Milwaukee Chair Co. v. Isaacs

28 F. Supp. 409, 1939 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2601
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJuly 21, 1939
StatusPublished

This text of 28 F. Supp. 409 (Milwaukee Chair Co. v. Isaacs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Milwaukee Chair Co. v. Isaacs, 28 F. Supp. 409, 1939 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2601 (E.D. Wis. 1939).

Opinion

DUFFY, District Judge.

This matter is before the court on a motion by the plaintiff to remand this action to the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County.

The plaintiff is a Wisconsin corporation. The defendant, Helen B. Isaacs, is a resident of New Jersey, and was not served with process in this action. The defendant, Martin J. Brennan, is a resident of Wisconsin. The defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company, is a Delaware corporation.

This action was brought in the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County, and the defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company, caused the action to be removed to this court. The motion for removal was in proper form, and was timely made.

In the plaintiff’s motion to remand, claim was made that- The Thirtieth Street Company had waived its right to ask for removal of this cause to the Federal Court; and that it was estopped, because of participation in certain proceedings in the Circuit Court; and that the Circuit Court of Milwaukee County had made no order of removal. However, on the argument before the court these objections were not pressed or urged, and the sole question now before the court is whether the complaint sets forth a separable controversy between the plaintiff and the, defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company.

Section 71, Title 28, of the U. S. Code, 28 U.S.C.A. § 71, contains the following provision: “* * * and when in any suit mentioned in this section there shall be a controversy which is wholly between citizens of different States, and which can be fully determined as between them, then either one or more of the defendants actually interested in such controversy may remove said suit into the district court of the United States for the proper district.”

The plaintiff contends that the primary purpose of this action was to recover damages from the defendants Isaacs and Brennan because of the alleged conversion to their own use of funds belonging to the defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company, and that any other relief asked for by it was merely incidental. Paragraph 14 of the complaint does state that the action is brought by the plaintiff as a minority stockholder of the defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company, on its own behalf, and on behalf of all other stockholders of said corporation similarly situated, and also on behalf of said defendant corporation for the purpose of compelling defendants Helen B. Isaacs and Martin J. Brennan to reimburse and pay to defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company, all funds of said corporation which have been converted by defendants Isaacs and Brennan to their own personal use.

If the complaint went no further, then of course the contention of the plaintiff would be sound. There would be no separable controversy between the plaintiff and The Thirtieth Street Company. But it is well settled that we must take the complaint as we find it. In determining whether there is a separable controversy, the allegations in the plaintiff’s original pleading are to be considered, and such allegations are to be taken as confessed. Barney v. Latham, 103 U.S. 205, 26 L.Ed. 514; Hay v. May Department Stores Co., 271 U.S. 318, 46 S.Ct. 498, 70 L.Ed. 965.

Although the complaint alleges a cause of action against the two individual defendants, it goes further and also contains the following allegations as to the defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company. An examination of the complaint discloses the following allegations as to the defendant, The Thirtieth Street Company:

“That the defendant corporation was originally organized for the purpose of engaging in manufacturing chairs and office furniture; that said defendant corporation has wholly abandoned said business and is no longer in the manufacturing business; that said corporation is not engaged in any business other than that of owning and holding certain real estate in the City of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin, which real estate it leases to others.
“5. That during the year 1934 the defendant corporation sold all of its machinery and equipment which it used in the manufacture of chairs and other furniture, and also all of its inventory, goods and material in the process of fabrication, so that the defendant corporation no longer owns any property other than said real estate and certain accounts receivable and causes of action as hereinafter set forth.
“6. That said defendant corporation receives the sum of Six Hundred Sixty-six and <%oo (666.67) Dollars per month as its rental for said real estate and buildings: * * *
“7. That the defendant corporation, its officers and agents, have failed and neglected to pay the real estate taxes due and owing by such corporation; that real estate taxes in excess of Twenty Thousand ($20,-[411]*411000) Dollars are now due and owing by the defendant corporation on its real estate in the City of Milwaukee, State of Wisconsin; that said defendant corporation has paid no part or portion of the real estate taxes levied since 1934; that while the real estate and buildings originally involved a substantial expenditure of funds by said defendant corporation and were formerly of considerable value, said real estate and buildings have greatly depreciated in value and there is no market value for the same, and plaintiff is informed and believes that the market value of said real estate does not exceed the value of the delinquent taxes due and owing upon said real estate.
“8. Plaintiff alleges that the defendant corporation is insolvent and that defendants Helen B. Isaacs and Martin J. Brennan, the principal and majority stockholders of said corporation, dominate and control the affairs of said corporation, and are illegally using the funds and property of said corporation for their own personal purposes, and plaintiff alleges upon information and belief that they do not intend to pay the delinquent taxes or any part thereof upon the property of the defendant corporation * * *
“9. That the lease covering such real estate will expire on or about the 31st day of December, 1940; that as soon as said lease expires the buildings of the defendant corporation will become wholly worthless unless the presently existing delinquent taxes afe paid; that in such event it will be reasonably necessary to tear down and remove such buildings located upon said real estate in an effort to minimize and reduce the taxes upon said property; * * *
“10. That defendant Martin J. Brennan purports and pretends to be a director, vice president and general manager of said defendant corporation; that as such vice president and general manager he has collected all of the rents and has charge of the funds of said defendant corporation and has not turned over any part or portion thereof to the treasurer of the defendant corporation and has not permitted the treasurer to draw any check or checks against such funds; that all of such funds have from time to time been drawn out of the bank upon the signature of defendant Martin J. Brennan; that defendant Helen B. Isaacs purports and pretends to be a director and president of said corporation and has authorized and approved the acts of defendant Martin J. Brennan.”

In paragraph 11 of the complaint, after naming the officers, the plaintiff alleges:

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Related

Barney v. Latham
103 U.S. 205 (Supreme Court, 1881)
Geer v. Mathieson Alkali Works
190 U.S. 428 (Supreme Court, 1903)
Hay v. May Department Stores Co.
271 U.S. 318 (Supreme Court, 1926)
Wallace v. Motor Products Corporation
25 F.2d 655 (Sixth Circuit, 1928)
Campbell v. Milliken
119 F. 981 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Colorado, 1902)

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Bluebook (online)
28 F. Supp. 409, 1939 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/milwaukee-chair-co-v-isaacs-wied-1939.