Horowitz v. Beamish

22 Pa. D. & C. 545, 1935 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 241
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County
DecidedMarch 4, 1935
Docketno. 107
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 Pa. D. & C. 545 (Horowitz v. Beamish) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Horowitz v. Beamish, 22 Pa. D. & C. 545, 1935 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 241 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1935).

Opinion

Wickeksham, J.,

The petition of Benjamin Horowitz representing, inter alia, that he is treasurer of Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, setting forth his cause of complaint, and alleging, inter alia, that he is without adequate and specific remedy at law, prayed the court for a writ of peremptory or alternative mandamus directed to Richard J. Beamish, Secretary of the Commonwealth, defendant, commanding him to accept the affidavit and application and filing fee of the aforesaid foreign corporation, and [546]*546to certify forthwith to the Auditor General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania the corporate name of the same and the location of its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to grant a certificate of authority as provided by law.

A writ of alternative mandamus was awarded to which defendant filed a return, in which, inter alia, “It is denied that the Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association has complied with all the requirements of the law and particularly with the provisions of the Nonprofit Corporation Law relating to the procuring by a foreign corporation of a certificate of authority to do business in this Commonwealth”.

The several respects in which the plaintiff failed to so comply are stated as follows:

“ (a) By including, as part of the corporate name in violation of section 202 of the act the word ‘State’.

“(b) The corporate name, in violation of section 202(6)1, of the act, is deceptively similar to the name of ‘The Keystone State Theatrical Stage Employes and Motion Picture Machine Operators Union, Inc.,’ a corporation of the first class registered under the provisions of the Act of May 5, 1933, P. L. 289, on January 21, 1934.

“(c) The application for the certificate of authority contrary to the provisions of section 4 of the act sets forth a business for which a domestic nonprofit corporation cannot be formed under the laws of this Commonwealth, namely, a beneficial, benevolent or fraternal society and a business involving pecuniary profit to its members.”

Furthermore paragraph 15 of the return avers that this court is without jurisdiction to grant a writ of peremptory mandamus to this plaintiff for the reason that he has not alleged and has not shown that he is beneficially interested in the act the performance of which he seeks to secure or in the result of its performance.

The plaintiff thereafter filed an amendment to his petition adding paragraphs 4(a), (6), and (c), stating more specifically that under date of September 22, 1933, Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association filed with the defendant a copy of its charter, a certified check, and proofs of publication; and that although the proofs of publication did mention that the application would be made in pursuance to the provisions of the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which was an error, the remainder of the advertisement shows that the petitioner was a corporation organized not for profit.

In the meantime the defendant, Richard J. Beamish, resigned as Secretary of the Commonwealth and John J. Owens, the then Secretary of the Commonwealth, was substituted as party defendant in the above stated proceeding, who filed an answer adopting the answer to plaintiff’s petition for writ of mandamus made by the defendant, Richard J. Beamish. He denied that under date of September 22, 1933, Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association filed with defendant’s predecessor in office a copy of its charter, a certified check, and proof of publication, in accordance with the provisions of the Act of May 5, 1933, P. L. 289, admitting, however, that he received these papers in due course of mail. At a still later date the name of David L. Lawrence, as Secretary of the Commonwealth, was substituted as party defendant.

This case came on to be heard and after the taking of some testimony'it was agreed that a stipulation of facts should be prepared and filed, which is substantially as follows:

[547]*547 Stipulation of facts

Benjamin Horowitz is the treasurer of Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association, a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware. On March 26, 1933, the said association was registered in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth to do business under the provisions of the Act of June 8, 1911, P. L. 710.

The purpose of said corporation was set forth in the power of attorney filed with the said secretary, as follows: “To foster, protect, promote and advance the welfare and interests of moving picture operators and projectionists by such means and in such manner as may from time to time be deemed advisable and advantageous.” In pursuance of the said registration, it immediately engaged in promoting in this State the purpose for which it was created, with its principal place of business at 5712 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

On September 23,1933, said corporation mailed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth an application for a certificate of authority to do business in this State under the provisions of the Act of May 5,1933, P. L. 289.

Within the week immediately preceding October 1, 1933, upwards of 3,000 foreign corporations presented to the Secretary of the Commonwealth applications for certificates of authority to do business in this Commonwealth, all of which had to be examined by the employes of the Department of State.

Paragraph 3 of the charter provided the following additional purpose of the corporation: “This corporation is instituted for the purpose of mutual help in the accomplishment of the purposes hereinbefore set forth. It shall have no capital stock and shall not be conducted for profit.”

Under date of October 10,1933, said Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association mailed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth an application for certificate of authority to do business in this Commonwealth substantially similar to the one mailed September 23,1933.

On January 17,1934, the Secretary of the Commonwealth refused to register the Keystone State Moving Picture Operators’ Association as a foreign corporation for the reasons that the title and name of the said corporation contains the word “State”, and the name of the said corporation is “deceptively similar to a previously registered corporation”, to wit: Keystone State Theatrical Stage Employes and Motion Picture Operators Union, Inc.

On October 4, 1934, the said Keystone State Theatrical Stage Employes Motion Picture Operators Union, Inc., was permitted by the court to intervene as a party in this case; and a certificate permitting it to do business was issued to it by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Questions involved

1. May a peremptory writ of mandamus issue to the plaintiff in the absence of averment or proof that he is beneficially interested in the act, the performance of which he seeks to secure, or the result of its performance?

2. May the Secretary of the Commonwealth be compelled by mandamus to issue to a corporation, not a party to this proceeding, a certificate of authority to do business in this State as a foreign nonprofit corporation under the provisions of the Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1933?

3.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 Pa. D. & C. 545, 1935 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/horowitz-v-beamish-pactcompldauphi-1935.