Capobianco v. First National Bank

372 F. Supp. 416, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9517
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 15, 1974
DocketCiv. No. 74-99
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 372 F. Supp. 416 (Capobianco v. First National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Capobianco v. First National Bank, 372 F. Supp. 416, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9517 (M.D. Pa. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

MUIR, District Judge.

I. Introduction.

Plaintiffs are shareholders of The First National Bank of Palmerton, in Palmerton, Pennsylvania. They filed a complaint, alleging illegality in the election of bank directors at the annual meeting on January 29, 1974.

Thereafter Plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction and a hearing was held thereon. The matter turns on whether the notification given by Plaintiff Anna T. Capobianco of the nomination of directors to the Bank’s board was in compliance with applicable law requiring information with respect to the “total number of shares that to the knowledge of the notifying shareholders will be voted for each of the proposed nominees.”

The motion for a preliminary injunction must be denied as one of the chief prerequisites to the granting of such relief has not been met.

II. Findings of Fact.

1. The First National Bank of Palmerton is a banking association organized under the National Banking Laws.

2. On or about January 4, 1974, the Bank, and Defendant Silliman, its President, mailed to the stockholders of the Bank a “Notice of the Stockholders’ Annual Meeting of The First National Bank of Palmerton” and a proposed proxy in favor of management’s slate for the directorate.

3. Anna T. Capobianco, the Estate of Faust Capobianco, and Anna Marie Checho are the record or beneficial owners of 5,835 shares of the capital stock, $25.00 par value, of The First National Bank of Palmerton (the “Bank”), representing 36.5% of the Bank’s 16,000 issued and outstanding shares.

4. James L. Leuthe and Salvatore Checho are the record or beneficial owners of 94 shares and 40 shares, respectively, of the capital stock, $25.00 par value, of the Bank.

5. Anna Marie Checho is the daughter of Anna T. Capobianco and the late Faust Capobianco and is the wife of Salvatore Checho.

6. Faust Capobianco was the husband of Anna T. Capobianco and the fa[418]*418ther-in-law of James L. Leuthe and Salvatore Checho.

7. On January 11, 1974, Mrs. Anna T. Capobianco caused a Notification of Nomination to be personally served on defendant Silliman.

8. The notification is as follows:

“NOTIFICATION OF NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION TO THE 'BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PALMERTON
“The undersigned shareholder of The First National Bank of Palmer-ton, in accordance with the provisions of Part 17 of the Regulations of the Comptroller of the Currency (12 CFR 17), hereby notifies the Comptroller of the Currency and the President of The First National Bank of Palmerton that the undersigned shareholder intends to nominate or cause to be nominated candidates for election to the Board of Directors of The First National Bank of Palmerton who are other than the' candidates proposed by the present management of The First National Bank of Palmerton.
“The names, addresses and principal occupation of each of the nominees proposed by the undersigned shareholder, each of whom is hereby nominated for election as a Director of The First National Bank of Palmerton, is as follows:
Name Address Principal Occupation
James L. Leuthe 228 North Broad St. Allentown, Pa. 18101 Officer of garment manufacturer
Salvatore Checho The Lakes Apartments Cedarcrest Blvd. Allentown, Pa. 18101 Officer of garment manufacturer
Frank Horwith
Franklin Longenbach * Kunkeltown, Pa. 18058 Real estate broker
Raymond F. Smith * Delaware Avenue Palmerton, Pa. 18071 Attorney
Harold M. Cooper * 904 N. 32nd Street Allentown, Pa. 18101 Consultant
Earl R. Silliman * Columbia Avenue Palmerton, Pa. 18071 President of The First National Bank of Palmerton
Henry C. Hoffman * Brodheadville, Pa. 18322 Insurance agent
Harrison S. Gruber * Delaware Avenue Palmerton, Pa. 18071 Owner of Hardware Store

[419]*4199. On January 14, 1974, a copy of the same Notification was served on the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States.

10. 12 C.F.R. 17 is a Regulation of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Bank has adopted the procedure for shareholder notification of proposed nominees to the Bank’s board of directors indicated in this Regulation, as § 1.-3 of its By-Laws. The relevant portion of the By-Laws provides:

“Such notification shall contain the following information to the extent known to the notifying shareholder:
“a) the name and address of each proposed nominee;
“b) the principal occupation of each proposed nominee;
“c) The total number of shares of capital stock of the bank that will be voted for each proposed nominee;
“d) the name and residence address of the notifying shareholder;
“e) the number of shares of capital stock of the bank owned by the notifying shareholder.
“Nominations, not made in accordance herewith may be disregarded by the Chairman of the meeting, and upon his instructions, the vote tellers may disregard all votes cast for each such nominee.”

11. The Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of the Bank was held as scheduled on January 29, 1974 at 1:00 P.M. in the bank building.

12. The following persons, among others, were present at the meeting: Mrs. Anna Capobianco, Messrs. Leuthe, Checho, Silliman, Werley, Stemmier, Minnich, George, Gruber, Hoffman and Holczman.

Also present were counsel, as follows: Lewis Weinstock and Arthur Frumkin for Management of the Bank and Frederick Dreher, Robert L. Pratter, and Marjorie O. Rendell for Plaintiffs.

13. There are 16,000 shares of Capital Stock of the Bank issued and outstanding.

14. There were 15,148 shares of stock represented at the meeting.

15. Frederick Dreher, Robert L. Pratter, Marjorie O. Rendell and Plaintiffs Anna Capobianco, James Leuthe and Salvatore Checho were the duly appointed proxies of stockholders owning an aggregate of 7,782 shares of stock, and represented 51.4% of .the 15,148 shares present at the meeting.

16. Messrs. Naratil, Cope and Krome, as proxies designated by Management of the Bank, represented shareholders owning 7,366 shares of stock, 48.6% of the 15,148 shares present at the meeting.

17. Defendants Werley, Stemmier and Minnich had been appointed Judges of Election by the Management of the Bank in connection with the Annual Meeting.

18.

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Bluebook (online)
372 F. Supp. 416, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9517, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/capobianco-v-first-national-bank-pamd-1974.