Holt v. Katy Industries, Inc.

71 F.R.D. 424, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 975, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14889
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 27, 1976
DocketNo. 75 Civ. 4425
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 71 F.R.D. 424 (Holt v. Katy Industries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holt v. Katy Industries, Inc., 71 F.R.D. 424, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 975, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14889 (S.D.N.Y. 1976).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MOTLEY, District Judge.

Plaintiffs commenced this action on September 9, 1975 with an order to show cause seeking a preliminary injunction against the proposed merger of Bush Universal, Inc. (“Bush”) and Katy Operations, Inc. (“Operations”), a subsidiary of Katy Industries, Inc. (“Katy”). That motion for a preliminary injunction was supported by a summons and complaint, affidavits, exhibits, and a memorandum of law. The essence of plaintiffs’ claims was that the Joint Proxy Statement of Bush and Katy, disseminated to the shareholders of Bush [426]*426and Katy, contained false and misleading statements and omitted to state material facts in violation of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 77q(a), Sections 10(b) and 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78n, and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rules 10b-5 and 14a-9, 17 C.F.R. §§ 240.10b-5 and 14a-9 promulgated thereunder, Section 17(d) of the Investment Company Act of 1940,15 U.S.C. § 80a-17(d), and Rule 17d-1, 17 C.F.R. § 270.17d-1 promulgated thereunder, in further violation of § 352-c of the New York General Business Law, and in breach of fiduciary duty.

After considering the extensive legal memoranda submitted by the parties and hearing oral argument on September 17 and 18, the court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction in a brief opinion delivered from the bench. Thereafter, on September 24,1975, the shareholders’ meetings of Bush and Katy were held and the merger was duly approved, becoming effective on October 1, 1975.

By motion filed on November 18, 1975, defendants Katy, Operations, Bush, Chenault and Jacobs moved for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, Fed.R.Civ.P.1 They argue that, since the only relief requested in plaintiffs’ complaint, aside from the “boilerplate” recitation of “such other and further releif [sic] as may be just and proper”, was a preliminary and permanent injunction prohibiting defendants from carrying out those acts necessary to consummation of the proposed merger, and since that merger is now complete, the case is moot. Accordingly, they argue, there exists no viable controversy and the court is without subject matter jurisdiction. See Williams v. Simons, 355 U.S. 49, 57-58, 78 S.Ct. 109, 2 L.Ed.2d 87 (1957); Richland v. Crandall, 353 F.2d 183, 184 (2d Cir. 1965); Sawyer v. Pioneer Mill Company, Ltd., 300 F.2d 200 (9th Cir. 1962), cert. den., 371 U.S. 814, 83 S.Ct. 24, 9 L.Ed.2d 55 (1963).

By motion filed on November 26, 1975, defendant Merkle moved to dismiss the complaint against him pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6), Fed.R.Civ.P., on the ground that the final count of the complaint, in which he is named, fails to state a claim against him based upon § 17(d) of the Investment Company Act.

In response to the above motions, plaintiffs, by their new counsel,2 have moved to amend the complaint in several respects. Specifically, the proposed amended complaint (1) adds prayers for rescission of the merger, for restoration of plaintiffs to their status as bush shareholders, for damages, costs and attorneys’ fees; (2) adds as a defendant Drexel, Burnham & Co., Inc. (“Drexel”); (3) deletes the claim, found in the original complaint, which was based on alleged violations of the Investment Company Act; and (4) adds several paragraphs which basically amplify and allege with greater specificity the claims found in the original complaint.

Plaintiffs urge that a favorable disposition of their motion would render defendants’ motions moot, while defendants urge that their respective motions be granted and that plaintiffs not be granted leave to amend the complaint. The court has decided to grant plaintiffs’ motion, and, accordingly, denies defendants’ motions on the ground that they are moot.

Rule 15(a), Fed.R.Civ.P., provides that leave to amend pleadings “shall be freely given when justice so requires.” In amplifying that direction, the Supreme Court has indicated that “[i]f the underlying facts or circumstances relied upon by a plaintiff may be a proper subject of relief, he ought to be afforded an opportunity to test his claim on the merits.” Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178, 182, 83 S.Ct. 227, 230, 9 L.Ed.2d 222 (1962). (emphasis added). Moreover, the Court noted that such leave should be granted in the absence of “undue [427]*427delay, bad faith or dilatory motive on the part of the movant, repeated failure to cure deficiencies by amendments previously allowed, undue prejudice to the opposing party by virtue of allowance of the amendment, futility of amendment” or other sufficient reason. Id.

In the instant case, defendants have made no suggestion of undue delay or bad faith on the part of the plaintiffs, nor does there appear to be any basis for their so doing. This first application to amend the complaint was filed by plaintiffs’ present attorneys on December 29, 1975, some two weeks prior to the time when they were officially substituted for the attorneys who had handled plaintiffs’ case in its earlier stages. Many of the proposed changes are purportedly based upon information obtained by plaintiffs late in 1975 in the course of their pre-trial discovery. Furthermore, it is difficult to discern how any of the defendants might be prejudiced by this amendment; they do not argue that they would be so prejudiced, and representatives of the only new defendant, Drexel, have been involved in this suit since its inception.

The most substantial objection which defendants raise to this amendment is that it would be “futile”, in that the proposed changes to the pleadings are legally and factually insufficient. It is certainly true that amendments to a complaint may be denied if the proposed changes fail to state a claim on which relief can be granted, Vine v. Beneficial Finance Company, 374 F.2d 627, 636-7 (2d Cir. 1967), cert. den., 389 U.S. 970, 88 S.Ct. 463, 19 L.Ed.2d 460 (1967), or if the movants fail to set forth an adequate factual basis for their claims. Billy Baxter, Inc. v. The Coca-Cola Company, et al., 47 F.R.D. 345, 346 (S.D.N.Y.1969), aff’d, 431 F.2d 183 (2d Cir. 1970), cert. den., 401 U.S.

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71 F.R.D. 424, 23 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 975, 1976 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14889, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holt-v-katy-industries-inc-nysd-1976.