Rotstein v. Reynolds & Co.

359 F. Supp. 109, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13437
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Illinois
DecidedMay 30, 1973
Docket72 C 2763
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 359 F. Supp. 109 (Rotstein v. Reynolds & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rotstein v. Reynolds & Co., 359 F. Supp. 109, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13437 (N.D. Ill. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

AUSTIN, District Judge.

In this case plaintiff seeks damages under state and federal securities laws from two broker-dealer defendants and two issurers of securities, Automated Marketing Systems, Inc. (“Automated”) and Monterey Life Systems, Inc. (“Monterey”). The broker-dealer defendants have filed a motion to dismiss certain portions of the complaint for failure to state a claim. To the extent and for the reasons indicated below, that motion to dismiss shall be granted and plaintiff is given leave to file an amended complaint in accordance with the provisions of this opinion within twenty days.

I. The Sale of Unregistered Securities

Paragraph 6 of both Count I and Count II allege that these securities were sold at a time when they were not the subject of an effective registration statement, as required by § 5 of the ’33 Act. 1 The defendant broker-dealers 2 assert that the exclusive remedy for a violation of § 5 is an action under § 12(1) of the Act, which is governed by the one-year limitations period of § 13. Since plaintiff’s purchases occurred more than one year prior to the filing of this suit, they claim that the sale of an unregistered security no longer is actionable. In reply, plaintiff asserts that the sale of an unregistered security also violates the antifraud provisions of § 10(b) of the ’34 Act and Rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, which is governed by a three-year statute of limitations in this circuit. Parrent v. Midwest Rug Mills, Inc., 455 F.2d 123 (7th Cir. 1972). He claims that the remedies afforded by each Act are cumulative and not mutually exclusive and that therefore the sale of an unregistered security is actionable under either statute. Jordan Building Corp. v. Doyle, O’Connor & Co., 401 F.2d 47 (7th Cir. 1968); Schaefer v. First National Bank of Lincolnwood, 326 F. Supp. 1186 (N.D.Ill.1970).

That the remedies afforded by each Act are cumulative cannot be denied. Jordan and Schaefer stand for the general principle that if conduct is found subject to the more general as well as the specific prohibitions of the securities laws, the fact that the statute of limitations has run on one theory of liability does not preclude plaintiff’s recovery on the other. In particular, the Jordan case held that a securities action based on false oral and written state *112 ments may be brought under either § 12(2) of the '33 Act or § 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the ’34 Act. Schaefer followed the Jordan opinion and found that an action alleging market manipulation is not limited to the provisions of § 12(2) of the '33 Act and § 9 of the ’34 Act, but may also be brought pursuant to § 17 of the ’33 Act and §§ 10 and 15(c) of the ’34 Act. 3 The effect of these decisions was to extend the time for filing a suit to the longer of the limitation of ac-' tion provisions applicable to either statute, which is precisely what plaintiff seeks to do here. Thus, the question in this case is whether the sale of unregistered stock is conduct falling within the broad antifraud provisions of § 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the ’34 Act, for it is clear that the statute of limitations has run on plaintiff’s rights under § 12(1) of the ’33 Act.

In considering whether the sale of unregistered stock is actionable under § 10(b) of the ’34 Act, it must be remembered that this is not a case where plaintiff asks the court to imply a private right of action for the breach of a statutory duty. 4 Here, the remedy is clearly defined in the statute itself. Nor do Paragraphs 6 of each Count allege a right to recovery based upon the wrongful concealment of the issuer’s failure to register the stock 5 or upon the broker-dealer’s recommendation of a stock without an adequate basis for the recommendation or, alternatively, upon his failure to disclose the absence of reliable information about the issuer. 6 Rather, plaintiff asserts that the mere sale of unregistered stock itself falls within the antifraud provisions of the ’34 Act. With this I cannot agree.

Section 10(b) of the ’34 Act makes it unlawful to employ “any manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance” in connection with the sale of any security. Rule 10b-5 broadly defines three categories of abuse that come within the scope of § 10(b). The sale of an unregistered security does not fall within Rule 10b-5(a) or (c) because, unlike market rigging or manipulative practices, the sale itself defrauds or deceives no one. Nor do Paragraphs 6 of each Count predicate liability on defendants’ failure to advise plaintiff that the securities were unregistered, which would clearly be an omis- ■ sion of a material fact within the scope of Rule 10b-5(b). Rather, plaintiff’s position is tantamount to asserting not only that every violation of the securities laws gives rise to a private right of action, whether that right is expressly authorized by the statute or not, but also that every violation of the securities laws is actionable under the antifraud provisions of the ’34 Act. Such a theory is supported neither by the statute or its rule nor by the cases interpreting them. See generally 2 CCH Fed.Sec.L.Rep. j[ 22,781 (1970) and the cases cited therein. Therefore, to the extent that they purport to state a claim for relief under § 12(1) of the ’33 Act or §, 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the ’34 Act, Paragraphs 6 of each Count are dismissed for failure to state a claim.

II. The Illinois Securities Law of 1953

Paragraphs 6 and 7 of Counts I and II allege that the subject securities were sold in violation of the Illinois Securities Law of 1953, the remedy for which is contained in Ill.Rev.Stat., Ch. 121%, § 137.13 (Smith-Hurd Supp. 1972). Under that section, the prerequisites for recovery are (1) “tender to the seller or into court of the securities sold or, where the securities were not received, of any contract made in respect of such sale” and (2) notice of election to rescind. Not only has plaintiff failed *113 to allege tender and notice, but he has also alleged that he sold all of the subject securities, thereby rendering impossible his compliance with the statutory prerequisites of recovery. Defendants properly point out that, unlike the federal rule, the exclusive remedy for a violation of the Illinois Securities Law is recision. Glen v. Dodson, 347 Ill. 473, 180 N.E. 393 (1932); Weisbrod v. Lowitz, 282 Ill.App. 252 (1935); Weber v. Rupp, 235 Ill.App. 132 (1932). Hence, they move to dismiss Paragraphs 6 and 7 of each Count for failure to state a claim under state law.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
359 F. Supp. 109, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rotstein-v-reynolds-co-ilnd-1973.