Thorne v. Union Pac. Corp.

290 F. Supp. 3d 635
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedNovember 21, 2017
Docket1:15–CV–561–RP
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 290 F. Supp. 3d 635 (Thorne v. Union Pac. Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thorne v. Union Pac. Corp., 290 F. Supp. 3d 635 (W.D. Tex. 2017).

Opinion

ROBERT PITMAN, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Before the Court are cross-motions for summary judgment filed by Plaintiff John Stephen Thorne, (Dkts. 81, 84, 85),1 and Defendants Union Pacific Corporation and Union Pacific Railroad Company, (Dkt.

*63886). Having reviewed the filings, the relevant law, and the factual record, the Court hereby issues the following Order.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff John Stephen Thorne ("Plaintiff") seeks a declaratory judgment establishing the number, class, and present dollar value of shares of stock he allegedly owns in Union Pacific Corporation ("UPC") or Union Pacific Railroad Company ("UPRR") (collectively, "Defendants"). (Am. Compl., Dkt. 12, at 13). Plaintiff also seeks a declaration of the Court regarding the cumulative dollar amounts of the dividends and interest earned on his shares, if any. (Id. ).

Plaintiff's argument is predicated on his ownership of a stock certificate (the "Certificate") issued by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company ("SPRC") in 1859. (Id. ¶ 17). The Certificate, which bears the number 1656, issued to Mary Key 300 shares of $100 each. (Id. ¶¶ 17-18; Dkt. 12-1). SPRC subsequently underwent several sales, takeovers, and reorganizations. (Am. Compl., Dkt. 12, ¶¶ 19-31; Stip. Facts, Dkt. 56, ¶¶ 19-49, 70-75). Plaintiff maintains that the 300 shares of SPRC stock at issue in this case survived each of those events. (Am. Compl., Dkt. 12, ¶¶ 19-32).

Plaintiff alleges that, at some time between 1874 and 1893, Ms. Key or her son "gifted, sold, or otherwise properly conveyed"2 the Certificate to Lansing Stephen ("L.S.") Thorne, who was hired by Texas & Pacific Railway Company ("T & PRC")3 as a brakeman and eventually became vice president and general manager of the company. (Id. ¶¶ 40-41).4 Plaintiff alleges that the Certificate was thereafter gifted through generations of the Thorne family, culminating in a 2005 gift to Plaintiff (the great-great grandson of L.S. Thorne). (Id. ¶¶ 42-46). He further alleges that the shares have "evolved and grown into a valuable portion of equity" in UPRR or its holding company UPC.5

II. LEGAL STANDARD

Summary judgment is appropriate under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure only "if the movant shows there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A dispute is genuine if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 254, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

The party moving for summary judgment bears the initial burden of "informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of [the record] which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact."

*639Celotex Corp. v. Catrett , 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). If the moving party bears the burden of persuasion at trial, it must also "support its motion with credible evidence ... that would entitle it to a directed verdict if not controverted at trial." Id. at 331, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

Once the movant carries its initial burden, the burden shifts to the nonmoving party to establish the existence of a genuine issue for trial. Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp. , 475 U.S. 574, 585-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) ; Wise v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. , 58 F.3d 193, 195 (5th Cir. 1995). The non-movant must respond to the motion by presenting evidence indicating there is a genuine issue for trial. Miss. River Basin Alliance v. Westphal , 230 F.3d 170, 174 (5th Cir. 2000). The parties may satisfy their respective burdens by tendering depositions, affidavits, and other competent evidence. Topalian v. Ehrman , 954 F.2d 1125, 1131 (5th Cir. 1992). The Court views the summary judgment evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant. Rosado v. Deters , 5 F.3d 119, 123 (5th Cir. 1993). "After the non-movant has been given the opportunity to raise a genuine factual issue, if no reasonable juror could find for the non-movant, summary judgment will be granted." Westphal , 230 F.3d at 174.

On cross-motions for summary judgment, the court examines each party's motion independently, viewing the evidence and inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. White Buffalo Ventures, LLC v. Univ. of Tex. at Austin

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290 F. Supp. 3d 635, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thorne-v-union-pac-corp-txwd-2017.