1927 OK 293, 262 P. 664, 128 Okla. 251, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 440 (Okla. 1927).

Opinion

RILEY, J.

There is brought in question hy this appeal the validity of an order of the district court of Okmulgee county, entered November 12, 1926, appointing a receiver pendente lite for certain assets purchased by the plaintiffs in error as trustees for certain depositors of the First National Bank of Henryetta, insolvent. Likewise in question is the validity of an order of the district court of Okmulgee county, entered on the 15th day of January, 1927, sustaining the motion of G. W. Burnett and H. D. Moore, on behalf of themselves and the depositors of the First National Bank of Henryetta, insolvent (who maintain they were not parties to the suit when the receiver was appointed), vacating and setting-aside said appointment. On January 19, 1927, upon application, there was issued an alternative writ of prohibition out of this court, directed to the court below, prohibiting the enforcement of the order vacating the appointment of the receiver.

The First National Bank of Hem-yt failed on July 20, 1923; a receiver was appointed by the Comptroller of Currency to take charge of the bank. Thereafter the depositors met frequently-with a view of reorganizing the bank and plans varied from time to time. Mr. A. K. Wilder figured prominently in the final reorganization. Finally the depositors elected four trustees, and 771 depositors, amounting to 75% per cent., and with deposits in the sum of $673,-451.60, assigned their receiver’s certificates to the trustees, accompanied by power of attorney authorizing the trustees to represent the said depositors in incorporating a new bank.

Mr. Wilder testified in effect that in going over the plans it was found to be necessary to get some money to assist in the operation; that he would take care of a block of stock and some of his friends would join him; that he addressed an open meeting of depositors and informed them that it was necessary to make some inducement for additional funds. (C.-M. 54-74.)

The defendants below, plaintiffs in error, Cameron, Hillman, Johnson, and Wilson, were elected trustees to represent the depositors of the defunct bank who desired to enter the plan of reorganization. The trustees worked with Mr. Wilder toward the organization of a new bank under the name of the People’s National Bank of Henryetta, with a capital of $10.0,000 and a surplus of $25,000.

The receiver of the old bank had declared a ten per cent, dividend and it was estimated there would be an additional dividend of 14 or 15 per cent. Mr. Wilder’s plan was that depositors in the old bank should use their first ten per cent, dividend for the purchase of stock in the new bank; that their second dividend would be applied to the purchase of assets of the old bank; that the new bank would loan such additional funds as were necessary in this purchase, and that after the purchase of the assets of the old bank the same would constitute a trust estate to be administered and liquidated by the new bank for the benefit of “those who subscribe to our plan.” The depositors solicited, being only those whose accounts were over $50 (those under $50 being paid their dividend in cash), were almost unanimous in agreeing to the plan, and Mr. Wider, in accord with the -enterprise, solicited new capital on the basis of a pro rata" participation in the liquidation of assets of the *253 failed bank. Mr. Wilder subscribed for $10,-000 worth of stock in the new bank and procured a subscription for the same amount from Otis White, the plaintiff. A substantial block of stock was taken by the interveners, O. O. Calvert, J. F. Folmer, H. L. Pruitt, and James G. Sinfield, none of whom, except Sinfield, had been depositors in the failed bank.

Mr. Cameron and members of his family took considerable of the stock by the payment of cash. Dr. Robinson, a depositor, took some cash stock. So together sufficient money was raised to create the $100,000 capital and $25,000 surplus to organize the People’s National Bank, 52 per cent, of the money being from dividends received by the trustees on behalf of depositors of the failed bank and 48 per cent, being from cash subscriptions for stock in the new bank.

When Mr. White made out his check for his purchase of stock and delivered it to Mr. Wildey, he requested to have the plan reduced to writing, and there is evidence to show that on January 15, 1525, and before Mr. White’s check was delivered, a “proposal,” set out as plaintiffs’ Exhibit 1, was signed by Messrs. Cameron, Hillman, Johnson, and Wilson. It provided:

“After the payment of all collection charges and expenses incidental in connection with the reducing of the assets to money, to pay the balance of the proceeds received from the sale or collection of said assets to the stockholders of the People's National Bank of Henryetta, Oklahoma, in proportion to the amount of stock owned by each person holding stock ”

Messrs. Wilder, White, Cal veri. Folmer. Pruitt and Sinfield all paid their money in pursuance of and in reliance upon such proposition as reduced to writing in the proposal. The identical representations were made to each of them orally prior to their action thereon.

After the organization of the People’s National Bank it was learned that the plans must be altered to some extent. The Comptroller of the Currency objected to the purchase of the assets by a new bank, and the trustees elected acted and purchased from the receiver of the First National Bank by $188,000, the assets of that bank. It was theretofore determined that the second dividend would be 14 per cent. This 14 per cent, dividend to the “depositor-stockholders” was applied to the purchase of the assets; the new bank purchased a part of the assets consisting of bank building and fixtures in the sum of $30,000. The new bank furnished the trustees sufficient cash to make up approximately 25 per cent, of the sum of $138,-000, paid for assets of the failed bank. Mr. Cameron, on behalf of himself, Joe Hillman, Joe Johnson and. John Wilson, trustees, presented to the directors of the new bank the matter of distribution of the dividends on the assets of the failed bank, and the directors adopted a resolution by which the depositors in the old bank who were stockholders in the new one were preferred to the extent of 14 per cent, to the stockholders who paid cash for their stock.

The trustees proceeded with liquidation of the assets of the failed bank and paid to themselves and other depositors of the failed bank whom they represented a four per cent, dividend to fee exclusion of stockholders of the new bank who had paid cash for their stock.

Such was the situation when Mr. White filed suit in the court below on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, praying the court to take jurisdiction of the administration of the trust estate, praying the establishment of a l/10th interest in the trust estate on behalf of himself, and for the appointment of a receiver. Notice of application for appointment of the receiver was served on the four trustees. Final hearing was had on November 12, 1926.

The court found there were no allegations or evidence of bad faith on the part of the trustees, but evidence of a misunderstanding between the trustees and the stockholders for cash in the new bank. The court found that the trustees entered into an agreement with Mr. Wilder, heretofore set out as Exhibit 1. but that the trustees never acted upon that agreement or proposal, but sold stock to such men, a Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
1927 OK 293, 262 P. 664, 128 Okla. 251, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 440, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cameron-v-white-okla-1927.