Puntenney v. Mantle

249 Ill. App. 242, 1928 Ill. App. LEXIS 51
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 8, 1928
DocketGen. No. 8,116
StatusPublished

This text of 249 Ill. App. 242 (Puntenney v. Mantle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Puntenney v. Mantle, 249 Ill. App. 242, 1928 Ill. App. LEXIS 51 (Ill. Ct. App. 1928).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Eldredge

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is an action of assumpsit brought by appellee against appellant in the circuit court of Sangamon county, to recover back money paid by appellee for Class “D” securities under the Illinois Securities Law passed by the legislature in 1919, Cahill’s St. ch. 32, If 254 et seq., on the ground that the same were sold to appellee by appellant in violation thereof.

The first count of the amended declaration charges that appellee bought 1,000 shares of stock of the Consumer’s Oil Shale Company for the sum of $90; that said stock was Class “D” securities; that said company had not qualified, under the law, to sell Class “D” securities; that appellant, in making said sale, acted as agent or solicitor of said company, and advised and encouraged appellee to buy said stock and that appellee has tendered back the same to appellant and now tenders it in open court. The second count is like the first except that it charges that appellee purchased 30,000 shares of stock which were Class “D” securities of the Central Oil Shale Refining Company, for $1,140. The third count consists of the consolidated common counts. Two additional counts were also filed. The first relates to the stock of the Consumer’s Oil & Shale Company and after alleging that said stock was of Class “D” securities and that said company had not complied with the provisions of the Illinois Securities Law relating to the sale and offering for sale of Class “D” securities, charges that appellant was the owner of 1,000 shares of said stock and did knowingly counsel, advise, solicit and recommend to the plaintiff to buy said shares of stock and unlawfully, fraudulently and knowingly did offer for sale to the plaintiff 1,000 shares of said stock for the purpose of defrauding the plaintiff, and the plaintiff then and there did, upon said counsel’s advice, solicitation and recommendations, buy 1,000 shares of stock of and from said appellant then and there acting for herself and on her own behalf. The second count relates to the Central Oil Shale Refining Company stock and after making the same averments in regard to the failure of said company to comply with the provisions of said law. in regard to the sale of Class “D” securities, alleges that appellant was the owner of 50,000 shares of the stock of said company and that she had not complied with the provisions of said law in regard to the sale of Class “D” securities and did knowingly counsel, advise and solicit and recommend to appellee to buy said stock and knowingly unlawfully and fraudulently did offer for sale and did sell in the course of repeated and successive transactions of like character, for her own account, to appellee 30,000 shares of said stock and paid therefor the sum of $1,150. The declaration also seeks to recover attorney’s fees.

The trial was had before the court without a jury and a judgment was entered in favor of appellee for $1,240 damages and $400 attorney’s fees.

It is first contended by appellant that the evidence does not show that she was the owner of any of the stock in question or was the agent or solicitor of either of said companies in the sale of said stocks, but that she simply acted as a friend of appellee and was, in fact, her agent in the purchase of said stocks for her. This question has been found adversely to appellant’s contention in two trials, once by a jury and once by the trial court, and there is ample evidence to sustain these findings of fact. In our view of the case it is immaterial whether appellant was the actual owner of the stocks sold to appellee or that she acted as the agent or solicitor of the respective companies in the sale of said stocks, because it was through the counsel, advice, solicitation and recommendation of appellant that appellee purchased the same, and there are counts covering both situations. In fact, with one exception, all the money that was paid for these stocks was paid directly to appellant by appellee. Appellant was the only one' with whom appellee had any dealings or transactions in the purchase of the stocks.

The transactions involved consist of the purchases by appellee, at different times, of three blocks of stock as follows: September 27, 1919,10,000 shares of Central Oil Defining Company stock, for which she paid $300; October 4, 1919, 1,000 shares Consumer’s Oil & Shale Company stock for which she paid $90; and November 28, 1919, 10,000 shares Central Oil Shale Defining Company’s stock for which she paid $350.

As to the 1,000 shares of Consumer’s Oil & Shale Company stock which appellee purchased October 4, 1919, there can be no question as to the liability of appellant because neither the oil company nor appellant had complied with any of the provisions of the Securities Law. In regard to the purchase of the shares of stock of the Central Oil Shale Defining Company, a somewhat different situation is presented. The Illinois Securities Law was approved and became effective June 10,1919, and the Central Oil Shale Defining Company, having complied with the provisions of said act, was granted permission to sell its stock in this State, by a certificate of the Secretary of State dated August 15, 1919, though this certificate was revoked by the Secretary of State March 5, 1920, after the purchases of the stock of this company were made by appellee and while the certificates were in force, but this is a suit against appellant personally and not against the oil company and before appellant could have lawfully acted, either as dealer, agent, broker or solicitor for the sale of said stock, she would have had to qualify herself to act as such under said law, as is clearly indicated by the provision of the act. Sections 13 and 14, Cahill’s St. ch. 32, M 266, 267, are as follows:

“§13. If the statement as to securities in Class ‘D’ discloses that such securities are intended to be offered or sold by the issuer, through a solicitor, agent or broker, a statement giving the names, residences, qualifications, occupations and business experience of such solicitor, agent or broker for a period of ten years prior to the filing, and the name and address of each employer, the period of employment and reason for resignation or discharge, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. The signatures of each and every of such solicitors, agents or brokers, shall be attached to such statement. If after the filing of such statement the issuer shall appoint any additional solicitor, agent or broker to offer or sell such securities before any such additional solicitor, agent or broker, shall offer or sell any such securities, there shall be filed like statements.

“§14. After qualification of securities in Class ‘D’ by the issuer, any dealer or owner may sell such securities upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State, a statement verified by the oath of such dealer or owner as otherwise provided by this Act, a statement of the amount and description of the securities to be sold by him or it, the maximum price for which they are to be sold, his or its address by street and number, qualification, occupation, and business experience of such dealer or owner, for a period of ten years prior to filing such statement, giving name and address of each employer, the period of employment and the reason for resignation or discharge.”

Section 29, Cahill’s St. ch.

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Related

Puntenney v. Wildeman & Co.
149 N.E. 2 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1925)
Puntenney v. Mantle
234 Ill. App. 137 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1924)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
249 Ill. App. 242, 1928 Ill. App. LEXIS 51, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/puntenney-v-mantle-illappct-1928.