Weiss v. Tenney Corp.

47 F.R.D. 283, 13 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 605
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 21, 1969
DocketNo. 63 Civ. 773
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 47 F.R.D. 283 (Weiss v. Tenney Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weiss v. Tenney Corp., 47 F.R.D. 283, 13 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 605 (S.D.N.Y. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION

HERLANDS, District Judge:

Plaintiff’s motion requires the filing of yet another opinion in the increasing [286]*286stream of jurisprudence in an area of considerable importance to courts and litigants in this circuit, and especially in this district. The Court is called upon to determine whether, under revised Fed.R. Civ.P. 23, this action brought under the 1933 and 1934 Federal Securities Acts, as pleaded in an amended complaint filed May 24, 1963, may be maintained on a class basis.

Rapid development of Fed.R.Civ.P. 23 —taken in conjunction with the confusing and prolix papers arid briefs submitted by counsel, the inartistic drafting of the amended complaint, and the raising of issues immaterial to a motion of this sort — has made the Court’s task in this case most difficult. Nevertheless, the Court is of the opinion that the class action may be maintained as such, but also has concluded that further amendment of the amended complaint is necessary before the ■ Court “shall determine by order whether” said action “is to be so maintained.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(c) (1).

I.

Plaintiff’s amended complaint alleges jurisdiction under the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. § 77a et seq. [1933 Act], and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. § 78a et seq. [1934 Act], It charges, in essence, that defendants made fraudulent misstatements, misrepresentations, and fraudulently omitted to state certain material facts in connection with the issuance of Tenney Corporation Class A common stock. The amended complaint consists of one count.

Tenney Corporation (Tenney) was organized early in 1960. The corporation, on or about September 14, 1960, issued 1,681,536 newly authorized shares, covered by a Registration Statement and prospectus of that date. Of the total, 1,-474,336 shares were issued to persons who accepted Tenney’s offer to exchange its shares for interests in various real estate syndicates. The shares began trading over the counter on or about September 15, 1960.

Tenney sent a series of monthly bulletins to its stockholders from November, 1960 through October, 1962. It also sent to its shareholders in February, 1962 an annual report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1961.

Paragraph 10 of the amended complaint, which generally sets forth the charges of fraud respecting these various corporate statements and pronouncements, uses the language of section 17 (a) of the 1933 Act, 15 U.S.C. § 77q(a) (1964), and of S.E.C. Rule 10b-5, 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, in haec verba.

The amended complaint, thereafter, details the various alleged false and misleading statements (¶¶ 11, 12) and alleges that defendants acted with knowledge that the public would, on the basis of these statements, create a market for Tenney stock, that the market price would rise, and that the market activity would increase and become intensified. (¶ 16). This course of conduct is alleged to have taken place for the purpose of enhancing the value of defendants’ stock and to enable Tenney to sell additional shares at a price higher than the true and actual value. (¶¶ 17, 18).

The entire thrust of the complaint appears to consist of charges of fraudulent misstatement and misrepresentation, and fraudulent manipulation- — a cause of action under section 17 (a) of the 1933 Act, 15 U.S.C. § 77q(a) (1964), and section 10(b) of the 1934 Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b) (1964).

Nevertheless, plaintiff has taken the position, in his various briefs filed in support of this motion, that the complaint (which, as noted, consists of one count) sets forth two separate causes of action. The first, under section 11 of the 1933 Act, 15 U.S.C. § 77k (1964), seeks recovery of plaintiff’s damages arising from the purchase of stock covered by the September 14, 1960 Registration Statement and prospectus, which are alleged to contain these misstatements and misrepresentations. Recovery under this section is limited to the difference between [287]*287the actual purchase price of the shares (not exceeding the initial offering price) and the value of the shares at the time suit is brought (or the proceeds received upon sale before or after the commencement of suit). Section 11(e), 15 U.S.C. § 77k(e) (1964). The maximum recov-. ery is limited to the initial offering price. Section 11(g), 15 U.S.C. § 77k(g) (1964).

The initial offering price' is said to be approximately $10.00 per share. Plaintiff, however, purchased 100 shares of Tenney stock over the counter on November 30, 1961 at a total purchase price of $1,880.00. He purchased an additional 200 shares, over the counter, on January 23, 1963 at a total purchase price of $720.00. He sold 100 shares on December 28, 1967, receiving net proceeds of $26.95. He alleges that, on March 18, 1963 (when suit was commenced), the market price of Tenney Class A common stock was $2.00 a share, which assertedly was the approximate true value of the shares at the time he purchased them.

The second cause of action — under section 17(a) of the 1933 Act and section 10(b) of the 1934 Act — which requires proof of fraud, seeks to recover the balance of plaintiff’s damages. Though he could conceivably recover all of his damages under section 17 (a) of the 1933 Act and section 10(b) of the 1934 Act, plaintiff contends that his primary action is under section 11 of the 1933 Act (with its less onerous burden of proof) and that he will be litigating that cause of action earnestly.

These two causes of action (though they may arise from a common nucleus of operative facts) are distinct in terms of legal theory and requirements of proof. They differ as to the identity of those persons who, in each case, can prove a viable claim. Consequently, a sound conclusion — that claims of a class involve common or dissimilar questions of law or fact, or that plaintiff will adequately represent the class — can be reached only when the Court has adequate knowledge of the nature of all of plaintiff’s claims and legal theories.

The Court should not be required to ascertain what are or will be the litigable issues of fact and law by a process of speculation or surmise.

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Bluebook (online)
47 F.R.D. 283, 13 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 605, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weiss-v-tenney-corp-nysd-1969.