Securities & Exchange Commission v. Foundation Plan, Inc.

31 F. Supp. 331, 1 SEC Jud. Dec. 857, 1939 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1813
District Court, S.D. New York·Decided December 19, 1939·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

LEIBELL, District Judge.

The plaintiff is a Commission of the United States, organized and existing under and by virtue of the Act of Congress approved June 6, 1934, entitled the “Securities Exchange Act of 1934”, 15 U.S.C.A.. § 78d..

This suit is brought under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and particularly of Section 20(b) thereof, 15 U.S.C.A. § 77t (b), jurisdiction is conferred on this Court by Section 22(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C.A. § 77v (a).

The defendant, Foundation Plan, Incorporated, was until on or about May 31, 1938, known as United Endowment Foundation, Inc., and has since July, 1932, issued and sold, was until after the institution of this suit issuing and selling, and is now issuing and selling, to members of the public residing in the states of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, and elsewhere, securities, namely Periodic Payment Investment Contracts, referred to and distributed by the defendant corporation as “Periodic Plan Certificates”, with or without insurance, and single deposit investment contracts, referred to by the defendant corporation and distributed as “Paid-Up Plan Certificates”, together with trust shares known as Foundation Trust Shares, Series A. Periodic Payment Plan Certificates were during the time set forth in the complaint sometimes referred to by the defendant corporation, its representatives and salesmen as “Endowment Certificates”, “Monthly Payment Plans”, “Periodic Payment Certificates”, and similar designations, and Paid-Up Plan Certificates are sometimes referred to as “Paid-Up Endowment Certificates”, “Paid-Up Plans”, and “Paid-Up Certificates.”

Defendant corporation maintains executive and sales offices in the City of New York, State of New York, which is also its main office and executive office, and is represented in various large cities in various states of the United States by persons variously referred to as state managers, district managers, as well as by salesmen numbering from time to time during the period set forth in plaintiff’s complaint from 75 to 200 in number. Among the cities in which sales managers, state managers and district managers were located are: Syracuse, N. Y., Buffalo, N. Y., Utica, N. Y., Rochester, N. Y., New York, N. Y., Philadelphia, Pa., Bethlehem, Pa., Pittsburgh, Pa., New Haven, Conn., Boston, Mass., Providence, R. I., Shreveport, La., Atlanta, Ga., Miami, Fla., Charleston, S. C., and Baltimore, Md., and the remuneration of said salesmen and its managers was- and is exclusively dependent upon commissions or overriding commissions derived,from the sale of such certificates. The defendants H. C. Williams and Kirk C. Tuttle, in addition to their salaries, received an overriding commission on all sales, while the entire income of the defend[333] ant Robert B. Deans was derived from and dependent upon overriding commissions on sales, together with the dividends he received by virtue of his ownership of over 65 per cent of the preferred stock. Robert B. Deans, in addition, holds approximately sixty-six per cent of the entire issue of common stock.

At the commencement of this action, Robert B. Deans held approximately one-third of the common stock. H. C. Williams, on July 9, 1938, and until December 20th, when Deans bought him out, owned 6 shares of preferred slock and 796 shares of common stock and was one of four voting trustees of 210 shares of common stock with Deans and two other individuals.

At all times after on or about July, 1932, until on or about the last week of the year 1938, when he resigned and his resignation was accepted, the defendant H. C. Williams, was president and a member of the Board of Directors of the defendant corporation; and at all times since on or about July, 1932, the defendant, Robert B. Deans, was and still is vice-president, treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the defendant corporation.'

“Periodic Payment Plan Certificates” evidence a participation in a service or custodial agreement, referred to as a trust agreement, dated January 1, 1933, executed March 29, 1933, by and between the defendant corporation, as sponsor, and the Commercial National Bank & Trust Company, of New York, N. Y., as successor trustee, and any purchaser of a certificate issued under said agreement, which agreement was amended June 10, 1935, December 31, 1935, and June 8, 1938. The certificates issued under said agreement were in unit denominations of $1,200, providing for payment by each purchaser of $10 per month for a period of ten years. Payments are made to the trustee in amounts depending on the face amount of the certificate, which is customarily issued in the face amount of one unit or in additional multiples of half units. Said certificates may be issued “with insurance”, in which instances premiums for said insurance are deducted from instalment payments, and the insurer, under the terms of a group insurance policy undertakes to pay the trustee in one lump sum the periodic payments remaining unpaid at the time of subscriber’s death. The sum so to be paid by the insurer ranges downward from $1,190 to $10. “Paid-Up Plan Certificates’” are issued in denominations of $500 or larger amounts in multiples of $100.

On “Periodic Plan Certificates” sold prior to July 15, 1938, there was charged or imposed by the terms of the service or custodial agreement, referred to as a trust agreement, dated January 1, 1933, a creation or service fee of 7% per cent of the total amount of payments contemplated under the certificate to be paid in during its entire life, being equal to $90 under a $10 per month certificate. On such plan, all of the first six payments, and half of the next six, are retained by the defendant corporation to pay this fee. Additional deductions are made from payments on plans carrying insurance. Since July 15, 1938, the creation or service fee of $90 on a $10 a month certificate is deducted by the defendant corporation at the rate of $48 from the first six payments, $36 from the next six payments, and $6 from the next six payments. Slight reductions in the service or creation fee are made where the monthly payments made by the subscriber are substantially larger than $10, reaching a minimum of 5% per cent where the subscriber contracts for and pays monthly payments of $150 or more.

While there is no creation or service fee deducted from the initial payment for a fully paid certificate, there is a withdrawal charge of % of 1 per cent of the amount deposited for each six months’ period, or fraction thereof, remaining between the date of withdrawal and the expiration of the ten-year term.

Under the terms of the service or custodial agreement referred to as a trust agreement dated January 1, 1933, any balance remaining after the deduction of the service or creation fee, and insurance premium in appropriate cases, is used to acquire for the account of the certificate holder shares in an investment trust known as “Foundation Trust Shares, Series A”. These shares are subject to a lien for any unpaid part of the creation fee or service charge of the defendant corporation.

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Securities & Exchange Commission v. Foundation Plan, Inc., 31 F. Supp. 331, 1 SEC Jud. Dec. 857, 1939 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1813 (S.D.N.Y. 1939).

31 F. Supp. 331 (Securities & Exchange Commission v. Foundation Plan, Inc.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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