Seattle Curb Exchange v. Knight

59 F.2d 39, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3303
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedApril 4, 1932
DocketNo. 6602
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 59 F.2d 39 (Seattle Curb Exchange v. Knight) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seattle Curb Exchange v. Knight, 59 F.2d 39, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3303 (9th Cir. 1932).

Opinion

WILBUR, Circuit Judge.

The principal facts in this matter are stated in onr opinion in the former appeal, Seattle Curb Exchange v. Knight, 46 E. (2ld) 34. Upon the return of the case to the trial court- for further proceedings the referee heard evidence with reference to the disposition of the funds derived from the sale of the seat of the bankrupt in the Seattle Curb Exchange. The appellant claims to have disbursed the $3,590 received from the sale of the seat as follows:

To the Seattle Curb Exchange $ 59.00

To Miller, Court & Co. ■ 3,451.82

To E. W. Knight, on account 438.68

$3,950.00

The referee determined that the two latter claims were not properly payable from the fund, under the rules of the Stock Exchange, and ordered the appellant to turn over that amount to the trustee with interest 'at 6 per cent, from the date of the sale of the seat, September 25,1929. The appellant challenges the jurisdiction of the referee in bankruptcy and of the trial court to make the turnover order in the light of its contention that the money had been disbursed in accordance with the rules of the Exchange.

It is contended that upon the showing of the appellant that it claimed to have disbursed the money in accordance with the rules of its organization, the validity of its acts and of the claims paid could only be determined in a plenary suit. We held on the former appeal that the bankruptcy court had constructive possession of the membership and jurisdiction thereof and to determine the claims of the Seattle Stock Exchange with reference thereto. Appellant contends that we did not go so far as this on the previous appeal. We think we did. If we did not, we do now.

With reference to the authority of the Seattle Curb Exehang-e to appropriate $3,-451.82 for the payment of Miller, Court & Co., two issues are raised by the parties. Miller, Court & Co. is a corporation. Such a corporation is not and cannot be a member of the Exchange. It is therefore contended that the rules of the Exchange which provide for the reimbursement of members from the proceeds of the sale of the seat of an insolvent member, do not apply to the claim of a corporation which is not a member. It is further contended with reference to this daim, that even if Miller, Court & Go. were a member of the Exchange and as such entitled to the privileges of a member, nevertheless it is not shown that the claim comes within tho purview of the rule for the reason that the claim was .not made upon contracts subject to the jurisdiction of the Exchange as pro^ vided by its rule. As to the claim of E. W. Knight, it is conceded that he was a member of the Stock Exchange, hut it is contended that his claim arose from a personal obligation arising from a contract of employment and was not such a contract as is covered by the rules of the Exchange authorizing tho payment of an indebtedness from the pro-[41]*41eeeds of the sale of tho seat of an insolvent member. The referee determined these issues in favor of the trustee in bankruptcy and upon a petition for review tho court, after considering the evidence, sustained tho decision of the referee and ordered payment to the trustee of $3,890.50 with interest at 6 per cent, from September 25-, 1929, as the surplus from the sale of such seat. From this order appellant takes this appeal. The rule of the Exchange with reference to the disposition of the proceeds of tho sale of a seat or membership is as follows:

“Section 11. Upon any transfer of membership, whether made by a member voluntarily, or by the Board of Governors or by the Committee on Membership in pursuance of the provisions of the by-laws, the proceeds thereof shall be applied to the following purposes and in the following order of priority, viz.:

“First: Tho payment of all fines, dues and charges of the Exchange, or any department thereof, against a member whose membership is transferred.

“Second: The payment of creditors who are members of the Exchange, or firms registered thereon of all filed claims arising from contracts subject to the rules of the Exchange, if, and to the extent that, the same shall he allowed by the Committee on Membership. The priority of all other claims may he determined by tho Committee on Membership. If sa.id proceeds shall he insufficient to pay said claims as so allowed, in full, the same shall he applied to the payment thereof pro rata.

“Third: The surplus, if any, of said proceeds shall be paid to the person whose membership is transferred, or to his legal representatives, upon the execution by him or them of a release or releases satisfactory to the Committee on Membership.”

Article XX, section 7, of the by-laws of the corporation, excludes corporations from membership. That section is as follows: “Section 7. Membership herein shall bo personal only. When any member of this Exchange is an officer of a corporation or member of a partnership and conducts the major portion of his brokerage business in connection with such organization, then such corporation or partnership, for advertising and business purposes, may claim to be a member of this Exchange, and upon such privilege being assumed and received by such corporation or partnership, it shall be liable on all transactions in connection with the Exchange, to the same extent and effect as the member hereof. The privileges herein and hereby granted, to any corporation or partnership, may be withdrawn at any time and without reason or cause assigned thereon, upon a two-thirds vote of the Board of Governors.”

A corporation is not a member of the Exchange within the meaning of section 11, subdivision 2, nor is it or can it be a firm registered thereon. Article XX, section 7, differentiates between a corporation and a partnership indicating that the framers of the articles had that distinction in mind. This latter section, section 7, provides that corporations or partnerships holding themselves out as member's of tho Exchange by reason of the fact that an officer of a corporation or member of a partnership conducts the major portion of his brokerage business in connection with such organization “shall be liable on all transactions in connection with the Exchange, to the same extent and effect as members thereof.” It does not provide ex industria that such corporation or partnership shall be entitled to all the privilege of membership, and with reference to the particular privilege of members here involved, namely, that of payment of their claims from the proceeds of the sale of tho seat, corporations are not mentioned while firms registered are so privileged. The reason for such a distinction, if there is any, is entirely immaterial, for tho rights of the Seattle Chrb Exchange to appropriate tho proceeds of the bankrupt’s property-right in the seat must be determined by the by-laws of the Exchange, or, to put it differently, the right of the bankrupt and his trustee in bankruptcy in the seat, or proceeds therefrom, is determined by the by-laws of the corporation which define rights a.nd privileges incident thereto. The Exchange has no power to impose restrictions upon the seat or to impound tho proceeds to answer obligations which are not placed thereon by the by-laws as ah incident to the right of membership.

We agree with the referee and the trial court that the claim of Miller, Court & Co., a corporation, does not come within the purview of article XX, section 11, and consequently that the payment of such claim from tho proceeds of tho sale of the seát is unauthorized.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 F.2d 39, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seattle-curb-exchange-v-knight-ca9-1932.