Malott v. Randall

523 P.2d 439, 11 Wash. App. 433, 1974 Wash. App. LEXIS 1251
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJune 17, 1974
DocketNo. 713-3
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 523 P.2d 439 (Malott v. Randall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Malott v. Randall, 523 P.2d 439, 11 Wash. App. 433, 1974 Wash. App. LEXIS 1251 (Wash. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

Munson, J.

— This is an action, commenced as a derivative shareholders’ suit, on behalf of Hecla Mining Company. The original plaintiff, Thomas Malott, owned shares of stock of a value in excess of $25,000. Emil Heber, the intervenor, owned stock of a value of $2,575 as of the date he intervened. The trial court found against plaintiff and the intervenor. Only the intervenor, Emil Heber, has appealed.

Respondent Hecla Mining Company, subsequent to the reinstatement of this appeal, Malott v. Randall, 83 Wn.2d 259, 517 P.2d 605 (1974), filed an original motion in this court, seeking an order:

(1) Requiring plaintiff in intervention, the appellant herein, to give security pursuant to RCW 23A.08.460;

(2) Staying further proceedings until a deposit of said security had been made; and

(3) Directing that failure to give such security within the time and manner directed would result in the dismissal of respondent Hecla Mining Company from this appeal with costs.

Appellant Heber’s arguments in opposition to this motion shall be discussed seriatim.

RCW 23A.08.460 states in part:
In any action now pending or hereafter instituted or maintained in the right of any domestic or foreign corporation by the holder or holders of record of less than five percent of the outstanding shares of any class of such corporation or of voting trust certificates therefor, unless the shares or voting trust certificates so held have a market value in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars, the corporation in whose right such action is brought shall be entitled at any time before final judgment to require the plaintiff or plaintiffs to give security for the [435]*435reasonable expenses, including fees of attorneys, that may be incurred by it in connection with such action or may be incurred by other parties named as defendant for which it may become legally liable.

(Italics ours.)

Appellant admits he owns less than 5 percent of the outstanding stock of Hecla Mining Company, and that the value thereof is less than $25,000.'

The primary issue centers around an interpretation of the words “final judgment” as that term is used in RCW 23A.08.460. Appellant contends that the term “final judgment,” as used in RCW 23A.08.460, means the final judgment in the trial court; consequently, respondent’s motion for security filed during this appeal is not timely. Respondent contends that appellant, by this appeal, is maintaining an action, Sparkman & McLean Co. v. Govan Inv. Trust, 78 Wn.2d 584, 478 P.2d 232 (1970); hence, the trial court’s judgment is not yet final and security can be requested.

In Haaga v. Saginaw Logging Co., 170 Wash. 93, 15 P.2d 655 (1932), the court held that a judgment does not become final until affirmed by the Supreme Court. In State v. Wachsmith, 4 Wn. App. 91, 95, 479 P.2d 943 (1971), this court, in interpreting the meaning of “final judgment,” as that term is used in RCW 8.04.090 (an eminent domain proceeding), held that a judgment “does not become final until final disposition on appeal.”1 It is apparent that in this jurisdiction the words “final judgment” mean that judgment which shall have become final by expiration of the [436]*436time for appeal or by affirmance on appeal,2 when used in a connotation other than the right to appeal.

We believe the legislature intended this statute to apply: (a) when the amount of the plaintiff and/or intervenor’s stock is less than 5 percent of the outstanding shares and has a value not in excess of $25,000; or (b) where one or more of several plaintiffs chooses not to continue litigation and the percentage or value of the stock held by the remaining plaintiffs is below either of the minimum amounts. The corporation has the right to seek security for the costs it would incur, Marks v. Seedman, 309 F. Supp. 332 (S.D.N.Y. 1969), provided such reduction was not the result of any act of the corporation. Roach v. Franchises Infl, Inc., 32 App. Div. 2d 247, 300 N.Y.S.2d 630 (1969).

The appellant next contends that the equities are not in respondent’s favor; respondent should not be rewarded by its lack of diligence and laches in filing the motion for security approximately 20 months after entry of the final judgment. To the contrary, since the entry of the judgment, sometime in 1972, these parties have been before the Superior Court on two occasions, and the Supreme Court once. All appearances had to do with whether a valid [437]*437appeal had been instituted. As soon as that issue reached final disposition, respondent promptly filed this motion. Respondent has been diligent.

Appellant next challenges the constitutionality of RCW 23A.08.460 under article 4, section 30 of the Washington State Constitution, in light of Iverson v. Marine Ban-corporation, 83 Wn.2d 163, 167, 517 P.2d 197 (1973). There our Supreme Court held: “The administration of justice demands that the doors of the judicial system be open to the indigent as well as to those who can afford to pay the costs of pursuing judicial relief.” As that argument relates to this case, it is without merit. No evidence has been presented supporting an assertion that the appellant is indigent.

In the same vein, appellant urges he is protected by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as that clause has been interpreted in Boddie v. Connecticut, 401 U.S. 371, 28 L. Ed. 2d 113, 91 S. Ct. 780 (1971), i.e., litigants with meritorious claims cannot be denied access to the courts because of an inability to pay costs. In Boddie, the court relied upon undisputed affidavits showing that plaintiffs were financially unable to pay court costs; here no such showing of financial indigency is offered. Boddie was also expressly limited to divorce actions since “a marriage cannot be dissolved except by ‘due judicial proceedings,’ ” Boddie v. Connecticut, supra at 382 n.8. Boddie has subsequently been narrowly construed. Ortwein v. Schwab, 410 U.S. 656, 35 L. Ed. 2d 572, 93 S. Ct. 1172 (1973) (upholding Oregon’s appellate court filing fee of $25); United States v. Kras, 409 U.S. 434, 34 L. Ed. 2d 626, 93 S. Ct.

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Bluebook (online)
523 P.2d 439, 11 Wash. App. 433, 1974 Wash. App. LEXIS 1251, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/malott-v-randall-washctapp-1974.