Parker v. Rogerson

33 A.D.2d 284, 307 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1970 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5728
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 15, 1970
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 33 A.D.2d 284 (Parker v. Rogerson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parker v. Rogerson, 33 A.D.2d 284, 307 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1970 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5728 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

Gabrielli, J.

In 1929 the father of Marion Gebbie and Geraldine G. Bellinger died owning 250 of the 500 outstanding shares of stock in the Phelps Can Co. (Phelps). The remaining 250 shares were owned by the Phelps family. Mr. Bellinger bequeathed 125 shares to each daughter. Marion Gebbie died in 1949, leaving her 125 shares in trust for the benefit of her sister with the remainder to the Gebbie Foundation, Inc. Eogerson, who was named executor and trustee under the will, at that time was also attorney for Mrs. Bellinger, a director of Phelps, and president of the Gebbie Foundation.

In 1960 the Phelps family disposed of its 250 shares by selling one third thereof each to the company itself, Mrs. Bellinger and Eogerson, thus leaving 417 shares outstanding. Before her death in 1963, Mrs. Bellinger had conveyed to Eogerson 83 shares so acquired. Eogerson and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company (Manufacturers) were named coexecutors and trustees under Mrs. Bellinger’s will which left two thirds of her residuary estate in trust for the benefit of her grandchildren (plaintiffs in Action No. 1), and one third to the Gebbie Foundation.

In 1963 in order to raise money to pay estate taxes, Eogerson and Manufacturers agreed to sell the Phelps shares held by the Bellinger estate to the company, purportedly for later resale to the executives of Phelps.

The sale price per share was $1,800, although the executors had shortly before the sale engaged a professional appraisal company which determined the sale value to be in excess of $2,400 per share for majority interest shares and $2,000 per share for minority interest shares. The net worth of the company was appraised at $4,040.84 per share.

At the shareholders meeting which approved this purchase, Eogerson voted all the outstanding shares of the company either in his individual or representative capacity. Four days later, he purchased the Phelps shares owned by the Gebbie estate although he was sole executor aftd trustee of that estate. At this point in time, therefore, Eogerson or members of his family [288]*288owned all the outstanding shares. Shortly thereafter, Phelps was liquidated at a per share value substantially in excess of both the previous sales.

It is against this background that the main action was commenced and the various cross claims were interposed.

action no. 1

Parker, as guardian of the persons and as coguardian of the property of the infant beneficiaries of the trust created under the will of Geraldine Bellinger, commenced an action in Supreme Court, Erie County, against Rogerson, Manufacturers, Phelps and Marine Midland Chautauqua National Bank (Marine), the other coguardian of the property of the infant beneficiaries, seeking an accounting by Rogerson, Phelps and Manufacturers for the alleged self-dealing in Phelps stock by Rogerson. Manufacturers cross-claimed -against Rogerson and Phelps, also seeking an accounting and alleging that any self-dealing occurred without its knowledge or acquiescence. Motions for summary judgment were made by Parker, Manufacturers and Marine. Rogerson opposed all the motions on the ground that facts essential to his defense were within the exclusive possession and knowledge of the moving parties. These motions were denied and the moving parties in each case have appealed to this court.

Rogerson also moved to transfer this action to Surrogate’s Court, Chautauqua County but this motion was denied by Special Term (Mahoney, J.).

Although Rogerson appealed from this order, he subsequently moved in this court to withdraw his appeal because the relief sought had been granted by the later order of Special Term (King, J.). The motion to withdraw the appeal is denied and the order appealed from is affirmed on the basis of our discussion of the proper place of trial under Action No. 2, infra.

The foundation and basis for plaintiff’s action rest on the well-established rule that (regardless of fairness or motive), a fiduciary may not personally profit from dealing with trust assets (Meinhard v. Salmon, 249 N. Y. 458); a rule created, jealously nurtured and enforced in order to insure undivided loyalty by a fiduciary to the beneficiary. As stated by Chief Judge Cabdozo in Meinhard (supra, p. 464): “ Many forms of conduct permissible in a workaday world for those acting at arm’s length, are forbidden to those bound by fiduciary ties. A trustee is held to something stricter than the morals of the market place.” The breach of a fiduciary’s duty will be strictly condemned without regard to whether the beneficiary had suffered damage (Diamond v. Oreamuno, 24 N Y 2d 494; Matter of [289]*289People [Bond & Mtge. Guar. Co.], 303 N. Y. 423, 431). Rogerson claims that the infant beneficiaries consented, via their guardian, to the sale of the Phelps stock to the company but this contention finds no support in the record. The exhibits submitted on the motion for summary judgment clearly indicate that this consent, if given, was induced by representations that Rogerson would in no way acquire any interest in the shares. If, as Rogerson argues, the purchase of the shares by Phelps executives became impossible, the fiduciary had a minimal duty to inform the beneficiaries or offer to arrange for the return of the stock to the estate, and not convert a failure of the executive stock plan to his own personal profit. The retirement of approximately 30% of the outstanding shares not only substantially increased Roger-son’s equity in the corporation, but also gave him a majority of the remaining shares and, therefore, control of the corporation. Certainly the actions of the fiduciary should have been subjected to judicial scrutiny where he had so many conflicting interests (cf. Matter of Scarborough Props. Corp., 25 N Y 2d 553 [decided Dec. 11, 1969]). There is nothing in the record to indicate that the movants possess facts unavailable to Rogerson.

The movants have not shown that Manufacturers consented to or actually knew of Rogerson’s self-dealing. Before Manufacturers may be held liable for any loss sustained, one of those two elements must be established (Matter of Horowitz, 297 N. Y. 252). Likewise, the question of Manufacturers’ negligence in failing to prevent a breach of trust or in improperly delegating its responsibilities cannot be determined without a trial. An immediate trial of this issue should be held and, after the determination of Manufacturers’ liability, if any, in its individual capacity, proof should be taken in the accounting directed by our grant of motions for summary judgment herein being ordered.

With respect to the cross claim interposed by Manufacturers in its representative capacity against Rogerson and Phelps, Rogerson has conceded that the interested parties (including Manufacturers) were never informed that he was to purchase the stock and, of course, to profit personally from the purchase through his ownership of the remaining outstanding shares. Manufacturers in its representative capacity is entitled to summary judgment on its cross claim against Rogerson and Phelps.

That part of the order denying, summary judgment to Parker and Marine against Rogerson and Phelps should be reversed and summary judgment granted. So much of the order denying summary judgment to Parker and Marine against Manufac[290]

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Bluebook (online)
33 A.D.2d 284, 307 N.Y.S.2d 986, 1970 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5728, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parker-v-rogerson-nyappdiv-1970.