National Foundation v. First National Bank

182 F. Supp. 919, 1960 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3048
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedApril 12, 1960
DocketCiv. No. 1379
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 182 F. Supp. 919 (National Foundation v. First National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Foundation v. First National Bank, 182 F. Supp. 919, 1960 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3048 (W.D.N.C. 1960).

Opinion

WARLICK, District Judge.

In this action, plaintiff, The National Foundation, a corporation, seeks to recover from the defendants certain xnonies and property alleged to belong to it and [920]*920wrongfully withheld by the defendants, in a sum in excess of $40,000. It seeks additionally an injunction to compel the defendants to account for and pay over said monies and to desist from interfering with the plaintiff in the administration of its property in Catawba County.

Jurisdiction for the action comes from a diversity of citizenship and the amount sought to be recovered. Title 28 U.S.C. § 1332.

Plaintiff is a corporation organized under the laws of New York and is duly qualified to act in North Carolina, having an office in Charlotte in the Western District. On June 9, 1958, its corporate name was changed in keeping with its new responsibilities, from The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc., to its present one, and such change in name was duly filed with the proper North Carolina authority, all prior to the institution of this action.

The various financial companies named as defendants and having funds on deposit are either banking institutions or savings and loan associations, all legally created, and existing, and each is doing business in Catawba County, North Carolina. The individual defendants are citizens of Catawba County and formerly were officers and trustees of the Catawba County Chapter of The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

Plaintiff is a charitable organization which for many years has been engaged in collecting charitable contributions and disbursing the monies so collected throughout the whole of the United States for the care and treatment of persons stricken with poliomyelitis and for research into the cause, prevention and cure of such disease.

In 1941 certain interested citizens of Catawba County, seeking to aid persons so stricken and to assist by research into the cause of such disease, organized a voluntary group to aid in the treatment and rehabilitation of polio victims and on application made, were issued a Certificate of Recognition by plaintiff; and on being accepted became a chapter of the national organization, and designated as the Catawba County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and as such associated with the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

At its organizational meeting those sponsoring the Catawba County Chapter agreed to operate in conformity with the Manual for Chapters previously adopted by the National Foundation and under which all local chapters were organized, and at such first meeting adopted, among other things, the following resolution:

“Resolved: That pursuant to the condition contained in the 'Authority to Organize a Chapter’ granted by The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc., this Chapter shall, and hereby does, agree with The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc. to engage in infantile paralysis activities in conformity with the Manual for Chapters, and the policies, rules and regulations prescribed, and to be prescribed, by the Board of Trustees for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc.”

The Manual for Chapters in effect throughout the whole of the period embraced in this controversy together with amendments added from time to time, contained, among other things, the following revelant provisions:

(a) Chapter III B(7) (b): “All funds and property given to, received by, or coming into the custody of any Chapter or Branch Chapter belong to and are trust funds, and property of The National Foundation to be expended only for the purposes provided in its Certificate of Incorporation and only in accordance with the rules, regulations and policies prescribed by it from time to time.”
(b) Chapter II A and B: “A. Origin and Authority. A Chapter-receives its Certificate of Recognition from, and is an integral part of,. [921]*921■and is subject at all times to all rules, regulations and policies of the National Foundation. B. Purposes. A Chapter is the local unit of the National Foundation, responsible for the local infantile paralysis activities of the National Foundation within the Chapter’s territory.”
(c) Chapter III A(6): “Withdrawal of Certificate of Recognition. If, in the opinion of the president of The National Foundation, a ■Chapter has violated, or is violating •any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, by-laws, or Manual for Chapters of The National Foundation, or any rule, regulation or policy of The National Foundation, or if, in his opinion, a Chapter has failed, or refused to follow, or is failing or refusing to follow any rule, regulation or policy of The National Foundation * * * he may withdraw the Certificate of Recognition of said Chapter by giving written or telegraphic notice to that effect to any officer of said Chapter, and setting forth in said notice the cause, or causes, for said withdrawal.
* * * * *
“If the Chapter concerned is unwilling to accept the decision of the president of The National Foundation as final, and so notifies him in writing within seven days of receipt of notice of his action, it may, by petition signed by at least two-thirds of its members, appeal in writing to the Committee on Chapters of The National Foundation within fourteen days after the receipt of notice of said action by the president to have its Certificate of Recognition re-instated. * * * ”
(d) Chapter III B(7). Chapter Funds, “(a) General. Each year the National Foundation determines what percentage of the money raised through its annual fund raising appeal will be left in the localities where raised for administration by chapters or branch chapters. Except as otherwise provided on page 15 hereof under caption ‘Bequests’, and until otherwise determined by the National Foundation, 50% of all other funds or property given to, received by, or coming into the custody of a chapter or Branch Chapter, shall be retained by said Chapter or Branch Chapter and the remaining 50% shall be forwarded forthwith to the National Foundation.
“No Chapter or Branch Chapter shall accept any bequest, devise, gift, donation or payment of any funds or property to be used for any purpose other than the ones permitted under the provisions of this Manual, nor shall any Chapter or Branch Chapter accept, without the written consent of The National Foundation first obtained, any bequest, devise, gift, or payment of any funds or property, the use of which is confined solely to said Chapter or Branch Chapter.”
A-7. “Whenever the Certificate of Recognition of a Chapter is surrendered or withdrawn, all of its funds and property, including its books, files, records and official Certificate of Recognition, shall be forthwith delivered to the National Foundation or a representative thereof designated by its President.
* * *»

Plaintiff is so organized that National Headquarters and the Chapters throughout the country are all integral parts of one organization. They are in no sense separate entities.

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182 F. Supp. 919, 1960 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-foundation-v-first-national-bank-ncwd-1960.