Moseley v. Red River Oil Mill, Inc.

6 La. App. 725, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 233
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 28, 1927
DocketNo. 2670
StatusPublished

This text of 6 La. App. 725 (Moseley v. Red River Oil Mill, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moseley v. Red River Oil Mill, Inc., 6 La. App. 725, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 233 (La. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinion

WEBB, J.

This action in damages arises out of an alleged subscription by plaintiff to the capital stock of the Red River Oil Mill, Inc., defendant, a corporation proposed to be organized under the laws of this state for the purpose of leasing and operating an oil mill situated in Rapides parish and belonging to the 'Red River Oil Company, Limited, a corporation organized under the laws of this state with its domicil in said parish, in which latter company plaintiff was a stockholder; and plaintiff appeals from a judgment sustaining an exception of no cause of action, and dismissing his suit.

OPINION

Plaintiff in substance alleges that, due to difficulties in financing the further [726]*726operations of the mill hy the Red River Oil Company, Limited, some of the stockholders determined to organize a new corporation tq be known as the Red River Oil Mill, Inc., and that the latter corporation was chartered on August 17, 1924, and that an option was extended to him as one of the stockholders of the Red River Oil Company, Limited, to subscribe to the stock of the Red River Oil Mill, Inc., in a letter of date August 8, 1924, which reads as follows:

“Alexandria, La., August 8, 1924. “Mr. H. V. Moseley,
“Care Williams & Moseley,
“James Building,
“Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Dear Mr. Moseley:
“Referring to our correspondence beginning with my letter of June 30th, will advise that something was absolutely riecessary to be done promptly in order to preserve intact the business of the Red River Oil Company, Ltd. This had to be done before your return, which the writer understood you to say would be on the 1st of September. You were not willing to put up any money, and Mr. Weems explained that he was unable to do so, and the others were not in a financial position to put u(p money in proportion to their holdings of stock in the Red River Oil Company, Ltd. There was but one plan that could be devised that would enable the company to raise money to guarantee the bank against loss, and that was for the stockholders who were willing to do so to put up a sufficient amount of money to do this. They could, of course, not be expected to put up money for the benefit of those who were unwilling, and hence the only plan we could think of was to form an operating company and lease the mill. There was no way of communicating this information to you because the time was too short. The cotton crop will begin to be picked within two weeks from now and the mill must preserve its customers or else they will go to other mills. An operating company was therefore formed and up to date there are seven subscriptions. Mr. W. C. Scott subscribed and paid for $1000 of stock, and six others, my father, Mr. Bat Weil, Mr. J. L. Bryan, Mr. J. E. Byram, Mrs. P. _ N. Bryan and myself, subscribed for $5,000 of stock each. All of us signed a guarantee to the Rapides Bank & Trust Company as additional margin for an amount equal to. 50% of our stock subscription, that is to say, six of us have signed a guarantee of $2500.00 each and one for $500.00, or rather my father has not yet signed but will sign on his return home, all of the others having signed. You own one hundred and thirty-six shares of stock in the Red River Oil Company, Ltd., and you are invited to subscribe for such an amount of the stock of the operating company as you desire to subscribe for up to 13.6% of the capital stock. of the operating company, and on the condition that you sign the guarantee fo.r 50% more than the amount of money that you subscribe and pay for. This option to you is limited to the 15th of September, should you return by the 1st of September, and, if not, to within two weeks after your return. This same option will be given to all of the other stockholders of the company.
“The lease price of the mill is $12,500 per annum, and the lease is from yesterday until the 1st of July, 1925. The payments are made in monthly installments of $1500 .per month, beginning on the 1st of September, the last payment of $500 to be made on the 1st of May. This lease price is sufficient to take care of the fixed charges of the mill,- which are as follows:
“Pire and tornado insurance________$ 2,613.11
“Steam boiler insurance________________ 95.34
“Engine insurance ____________________________ 54.58
“Taxes __________________________ 3,909.82
“Interest ____________________ 5,600.00
“Total __________________________________________$12,272.85
[727]*727“We ask that you give this consideration and advise your decision promptly on your return from your trip.
“Very truly yours,
'(Signed) “J. W. BOLTON,
“President.”

That at the time said letter was written and mailed, plaintiff was in Europe and returned early in September, reaching Chattanoqga early in the afternoon of thq 5th, and went to his office on the 6th of September, where he found the letter awaiting him, which he read, and, on September 8th, he wired defendant’s representative for information, the telegram being as follows:

“September 8, 1924.
“Mr. J. W. Bolton,
“President, Rapides Bank & Trust Company,
“Alexandria, La.
“Returned Friday. Reference letter August eighth; please fully inform me in detail regarding business prospects holding company stating capital stock authorized and whether Alexandria competitor will operate this season. I shall gladly pay for coipy of lease and holding company charter and by-laws which I should appreciate your forwarding.
(Signed) “VINCENT MOSELEY.”

And, on .September 9th, he received by wire a reply as follows:

“Vincent Moseley,
“Care Williams & Moseley,
“James Bldg., Chattanooga, T'enn.
“Replying your telegram. Regarding business prospects I hesitate to advise because of the disastrous termination of last season’s business after everything looked so well up until Christmas, and one cannot foretell the results of this business because we cannot tell what price we will get for manufactured product. Authorized capital of holding company is fifty thousand dollars. Lease and charter in usual form. No by-laws adopted.
(Signed) “J. W. BOLTON.”

On September 12th he again wired defendant’s representative as follows:

“Mr. J. W. Bolton,
“President, Raipides Bank & Trust Company,
■ “Alexandria, La.
“Please have copy of lease and holding company charter forwarded.
(Signed) “VINCENT MOSELEY.”

And, not receiving a reply, he wrote, defendant’s representative, subscribing . for three thousand dollars of the capital stock of defendant company, as shown by letter reading as follows:

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6 La. App. 725, 1927 La. App. LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moseley-v-red-river-oil-mill-inc-lactapp-1927.