Kittinger v. Churchill Evangelistic Ass'n

151 Misc. 350, 271 N.Y.S. 510, 1934 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1290
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 25, 1934
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 151 Misc. 350 (Kittinger v. Churchill Evangelistic Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kittinger v. Churchill Evangelistic Ass'n, 151 Misc. 350, 271 N.Y.S. 510, 1934 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1290 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1934).

Opinion

Harris, J.

The complaint herein prays for judgment that the court construe, ascertain and determine whether or not an alleged voting trust agreement therein referred to is valid, legal and subsisting, and if so, the rights, powers and duties of the trustees thereunder, and that the plaintiff be determined to be a voting trustee under such agreement. The relief sought is in the form of a declaratory judgment.

Prior to the trial of this action, the defendant association moved at Special Term for a dismissal of the plaintiff’s complaint on the ground that the plaintiff had no capacity to sue. Favorable relief on such motion was granted at Special Term but on appeal, the order of the Special Term dismissing the complaint was set aside (239 App. Div. 253). Following the determination of the Appellate Division in favor of the plaintiff on the question of capacity to sue, the action was brought on for trial before the Hon. George E. Pierce, official referee. The testimony was transcribed, proposed findings were submitted and briefs were filed, but the learned official referee passed from this life while he had under consideration the merits of this action. Following his death, the parties to the action stipulated that this court should determine the issues herein with the samé force and effect as if this court had heard the testimony.

The court has read the stenographer’s minutes as taken before the official referee and has listened to oral argument by interested counsel. Answers herein have been interposed by the defendants Churchill Evangelistic Association, Inc., Clinton H. Churchill and Hiram W. Deyo, while the other defendant, D. F. Churchill, has not answered.

The testimony before me establishes to my satisfaction the following facts:

Previous to the incorporation of the defendant association, which incorporation occurred on or about April 12, 1920, plaintiff, the defendant Clinton H. Churchill and other persons became interested in a plan to conduct in the city of Buffalo and its vicinity the work of evangelistic Christianity. With the evident [352]*352desire to work to advantage, those associated in such work decided to form a corporation. One would think that, in form, such corporation would follow the statutes providing for the incorporation of religious bodies, but, instead of this, there was organized under the Stock Corporation Law of this State the Churchill Evangelistic Association, Inc., one of the defendants herein.

The original proposed certificate of such corporate defendant contained a provision to the effect that there should be no profits taken by the stockholders, but that profits and like increment were to be used to further the work of the defendant corporation. The Secretary of State refused to receive and to approve the certificate so long as it contained the provision in reference to the foregoing of dividends and profits by stockholders. Such provision in reference to dividends and profits was stricken from the certificate and the certificate was then approved. Subsequently and at the first meeting of the stockholders, by-laws were approved which contained provisions similar to that originally offered in the certificate of incorporation in reference to profits and dividends.

The corporation proceeded with its work in the field of religion, established places of meeting and of worship, received adherents in the manner in which religious bodies usually receive members. The corporate defendant also engaged in transactions similar to those of a business institution in that it took title to and transferred real estate, made contracts in reference to radio broadcasting and controlled a broadcasting station at one time. Its work became well known throughout at least the eastern part of the United States.

The certificate of incorporation provided for 100 shares of capital stock, and under date of September 22, 1920, the original issue of such 100 shares was made as follows: To the plaintiff herein fifty shares, represented by certificate No. 1; to the defendant Clinton H. Churchill forty-nine shares, represented by certificate No. 3, and to the wife of said defendant Clinton H. Churchill, one Sarah H. Churchill, one share, represented by certificate No. 2. The work of the evangelistic association and its activities flourished and increased.

Under date of November 5, 1924, there came into existence the so-called voting trust agreement which is the subject of litigation in this action. Such agreement was signed by all of the stockholders and the therein named trustees and is as follows:

“ This agreement entered into this 5th day of November, 1924, by and between Clinton H. Churchill, Sarah H. Churchill and Irvine J. Kittinger, all of Buffalo, New York, the holders of all of the capital stock of The Churchill Evangelistic Association, [353]*353Inc., in the amounts set opposite their respective names, hereinafter mentioned and referred to as stockholders, parties of the first part, and Clinton H. Churchill and Irvine J. Kittinger of Buffalo, New York, and Hiram W. Deyo of New York City, N. Y., hereinafter mentioned and referred to as the trustees, parties of the second part:

Witnesseth:
Whereas, The Churchill Evangelistic Association, Inc., is organized for the purpose of promoting evangelistic work and to further the preaching of the Gospel; and
Whereas, the parties of the first part acquired and held their stock only as trustees to further the work of the Association and not for their own private gain; and
Whereas, it is the sense of the parties hereto that the Association will better accomplish its purpose if all its stock were placed in a formal voting trust with trustees devoted to the work.
“ Now therefore, it is hereby agreed that in consideration of the foregoing and of the mutual promises and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
“ 1. That said parties of the first part shall assign and deliver their respective stock certificates to the trustees who shall cause the stock represented thereby to be transferred to themselves as voting trustees or their successors in office on the books of the corporation.
2. The voting trust hereby declared and created shall continue for the full term of ten years from the date hereof and throughout such period the trustees shall have the exclusive right to vote upon such stock or to give written consents in lieu of voting thereon, in person or by proxy, at any and all meetings of the stockholders of said corporation, for whatsoever purpose called or held, and in any and all proceedings, whether at meetings of the stockholders or otherwise, wherein the vote or written consent of stockholders may be required or authorized by law.
“ 3. At the expiration of the term of the trust hereby created, the trustees then in office are hereby authorized and empowered to make a new voting trust agreement for a further term and deposit all of the stock of the association thereunder, and the trustees in office at the expiration of the term of said renewal trust and of any subsequent renewal thereof are hereby authorized and empowered to do likewise.

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Bluebook (online)
151 Misc. 350, 271 N.Y.S. 510, 1934 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kittinger-v-churchill-evangelistic-assn-nysupct-1934.