Pictorial Review Co. v. State

148 Misc. 721, 266 N.Y.S. 452, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1281
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedAugust 17, 1933
DocketClaim No. 23284
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 148 Misc. 721 (Pictorial Review Co. v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pictorial Review Co. v. State, 148 Misc. 721, 266 N.Y.S. 452, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1281 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1933).

Opinion

Ryan, J.

This claim is based on section 280 of the Tax Law and is submitted upon an agreed statement of facts. The claimant has duly complied with the requirements of the statute in respect to presenting its claim to the State Tax Commission and in respect to filing the same after its rejection by the Tax Commission.

On November 19, 1931, the Pictorial Review Company, claimant, was controlled by William P. Ahnelt who was its principal stock [722]*722holder. The company and its subsidiaries were indebted in a large sum to the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company and to the W. F. Hall Printing Company. Ahnelt deposited with the Irving Trust Company, certificates for 155,960 shares of the Pictorial Review Company and for 19,250 shares of the' Excella Pattern Company, a subsidiary. All certificates were properly indorsed in blank. On October 4, 1932, the Irving Trust Company redelivered the shares in question to the original depositors.

Claimant seeks to recover the sum of $6,276.92 paid by it on September 15, 1932, to the Irving Trust Company for stock transfer stamps taxing the transfer of the shares in question in and out of the trust company, together with interest on the amount from the date on which the Tax Commission rejected its claim.

The deposit was made pursuant to the terms of a written agreement wherein the claimant company was the party of the first part; Ahnelt was party of the second part; the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company and the W. F. Hall Printing Company were parties of the third part; and Irving Trust Company was party of the fourth part. A copy of the agreement which is lengthy and detailed was attached to and made a part of the agreed statement of facts.

The contention of claimant is that each transfer was exempted from the tax imposed by section 270 of the Tax Law by virtue of the third sentence thereof which upon the date of the deposit agreement, read as follows: “ * * * It is not intended by this article to impose a tax upon an agreement evidencing the deposit of certificates as collateral security for money loaned thereon, which certificates are not actually sold, nor upon such certificates so deposited, nor upon transfers of such certificates to the lender or to a nominee of the lender or from one nominee of the lender to another, provided the same continue to be held by such lender or nominee or nominees as collateral security as aforesaid, nor upon the retransfer of such certificates to the borrower. * * * ”

Section 270 of the Tax Law has been several times amended and several times construed by the courts. There can be no question that the transaction herein fell within the taxing clause or the first sentence of section 270. (U. S. Radiator Corporation v. State of New York, 208 N. Y. 144; Bonbright & Co. v. State of New York, 165 App. Div. 640; Travis v. Ann Arbor Co., 180 id. 799; affd., 227 N. Y. 640.)

The only question is: Was the agreement one evidencing the deposit of certificates as collateral security for money loaned thereon, which certificates are not actually sold,” and, therefore, was the transaction exempt from tax?

[723]*723It will be necessary to quote at length from the agreement, the preamble of which after reciting the indebtedness of the claimant, reads: “ * * * and the party of the first part is desirous of obtaining an extension of the payment of said indebtedness, of obtaining additional credit from said creditors, and of securing to said creditors the ultimate payment of said present indebtedness and any subsequent indebtedness to them or their respective subsidiaries incurred by the party of the first part or its subsidiaries during the term of this agreement, and

“ Whereas the party of the second part is the President of The Pictorial Review Company, party of the first part, and is the owner and holder of 155,960 shares of the capital stock of said The Pictorial Review Company out of a total of 234,427 shares now issued and outstanding, and is desirous of protecting his interest in said Company by having it obtain additional credit from the parties of the third part, and of securing to said creditors the ultimate payment of the aforesaid present indebtedness and any subsequent indebtedness to them or their respective subsidiaries incurred by the party of the first part or its subsidiaries during the term of this agreement, and

Whereas the parties of the third part are willing to extend the time of payment of the present indebtedness owing by the party of the first part and its subsidiaries, upon the conditions hereinafter stated, and the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company is willing to supply the party of the first part with additional paper and to that end has entered into a renewal contract * * * and the W. F. Hall Printing Company is willing to supply the party of the first part with additional printing, upon such terms of credit as may be agreed upon from time to time by them respectively with the party of the first part.”

Upon this premise, the third parties agreed to extend the time of payment of the indebtedness due them and to continue to deal with claimant and to provide it with paper and printing, as in the past. The Pictorial Review Company procured and deposited with the Irving Trust Company the written resignations of all of its present officers and directors and of the officers and directors of its subsidiaries. Such resignations were to become effective upon the acceptance thereof by the trustee and when directed by the third parties. The claimant agreed to immediately employ and retain a comptroller to be designated by the third parties, his salary to be paid by the claimant and he to be authorized and empowered to institute budgetary control and to take care of, supervise and rearrange the accounting system and to countersign checks and commercial paper. Claimant also agreed to employ whenever the [724]*724third parties should request, a general manager to be designated and named by them, his salary to be paid by the claimant and to vest him with such powers and duties as they might deem necessary and advisable in their own interests and in the interests of claimant and its subsidiaries and to adopt and put into effect such business policies as the comptroller and general manager might deem advisable.

It further agreed that neither it nor its subsidiaries would sell, lease or otherwise dispose of, or mortgage or pledge any of its accounts or bills receivable, or any of its assets, or borrow any money or make any long-term commitments or contracts without, in each instance, obtaining the written consent of the third parties; that neither it nor its subsidiaries would issue or sell any additional shares of stock nor declare any stock dividend nor declare or pay any cash dividend or amend its by-laws or buy any shares of its own stock or the stock of its subsidiaries or buy securities for investment without the consent of the third parties; also not to retain any employees who were unsatisfactory to them. Claimant and Ahnelt together agreed to cause the board of directors and stockholders to take any action required to carry out the terms of the contract including such amendments of by-laws as might be necessary whenever requested by the said third parties. Ahnelt individually agreed to devote his entire time and attention to the business of the claimant party and its subsidiaries.

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Related

Pictorial Review Co. v. State
241 A.D. 780 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1934)

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Bluebook (online)
148 Misc. 721, 266 N.Y.S. 452, 1933 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1281, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pictorial-review-co-v-state-nyclaimsct-1933.