State ex rel. Healy v. Maryland Casualty Co.

557 P.2d 258, 27 Or. App. 735, 1976 Ore. App. LEXIS 1517
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedDecember 13, 1976
DocketNo. 80103, CA 5659; No. 80104, CA 5659
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 557 P.2d 258 (State ex rel. Healy v. Maryland Casualty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Healy v. Maryland Casualty Co., 557 P.2d 258, 27 Or. App. 735, 1976 Ore. App. LEXIS 1517 (Or. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinions

THORNTON, J.

In these consolidated cases plaintiff sought recovery against defendants as sureties for Pacific Securities Company on two blue sky bonds. The court, without a jury, concluded:

"(1) Plaintiff has capacity and standing to bring this action.
"(2) The complaint states facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action under the bond and an allegation of fraud is not necessary.
"(3) Neither the two-year nor the three-year statute of limitations contended by defendant applies to this cause of action and the statute of limitations had not yet run on this claim when the action was filed.
"(4) Defendant is liable for damages incurred due to violations of the Oregon Securities Law occurring during the period when the bond was in effect.
"(5) Plaintiff has sustained its burden of proving its cause of action and is entitled to damages in the amount of * * * [$8,150 as to defendant United Pacific Insurance Company, $4,473.04 as to defendant Maryland Casualty Company], together with interest thereon at six percent per annum from September 25, 1972, until paid, for the use and benefit of all interested persons.”

On appeal, defendants assign as error the first three conclusions, the failure to conclude that the two bonds constituted a single obligation with an aggregate liability limit of $10,000, the receipt of an exhibit into evidence without proper foundation and the award of attorney fees.

The essential facts are these:

In order to register as a broker-dealer, Pacific Securities Company filed with the Corporation Commissioner a surety bond running to the State of Oregon in the sum of $10,000, as required by ORS 59.175(5). The first such bond, with Maryland Casualty Company as surety, was posted December 13, 1967, and canceled May 22,1969, on which date a bond with United Pacific Insurance Company as surety was [738]*738posted, which remained in effect until its cancellation on October 31, 1969. On January 30, 1970, Pacific Securities Company was adjudicated bankrupt. On April 19, 1973, plaintiff in his official capacity as Corporation Commissioner brought suit against each surety for the use and benefit of all interested persons. The complaints alleged that Pacific Securities Company had, between December 13,1967, and December 12,1969, failed to account to persons interested for all money or property received and to deliver, after a reasonable time, to persons entitled thereto, securities held or to be delivered. The complaints did not allege fraud, and at trial plaintiff conceded that no fraud had been proved. The complaints sought judgment in the amount of $10,000 on each bond, with interest, and attorney fees.

We will treat defendants’ assignments of error seriatim.

(1) Defendants contend that the Corporation Commissioner does not have capacity to commence an action on a blue sky bond on his own initiative on behalf of unnamed persons damaged by a violation of the Oregon Securities Law. The contention assumes that the commissioner has no statutory authority to bring suit and that authority may not be implied. Even if we agreed that the authority of the Corporation Commissioner to sue on the bond may not be implied, any person having a right of action against a broker-dealer pursuant to ORS 59.115 has a right of action on the bond. ORS 59.115(6). The gravamen of this action is a violation of ORS 59.115(l)(a). The commissioner may sue directly against the broker-dealer for a violation of ORS 59.115 pursuant to ORS 59.255,1 [739]*739and may, therefore, bring an action on the bond.2

(2) Defendants argue that the complaint does not state a cause of action under the Oregon Securities Law because no fraud was alleged, citing State v. Francis, 152 Or 448, 54 P2d 297 (1936). Subsequent amendments to the Oregon Securities Law and the later case of Hartford Acc. and Ind. Co. v. Ankeny, 199 Or 310, 261 P2d 387 (1953), have in substance, overruled State v. Francis, supra.

The alleged failure of Pacific Securities Company to account for money and to deliver securities constitutes grounds for revocation of its broker-dealer registration. ORS 59.205 provides:

"Except as provided in ORS 59.215, the commissioner may by order deny, suspend or revoke registration of a person as a broker-dealer, salesman or investment adviser if he finds that the applicant or registrant:
[740]*740"(7) Has failed to account to persons interested for all money or property received;
"(8) Has not delivered after a reasonable time, to persons entitled thereto, securities held or to be delivered; * * *
»3

ORS 59.115 provides:

"(1) Any person who:
"(a) Offers or sells a security in violation of the Oregon Securities Law or of any rule or order of the commissioner, or of any condition, limitation or restriction imposed upon a registration under the Oregon Securities Law * * *
"(b) *****
is liable as provided in subsection (2) of this section to the person buying the security from him.

A failure to account and deliver under ORS 59.205(7) and (8) is a violation of a "condition, limitation or restriction imposed upon a registration under the Oregon Securities Law,” prohibited by ORS 59.115(l)(a), and an allegation of the failure to account and deliver states a cause of action under that section.

(3) Defendants argue that the three-year limitation in ORS 59.115(5) is applicable and bars this action because the bond was canceled on October 31, 1969, and the actions were filed on April 19,1973, more than three years after the statutory violations occurred.

ORS 59.115(5) provides:

"No action or suit may be commenced under this section more than three years after the sale.”

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Related

Fick v. Dairyland Insurance
601 P.2d 868 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
557 P.2d 258, 27 Or. App. 735, 1976 Ore. App. LEXIS 1517, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-healy-v-maryland-casualty-co-orctapp-1976.