Selover v. Isle Harbor Land Co.

111 N.W. 155, 100 Minn. 253, 1907 Minn. LEXIS 687
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 8, 1907
DocketNos. 14,912—(118)
StatusPublished

This text of 111 N.W. 155 (Selover v. Isle Harbor Land Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Selover v. Isle Harbor Land Co., 111 N.W. 155, 100 Minn. 253, 1907 Minn. LEXIS 687 (Mich. 1907).

Opinion

LEWIS, .J.2

This action was originally commenced for the purpose of requiring respondent company to issue to appellant thirty per cent, of the common stock of the corporation.

The facts will be found stated in full in the former opinion. 91 Minn. 451, 98 N. W. 344. It was found by the trial court that appellant was the equitable owner of thirty per cent, of the net profits, of the business for which the company was incorporated, and that he was entitled to have issued to him his proportionate share thereof. It was ordered that the trial court retain jurisdiction of the case, to-the end that upon a supplemental complaint and hearing such order and judgment might be entered as was required to protect and enforce appellant’s interests, if the parties to the action did not otherwise agree. The present appeal comes up from an order sustaining a demurrer to a supplemental complaint which was served in May, 1906.

The supplemental complaint sets out the commencement of the action; that a trial was had, decision rendered, appeal taken, and the decision of this court, and that after the decision of this court, November 27, 1900, the first meeting of the board of directors of the company was held, and it was then and there voted that $50,000 of the preferred stock should be issued and sold at par, in such amounts as-might be necessary to pay for the lands described in the original complaint; that the cash received by the company up to September 28r 1905, from the sale of a portion of the lands, was $190,544.24, and that the cash received from the sale of the preferred stock was $50,-000; that there was also received as a loan from the president $21,-022.24, and from commissions $3,474.76, making a total of $265,-041.24; that of such amount there had been paid out at such date for the purchase price of the lands $139,003.53, and other items, including interest on deferred payments, taxes, commissions, miscellaneous expenses, loan from the president, salaries, legal expenses, etc., amounting to $115,220.45, making a total expenditure of $254,223.98; that [255]*255only $45,000 of the $50,000 authorized of the preferred stock was issued for the purpose of making payments on land, and that all of the other moneys paid out, as mentioned, was money received from the sale of a portion of the lands; that on October 8, 1903, December 11, 1903, January 18, 1904, and December 22, 1904, the board of directors of the company voted and caused to be paid upon the preferred stock out of the earnings of the company eight per cent, dividends, all in violation of the terms of the conditions of the original contract, and December 22, 1904, the board of directors passed a resolution authorizing the issue of two hundred and fifty shares of the preferred stock of the company, to be used when needed in aid of the construction of a railroad .and in draining the same; that all of the lands were paid for by money received as follows: $45,000 from the sale of preferred stock at par, and the balance from the sale of a portion of the lands; that about thirty five thousand acres of the land remained unsold, and that the same, when paid for, were conveyed in fee simple to the company, and are now held and owned by it; that there are no debts or obligations outstanding against the company; that its assets consist of about $40,000 in contracts upon lands sold which have not yet matured, and in the unsold portion of the land amounting to $210,000, making total assets of $250,000.

There are other allegations in the complaint directed particularly to the mismanagement of the affairs of the company by the board of directors and its officers. These acts consist in paying large salaries to the officers without authority, in unnecessarily prolonging the business of the company and incurring expenses for attorneys and otherwise without authority, in voting dividends upon preferred stock as already stated, in threatening to absorb all of the assets of the company in the conduct of the bitsiness, and in issuing unauthorized dividends upon the preferred stock for the purpose of preventing any net profits or the issuance of any common stock.

It is unfortunate that a misunderstanding should have arisen over the effect of the previous decision. Respondent contends that in construing the contract the court held that it was understood between the parties that preferred stock was to be issued from time, to time for a sufficient amount to meet the current expenses of the business, to take up the payments of the land as they matured, and to finally wind [256]*256up the business for which the company was incorporated, and that until such end was accomplished no common stock could issue. It is therefore claimed that appellant is not in position to insist upon the issuance of any common stock; it not appearing from the supplemental complaint that the entire amount of lands had been sold and the business of the corporation finished.

While there is some unguarded language in the former opinion which forms a fair basis for this contention, the position is altogether untenable and entirely opposed to the issues, as determined by the trial court and as reviewed and determined in the decision. After appellant assigned to respondent the option contract which he held for the land in question, a new contract was entered into by respondent for the purchase of the lands, according to which the terms of payment were that $10,000 was to be paid in cash, $10,000 to be paid November 15, 1900, $10,000 January 1, 1901, about $22,000 January 1, 1902, and the balance in annual payments terminating in 1906— total cost, $139,000; that the parties assumed that, if cash enough were furnished by Griffin to make the cash payment and the two payments maturing November 15, 1900, and January 1, 1901, $30,000 in all, it would be sufficient to conduct the business of the company until such time as the lands would be sold and means furnished to take care of the balance of the payments. As time passed, however, it became evident there was not capital enough, and by consent of all the parties the issue of preferred stock was increased to a sufficient amount to take care of the business and to make the payments until sufficient'money came in from the sales of land. 'It is evident that the parties never agreed that preferred stock should be issued to meet any greater amount than was necessary to meet the demands of the business until payments should come in from the sales.

When the case was before us on the former appeal, it did not appear to what extent the lands had been paid for in excess of $35,000, the amount of the preferred stock then issued. It could not be determined how much preferred stock it would be necessary to issue in order to pay for the land, and consequently this court held that the judgment of the trial court was premature in directing that thirty per cent, of the common stock immediately issue to appellant. In the supplemental complaint now before us it is definitely stated that .all of the lands have been paid for, that only $45,000 of preferred [257]*257stock has been issued, that there are no obligations' against the company, that it has assets amounting to $250,000, and, although due demand has been made, the company refuses to issue the common stock, or any part thereof. On page 460 of 91 Minn., of the previous opinion (98 N. W.

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Related

Guilford v. Western Union Telegraph Co.
61 N.W. 324 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1894)
Selover v. Isle Harbor Land Co.
98 N.W. 344 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1904)
Crookston Waterworks, Power & Light Co. v. Sprague
98 N.W. 347 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1904)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
111 N.W. 155, 100 Minn. 253, 1907 Minn. LEXIS 687, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/selover-v-isle-harbor-land-co-minn-1907.