Lindstrom v. Palmer

128 P.2d 877, 54 Cal. App. 2d 257
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 31, 1942
DocketCiv. No. 13729
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 128 P.2d 877 (Lindstrom v. Palmer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lindstrom v. Palmer, 128 P.2d 877, 54 Cal. App. 2d 257 (Cal. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

YORK, P. J.

Respondent brought the instant action for fraud and deceit against the corporation, Palmer, Miller & [258]*258Co., a licensed security broker, and joined Douglas B. Palmer, James Crosson Miller, officers and stockholders of the corporation, and Harold Carter, a salesman. National Surety Corporation was also joined as surety for the corporation on its bond in the sum of $5,000.

From the judgment in favor of respondent and against Douglas B. Miller, Palmer, Miller & Co., and the National Surety Corporation, for $4,069.37, the National Surety Corporation prosecutes this appeal.

Appellant urges primarily that the evidence is insufficient to support the court’s findings that the transaction here sued upon was a corporate rather than a personal transaction; and secondarily, that the evidence does not disclose that the said transaction was one covered by the surety’s bond.

In addition to finding that respondent beginning on November 23, 1938, was a customer of defendant corporation and that he purchased through it as his broker 1660 shares of common capital stock of Interstate Aircraft & Engineering Corp., and on the 7th of February, 1939, was the owner of said shares, the court also found that on February 7, 1939, defendant corporation, through defendant Palmer acting in his capacity as president and general manager thereof, entered into an agreement to purchase from respondent said 1660 shares of said Interstate stock, at the agreed price of $4,070, of which the sum of $35 was forthwith paid in cash, the balance payable August 1, 1939, with interest at 6 per cent per annum. That at the time and as a part of the same agreement, defendant agreed that the said corporation would issue to respondent an aggregate of 370 shares of its preferred capital stock and 740 shares of its common capital stock and that on August 1, 1939, said preferred shares would be repurchased at $11 per share plus 6 per cent accrued interest from February 1, 1939. That on April 14, 1939, a certificate evidencing 370 shares of preferred stock of defendant corporation was transferred by defendants Palmer, Miller & Co. and Douglas B. Palmer to respondent, but only 74 shares of common stock were issued; “and it is true that the defendants did not, on August 1, 1939, or at any other time, faithfully and honestly perform their obligation to pay to plaintiff the agreed balance of $4015 together with interest at six per cent (6%) per annum from February 1, 1939, except that it is true that the defendants have heretofore paid to plaintiff the sum of $466 as and for interest for the [259]*259period from February 1, 1939, to January 20, 1941, and the sum of $182 on account of said principal.”

The court found that defendant corporation and defendant Palmer purchased said 1660 shares of Interstate from respondent “with the purpose of reselling them and of offering them for sale to the public and that all of said shares were thereafter and within a short period of time sold by” defendant corporation.

It was further found that in order to induce respondent to enter into said agreement, “and for the purpose of deceiving, injuring and defrauding the plaintiff, the defendants, Palmer, Miller & Co., and Douglas B. Palmer, concealed from him facts which were particularly within their knowledge and which they knew to be true, to wit: That the financial condition of Palmer, Miller & Co., was bad and that it had accounts payable which were due and which it was unable to pay and knew that it had a deficit from operations in the sum of $16,000 or thereabouts and knew that the broker’s certificate theretofore issued to it was to be cancelled and revoked by the Commissioner of Corporations because of the company’s bad financial condition and impairment of capital. ...

“VII. The court finds that it is true that the defendants Palmer, Miller & Co., and Douglas B. Palmer represented to plaintiff that the defendant Palmer, Miller & Co., was in a good condition and . . . that it had been in business a long time and was going to continue in the brokerage business; . . . that defendants represented that Palmer, Miller & Co. was to be the exclusive broker for the sale of all the stock of the Interstate Aircraft & Engineering Corp., and that if anyone wanted to buy its stock he would have to come to them to purchase it. That said representations were false and untrue and were known by the defendants at the time of making same to be false and untrue and that it is true that said statements and representations were made for the purpose of deceiving, injuring and defrauding the plaintiff and for the purpose of inducing the plaintiff into said agreement for the sale of his 1660 shares . . . that plaintiff believed and relied on said statements and representations and thereupon entered into said agreement and was injured and defrauded thereby.”

It was further found that on February 7, 1939, the articles of incorporation of defendant corporation did not provide for any preferred stock and that an amendment to its [260]*260articles of incorporation creating such preferred stock was not filed in the office of the Secretary of State until March 2, 1939, and at the time the said agreement was made on February 7, 1939, said corporation had no permit to sell and issue its preferred stock and at no time was such a permit issued by the Commissioner of Corporations. ‘ ‘ That it is true that plaintiff did not purchase said shares of stock of Palmer, Miller & Co., but accepted same as a guarantee that the defendants would faithfully perform the obligations of their agreement. ’ ’

As a conclusion of law from the facts found, the court decreed: “That the said transaction referred to in the foregoing findings of fact constituted a brokerage transaction under the terms and conditions of the bond filed and maintained by said defendant with the Commissioner of Corporations and within the meaning of the Corporate Securities Act of the State of California.”

The agreement heretofore referred to was evidenced by the following letter introduced in evidence as Plaintiff’s Exhibit No. 2:

“Palmer, Miller & Co., Investment Securities, 650 South Spring St., Los Angeles . . . February 7th, 1939 Mr. August H. Lindstrom, 228 West 30th St., Los Angeles, Calif. Dear Mr. Lindstrom: Attached is my personal note for the amount of $3,700 dated February 1st, 1939 and maturing August 1st, 1939 which bears interest at the rate of six per cent per annum. As collateral security for this note is 7500 shares of Palmer, Miller & Co. Common stock of which there is 25,000 shares outstanding.
“Palmer, Miller & Co. are amending their Articles of Incorporation to create a Six per cent Cumulative Preferred Stock $10.00 par value, callable at $11.00 per share. With each share of Preferred stock will be given two shares of Common stock.
“When the Preferred stock is ready for delivery it is understood you are to return the 7500 shares of Common stock and personal note $3700 to me and receive 370 shares of the Preferred stock of Palmer, Miller & Co., and 740 shares of Common stock.
“Beceipt is hereby acknowledged of 1660 shares Interstate Aircraft & Engineering Corp. Common stock @ $2.25 per share, value $3735. Attached is my cheek for $35.00
“It is further understood I am to repurchase from you the 370 shares of Palmer, Miller & Co. Preferred stock on [261]

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Bluebook (online)
128 P.2d 877, 54 Cal. App. 2d 257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lindstrom-v-palmer-calctapp-1942.