Frost v. Puget Sound Realty Associates

107 P. 1029, 57 Wash. 629, 1910 Wash. LEXIS 809
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 24, 1910
DocketNo. 8539
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 107 P. 1029 (Frost v. Puget Sound Realty Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frost v. Puget Sound Realty Associates, 107 P. 1029, 57 Wash. 629, 1910 Wash. LEXIS 809 (Wash. 1910).

Opinions

Crow, J.

Three separate actions, afterwards consolidated, were commenced by H. M. Frost and other investors, in the superior court of King county, to secure the appointment of a receiver for, and the dissolution of, the defendant corporation, Puget Sound Realty Associates. Parke Weed Willis and two hundred and forty-one other investors, by complaint in intervention, joined the corporation in resist[630]*630ing the receivership. After issue joined, an order was entered appointing receivers pendente lite. From that order, which has been superseded, this appeal is prosecuted by the defendant corporation and the interveners, hereinafter designated as appellants and interveners.

The appellant Puget Sound Realty Associates is a corporation organized under the laws of this state, with $100,000 capital stock, all of which has been subscribed, and about $50,000 of which has been paid. The principal purpose of the corporation seems to have been to buy, sell, improve, rent, and generally deal in valuable real estate, primarily for the benefit of its investors or bondholders hereinafter mentioned, and thereafter for the joint benefit of the investors and itself. To obtain additional funds with which to carry out this enterprise, it issued income profit sharing bonds to its investors upon full payment; and also solicited subscription contracts for other like bonds payable in installments, the bonds to be delivered when the payments were completed. There were three series of bonds, which differed in some particulars not necessary to be now mentioned. The bonds of series 2 and 3 read as follows:

“No.- Income Bond, Profit Sharing. $--

“This is to certify that-is the owner of this Income Bond, Profit Sharing, for-Dollars, issued by the Puget Sound Realty Associates, hereinafter called the Company.

“The Investment Fund of the Company is the net proceeds of all outstanding Bonds plus the net amount received on Contracts therefor and shall be invested in real estate and real estate securities in the State of Washington under the direction of the Board of Trustees of the Company.

“The net profits derived from the Investment Fund shall be divided in the following manner:

“First. Five per cent per annum on the face value of Bonds, and on the amount paid in on Contracts therefor, to the holders thereof, as a preferred dividend.

“Second. One-fifth of the net profits in excess of the said [631]*631five per cent per annum to a surplus fund, one-half to belong to the holders of Bonds, and the other one-half to the Company.

“Third. balance to the holders of Bonds as a special dividend and the other one-half to the Company.

“Fourth. One-half of the net profits from the invested surplus fund to the holders of Bonds as a further special dividend and the other one-half to the Company.

“Those holding Contracts for Bonds shall participate only in the preferred dividend. All dividends to be paid semiannually on the first days of April and October of each year.

“The words ‘net profits’ as used herein shall be construed to mean the net profit realized from property in which the Investment Fund has been invested, including the rentals and the net profit realized whenever a sale is made.

“In calculating the net income and profits, only charges incident to the ownership and management of the properties in which the Investment Fund is invested shall be deducted from the gross income and profits. Salaries of Officers and other office expenses of the Company shall not be deducted.

“This Bond is one of a Series designated as Series II, limited to $500,000.

“This Bond may be transferred by indorsement and record thereof on the books of the Company and proper acknowledgment hereon.

“The coupons attached hereto are for convenient receipting of dividends.

“Upon the final dissolution of the Company the Investment Fund and one-half of the Surplus Fund shall be returned to the bondholders out of the proceeds of the sale of properties in which said funds are invested.

“The books and records of the Investment Fund shall always be open to inspection by the holders of these Bonds.

“In Witness Whereof the Puget Sound Realty Associates has caused these presents to be signed by its President, or Vice President, and its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed and attested by its Secretary or Assistant Secretary, at Seattle, Washington, this - day of -, 19-. Puget Sound Realty Associates,

[Seal] By-, President.

“Attest:-, Secretary.”

[632]*632To each bond coupons were attached reading as follows:

“Bond No.— Coupon No.—

“Amount of Bond $— ' Due-, 19 — .

“Puget Sound Realty Associates

“will make full payment to the owner and holder of this coupon out of the net profits mentioned in the bond to which this coupon is attached, at the office of the company in Seattle, Washington, the sum due for the income period in which this coupon is redeemable according to the terms named in the bond of which this coupon is a part.

“-, President.

“-, Secretary.”

The appellant secured subscribers for about $1,500,000 face value of these bonds, on which about $928,000 was collected. Of this sum it invested about $740,000 in real estate in the business districts of Seattle and Tacoma, much of which has since appreciated in value. Most of these properties were improved and produced rentals. All were subject to mortgage liens. Two were unimproved, but it was the intention of the appellant to erect business blocks thereon, and to satisfy the mortgages out of installments yet to mature on contracts for bonds subscribed. These installments were being regularly paid in large amounts during each month, until the fall of 1907. In addition to interest charges and general taxes, liabilities were incurred for heavy special improvement assessments, which latter, however, had been substantially discharged at the time of the commencement of this action. Some dividends had been made to the holders of the bonds, principally on those of series 1. In the fall of 1907 a financial panic occurred which caused many holders of installment contracts to default. Under these conditions appellant continued to handle the properties as well as it could, but was unable to declare any dividends or immediately discharge the mortgage liens. Some fifty investors, representing about $15,000 in bonds, being dissatisfied, commenced these consolidated actions to dissolve the corporation and secure the appointment of a receiver. Thereupon two hundred and [633]*633forty-two investors, representing over $200,000 in bonds, intervened for the purpose of resisting the receivership.

The trial court made findings which we cannot approve, as we conclude they are not sustained by the weight of the evidence. A detailed statement of the findings made or the evidence introduced would unnecessarily lengthen this opinion.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 P. 1029, 57 Wash. 629, 1910 Wash. LEXIS 809, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frost-v-puget-sound-realty-associates-wash-1910.