Hundahl v. Armstrong

436 S.W.2d 388, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2440
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 27, 1968
DocketNo. 4259
StatusPublished

This text of 436 S.W.2d 388 (Hundahl v. Armstrong) 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
Hundahl v. Armstrong, 436 S.W.2d 388, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2440 (Tex. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

WALTER, Justice.

H. A. Armstrong, Jr., recovered a summary judgment against defendants D. J. Hundahl, Sr., D. J. Hundahl, Jr., individually, and in his capacity as President of National Security Life and Accident Insurance Company, Peter J. Julian, in his capacity as Secretary of National, and against National, for title and possession to 8,333 shares of capital stock in National. The named defendants have appealed.

In 1959, Armstrong and Hundahl, Jr., as First Parties, entered into a stock agreement with Hundahl, Sr., as Second Party. Paragraph five of such agreement is as follows:

“First Parties are each granted and given an option to purchase from Second Party, at any time within three years after the full retirement of said surplus certificates, but not later than April 15, 1967, not to exceed 8333 shares of said capital stock, acquiring and paying for the same in units of not less than 100 shares. The price to be paid to Second Party for said stock under this option shall depend on the date of purchase and payment, and is fixed as follows:
By April IS, 1962 $3.30 per share
Between April IS, 1962 and April IS, 1963 $3.45 per share
Between April 15, 1963 and April 15, 1964 $3.60 per share
Between April 15, 1964 and April 15, 1965 $3.75 per share
Between April 15, 1965 and April 15, 1966 $3.90 per share
Between April 15, 1966 and April 15, 1967 $4.05 per share.”

Armstrong contends that, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the stock agreement contained in the quoted paragraph Five above, he established as a matter of law that he timely exercised his option to purchase the stock and tendered the consideration therefor in the manner required by law. We agree with his contention and affirm the judgment.

In support of his motion for summary judgment, Armstrong filed his affidavit, a part of which is as follows:

“2. At all times material to this suit, I was the executive vice president, secretary, and a director of Defendant National Security Life and Accident Insurance Company.
3. On or about April 23, 1959, Defendants D. J. Hundahl, Sr., and D. J. Hundahl, Jr., and I signed and entered into that certain agreement, a true and correct copy of which is attached to Plaintiff’s Original Petition in this cause as ‘Exhibit A,’ and hereto as Exhibit ‘A’.
4. Pursuant to the agreement of April 23, 1959, eight thousand three hundred thirty-three (8333) shares of the capital stock of Defendant Company were issued to me in my name. As provided in that agreement, all of said shares were [390]*390pledged and held by Republic National Bank of Dallas as collateral for loans incurred by Defendant D. J. Hundahl, Jr. and me in accordance with the terms of such agreement. On April 15, April 16, and April 17 of 1967, all of such shares of stock were so held by Republic National Bank of Dallas for loans which on each of such dates had been reduced so that the total amount of the outstanding indebtedness was approximately $40,000.00
5. As of April 15, 1967, all of the original loan to D. J. Hundahl, Jr. and me as described in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the agreement of April 23, 1959, had been liquidated so that the option described in paragraph 5 of such agreement was fully exercisable on or before April 15, 1967. Prior to April 15, 1967, I obtained the agreement and guarantee of Dewey Dean, a duly authorized officer of Republic National Bank of Dallas, that if my option under such agreement were exercised, the 8333 shares of capital stock of Defendant Company held in my name as collateral by the said Bank would be released from the collateral pledge agreement and delivered to me or my nominee or assigns.
6. At approximately 4:30 or 4:45 p. m. on Saturday, April 15, 1967, I drove to the home of D. J. Hundahl, Sr. in Dallas, Texas. I told Mr. Hundahl that I was there to exercise my option under the agreement of April 23, 1959. I handed him my personal check, number 1513, dated April 15, 1967, in the amount of $33,748.65, payable to D. J. Hun-dahl, Sr., and told him that I thereby exercised my option agreement. A true and correct copy of that check is attached to this affidavit as ‘Exhibit B’ and incorporated herein by reference the same as though set out fully herein and sworn to as is this affidavit.
7. Mr. Hundahl, Sr. took the check into his possession and retired to another room in his home.
8.Subsequently, Mr. Hundahl, Sr. refused to accept my check and insisted upon returning it to me. Mr. Hundahl, Sr., told me that he had turned the entire matter over to his attorney and that he would not deal with me any further.”

In his supplemental affidavit Armstrong states the following:

While at the Hundahl’s home, I received the name, address and telephone number of his lawyer from Mrs. Hundahl. I failed to reach the lawyer by telephone and no one answered when I called at his home. I then wrote Mr. Hundahl, Sr. a letter and informed him, in effect, that I was exercising my option to purchase the stock and enclosing my check for the purchase price of the stock. The receipt which I delivered to him at the house was not enclosed in the letter. I found out later that evening that Mrs. Hundahl had given me the address and telephone number of another person by the same name as their lawyer. I then called the attorney and he was not at home. I then sent him a telegram informing him of the events of the day and that I was proceeding to his house. When I arrived at the lawyer’s home, I told him I was there to exercise my option and offered him the check. The lawyer informed me my telegram was just being read to him over the telephone. He further stated that my check was not legal tender and “It’s late; let’s handle this Monday morning.”

At the beginning of banking hours on Monday morning I got $33,748.65 in cash and a Cashier’s check for this amount and with two bank guards proceeded to the lawyer’s office and offered him the cash or the Cashier’s check. He refused to accept either and said, “Your option expired on the 15th, and I do not have the authority to extend the option.”

The affidavit of Mrs. D. J. Hundahl, Sr. filed in opposition to Armstrong’s mo[391]*391tion and in support of appellants’ motion is in part as follows:

“On April IS, 1967, H. A. Armstrong, Jr., in my presence tendered a personal check drawn on the Republic National Bank of Dallas, which check was not certified, payable to Mr. Hundahl provided he would sign a receipt, copy of which is attached hereto as 'Exhibit A’, and made a part hereof for all intents and purposes. Mr. H. A. Armstrong, Jr. did not offer to leave his personal check except upon the condition that the receipt, copy of which is attached, be signed by my husband.”

The receipt Mrs. Hundahl referred to provided that Hundahl, Sr., was accepting Armstrong’s personal check, “• — which acceptance I hereby acknowledge, satisfies in all respects any and all conditions required of said H. A. Armstrong, Jr. for the purchase of 8333 shares of said described stock.”

The receipt further provided that Hun-dahl would withdraw the stock from the Bank and deliver it to Armstrong.

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Bluebook (online)
436 S.W.2d 388, 1968 Tex. App. LEXIS 2440, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hundahl-v-armstrong-texapp-1968.