Langer v. Lemke

50 N.W.2d 641, 78 N.D. 383, 1951 N.D. LEXIS 97
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 1, 1951
DocketFile No. 7247
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 50 N.W.2d 641 (Langer v. Lemke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Langer v. Lemke, 50 N.W.2d 641, 78 N.D. 383, 1951 N.D. LEXIS 97 (N.D. 1951).

Opinion

Morris, C. J.

The defendant, the Land Finance' Company, is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of South Dakota with its office and principal place of business at Fargo, in North Dakota. In 1922 the assets of the corporation consisted of large holdings of land in Mexico. In 1907, 1908, and 1909 the [386]*386plaintiff, William Langer, became the owner of some 1400 shares of stock in the Land Finance Gompany. The subject of this suit is the ownership and right to possession of the certificates representing the stock.

At the request of the plaintiff, the defendant, Willian Lemke, who during all of the times involved in this action was president of the defendant corporation, called a special meeting of the directors and stockholders of the corporation which was held at Devils Lake, North Dakota, on the 22nd of November, 1922.' At that meeting a resolution was unanimously passed granting to the stockholders the privilege of exchanging their stock for land owned by the corporation. There was also passed a resolution directing the president to assume responsibility as to how selection was to be made so as not to injure the balance of the property. The plaintiff immediately served notice on the corporation that he had selected land in what is known as the Marquez Tract. Thereafter, negotiations took place between the plaintiff and the president of the company regarding the terms of a contract under which the plaintiff was to make a selection of land in exchange for his stock. These negotiations culminated in a meeting between the plaintiff and the president of the company at the latter’s home in Fargo, on December 29, 1922, at which time a written agreement was entered into denominated “Contract for Deed,” which purports to have been entered into between the defendant Land Finance Company by and through its president, William Lemke, as party of the first part, and the plaintiff, as party of the second part. After reciting that the party of the second part is the owner and holder of certain stock therein listed and that the party of the second part is entitled to certain cash credits which are also listed, the contract recites:

“Now Therefore, it is agreed by the party of the first part that the party of the second part: (1) Is entitled to have stock issued to him for the above cash credits, in the Land Finance Company, (2) Party of the second part having given notice to the Board of Directors, as provided by the by-laws, Articles of Incorporation, and stock certificates of the Land Finance Company, that he intends to and desires to exchange his stock for [387]*387land which the company holds in Mexico, and a resolution having been passed by the Board of Directors of said first party fixing the price of the land, and authorizing its President, Wm. Lemlce, to accept stock certificates from stockholders at twice their face value, plus accumulative dividend of seven per cent per annum, on said certificates, in payment for said land, Therefore, the party of the first part hereby agrees to execute a deed under the form and laws of the Republic of Mexico granting, bargaining, selling and conveying unto .the party of the second part, in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Mexico, and the State of Nayarit, and in accordance with the by-laws, articles of. incorporation, stock certificates and resolutions of the party of the first part a definite number of acres of land to be'selected from the grazing lands known as the Marquez tract, which tract is owned by the party of the first part, and which land shall be selected in such manner as not to permanently or materially injure the remainder of the tract, and shall consist of a fair average of the entire tract, and the total of all of the said lands so selected shall not take more of the front of the Santiago River than the total acres shall proportionately be to the sum of Four Hundred and Sixty-six Thousand (466,000) acres, which said Marquez tract contains. The party of the second part is to have ten months from date to make his selection, provided, however, that if the party of the first part has an opportunity to sell the entire property before such selection is made, it may do so. The agreed price at which said land is to be exchanged is One Dollar and twelve cents ($1.12) per acre. It is further agreed if the party of the second part and the party of the first part cannot agree as to the selection and location of said land, that the same shall then be submitted to a Board of arbitrators consisting of three members, one to be selected by the party of the first part, one by the party of the second part, and the two to select a third, all of whom shall be stockholders in the Land Finance Company. It is further agreed that the party of the first part will accept the above enumerated Preferred Stock certificates at twice their face value, plus accumulative dividends, in payment for said lands, and that the Common Stock will be accepted at the amount [388]*388actually paid for it, that is of the value of ten ($10.00) Dollars a share.
“It is further agreed that the said party of the first part is to have its manager, Edwin Musick, located at Concha, Mexico, or some other party to be agreed upon to accompany the said party of the second part or his agent in making the selection, the said party of the second part paying his own expenses. It is further agreed that the said party of the second part shall pay for the survey of his land, but that every assistance shall be given him by the party of the first part, and the party of the first part shall furnish the party of the second part a complete abstract of title showing said property to be clear from any and all incumbrances.
“Dated this 29th day of December, 1922.”

This. agreement was signed “Land Finance Company” by “William Lemke, President,” and a signed copy given to the plaintiff, who took.it with him. At.the time this contract was executed the plaintiff. turned over'to the defendant corporation and Mr! Lemke, as its president, stock certificates representing the stock involved in the transaction. The stock certificates were not indorsed by the plaintiff and no transfer of the stock was ever entered upon the records of the corporation, except a penciled mark on the stock record indicating that the stock has been cancelled. The defendants contend that as a result of the transaction of December 29,1922, the Land Finance Company became the absolute owner of the stock in question.

The plaintiff brought this action for restitution of the stock and asks the court to decree that the agreement of December 29, 1922, is invalid or has been rescinded, abrogated, and cancelled. The trial court denied the plaintiff relief and dismissed his cause of action. From the judgment so providing, the plaintiff has appealed.

The plaintiff vigorously attacks the agreement of December 29, 1922, upon several grounds, the theory of his ease being that if that agreement can be disposed of he will be entitled to a return of his stock certificates held by the Land Finance Company, He first asserts that this agreement never constituted a valid contract. In the" lower court he urged that it was ultra [389]*389vires and was signed only by one party thereto, the defendant corporation. These points have been abandoned on this appeal, but the plaintiff still urges that there never was a meeting of minds and that the contract must fail because of uncertainty.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
50 N.W.2d 641, 78 N.D. 383, 1951 N.D. LEXIS 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/langer-v-lemke-nd-1951.