Davis v. Burns

173 S.W. 476, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1552
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 23, 1914
DocketNo. 6610. [fn†]
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 173 S.W. 476 (Davis v. Burns) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Burns, 173 S.W. 476, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1552 (Tex. Ct. App. 1914).

Opinion

McMEANS, J.

This action was instituted in the district court of De Witt county on April 8, 1910, by John W. Burns against the Union Trust Company, a corporation, and T. H. Davis, its receiver, for the purpose of having canceled a certain subscription for ten shares ■ of the second series of the capital stock of said Union Trust Company, and for the cancellation and return to him of two certain promissory notes for $900 and $250, respectively, executed by plaintiff, and payable to the said Union Trust Company, bearing date September 4, 1909, and payable January 1, 1910, with interest from maturity. It was alleged that plaintiff had been induced to subscribe for said shares of the second series of said stock and to execute the notes aforesaid by reason of the false and fraudulent representation of the agent of said trust company, acting for it in the matter of procuring such subscription, with regard to the financial condition of said trust company and its business affairs generally; that, relying upon these representations and believing them to be true, plaintiff subscribed for the stock and executed the notes aforesaid. The specific representations so made are set out in the petition, and the fact that they were severally false and fraudulently made for the pur *477 pose of inducing plaintiff to subscribe for tbe stock and .execute tbe notes specifically charged. It is further alleged that before said notes became due — to wit, in November, 1909 — plaintiff discovered the fraud that had been practiced upon him; that he could not in the exercise of reasonable diligence have made this discovery sooner; and that as soon as he discovered the fraud he at once repudiated the transaction and demanded the cancellation of his subscription and a return of his notes, and that he had never exercised or sought to exercise any rights as a stockholder in said corporation, or in .any way whatever recognized the validity of said subscription. Defendant answered, denying generally the allegations of the petition, and, specially answering, further alleged, that after plaintiff’s subscription and the execution of his notes many persons who had no knowledge of the alleged fraud in procuring the same, and who relied upon the capital stock of the said company and plaintiff’s subscription thereto as securing their deposits, deposited money in said Union Trust Company; that there is now due to said depositors sums largely in excess of the amount of plaintiff’s notes; and that the said trust company is now, and was on January 10, 1910, insolvent, and plaintiff cannot now, as against the receiver, Davis, lawfully demand a cancellation of said subscription of said stock and notes on account of the fraud alleged. Defendant, Davis, then by way of cross-action alleged the insolvency of the corporation, his appointment and qualification as receiver, the nonpayment of said notes, and prayed for judgment against plaintiff for the amount, principal, interest, and attorney’s fees due thereon. By supplemental petition plaintiff alleged that he did not discover the falsity of the representations made to procure the execution of said subscription and notes until November, 1909; that he immediately thereupon repudiated the same, and demanded the cancellation of said subscription and notes. It was further alleged that the said subscription to the stock of the corporation was paid only by the execution of said notes, and that the same were void under the provisions of the Constitution; that he was never advised that this subscription was accepted by the company; that no certificate of stock was ever issued to him; and that he never in any way participated in the proceedings of said corporation as a stockholder, and no rights or obligations as a stockholder in* said corporation had ever accrued to him or to any creditor of said corporation against him. The pleadings are voluminous. The foregoing statement will serve to explain the issues. The case was tried without a jury upon an agreed statement of facts. ' In its conclusions of law the court held, no payment having been made in money, property, or labor for said stock, the said contract and notes were void and unenforceable under the provisions of section 6, art. 12, of the Constitution, that “no corporation shall issue stock or £onds, except for money paid, labor done, or property actually received, and all fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness shall be void.” Judgment was rendered canceling the notes, and denying the defendant, the receiver of the Union Trust Company, recovery on the notes. From this judgment, his motion for a new trial having been refused, the receiver presents this appeal.

The agreed statement of facts is voluminous. We will only undertake to give in a brief summary the portions thereof which we conceive to be material to the questions presented by the appeal;

On May 23, 1871, by special act of the Legislature of the state of Texas (Sp. Acts 12th Leg. c. 261), the Banking Insurance & Mutual Aid Association of Texas was created a corporation under that name. Its corporate powers were extensive, including the power to do a general banking business. The capital stock was fixed at $200,000 in shares of $100 each, “to be increased, at the option of the association, to $500,000.” The original in-corporators sold their stock, and their successors acquired their stock and rights in said corporation. On May 18, 1904, the corporation accepted the benefits of title 21 of the General Laws of Texas, “in so far as the same permitted amendments to its charter,” and afterwards amended its charter, changing its name to the Itasca Valley State Bank, and afterwards again by amendment changed its name to the Union Trust Company and its place of business to the city of San Antonio, Bexar county, and commenced doing a general banking business in the year 1908 at that place, and continued to do such business at San Antonio and at branches provided for in the charter until January 10, 1910, when its business and affairs were placed in the hands of T. H. Davis, as receiver, who duly qualified as such.

On July 13, 1909, a resolution was passed at the annual stockholders’ meeting providing that the capital stock was thereby increased from $200,000 to $500,000.- On September 4, 1909, John W. Burns executed his written subscription to the capital stock, which instrument is as follows:

“I hereby subscribe for ten shares of the second series of the capital stock of the Union Trust Company, of San Antonio, Tex., and agree to pay for same $115 per share, payable $25 per share in cash, and the balance on or before January 1, 19Í0, as evidenced by my promissory notes bearing interest from maturity given by me herewith, with the privilege to renew notes on basis covered by term ‘on or before.’
“It is understood that in case of over subscription the directors reserve the right to prorate the stock. The certificates of stock shall be issued on the day before the day that said promissory notes fall due, and are hereby pledged as collateral security for the payment of such notes, according to the terms of the bylaws of the Union Trust Company.
“Witness my hand at Cuero, Tex., on this the 4th day of September, 1909.
“[Signed] John W. Burns.”

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Bluebook (online)
173 S.W. 476, 1914 Tex. App. LEXIS 1552, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-burns-texapp-1914.