White v. Robinson

145 A.D. 751

This text of 145 A.D. 751 (White v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
White v. Robinson, 145 A.D. 751 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1911).

Opinion

Clarke, J.:

This action was-brought against twentyrsixjdefendantsj' eighfc only of whom" were served or appeared] of whom twb died during the pendency of the case, the action, not being revived against their representatives. The complaint was .dismissed at the close of the plaintiffs’case by consent . Us- to -the defendant [753]*753Weidenfeld, and upon the ground that sufficient facts had not been shown to constitute a cause of action as against the defendants Fuller, Benedict, Tag, Stow and Dickerman. Plaintiffs appeal from so much of the judgment as dismisses the complaint against the five defendants last above named.

Plaintiffs are the executors and executrix of the last will and testament of Henry Villard, deceased, who died on November 12, 1900. The complaint alleges, “Upon information and belief, that prior to the 8th day of May, 1899, the defendants entered into an agreement, hereinafter called the underwriting agreement, with one another and with one Ottmar Kern, whereby it was agreed that a company should be incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey to be called the Kern Incandescent Gas Light Company,” and reciting the terms theréof; “that thereafter, viz., on or about the 8th day of May, 1899, said company was dulyincorporated. ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ That ⅜ ⅜ ■ ⅛ on or about the 23rd day of June, 1899, said defendants offered to one Henry Villard to sell to him at par all or any part of $3,500,000 seven per cent cumulative preferred stock of said company, offering him also one share of common stock for every two shares of preferred stock purchased by him; that at the same time and as an inducement to the acceptance of said offer, they stated to said Henry Villard, among other matters of inducement, that leading financial men in New Tork and elsewhere had underwritten the said company, agreeing to . purchase from said company and pay for the entire capital stock of said company; and that by means of said underwriting said patents had been purchased and ample working capital provided for' said company; s ⅜ ⅜ that said Henry Villard, relying' upon ‘said statements of said defendants, and being thereby induced to accept their said offer,, did, on or about the first day of July, 1899, purchase from said defendants 250 shares of first preferred-and 125 shares .of common stock of said company and paid therefor to said defendants the sum of $25,000 according to the terms of their said offer; ⅜ ⅞ * that at various times prior: to jhe month of July, 1900,' said defendants in pursuance of said underwriting agreement paid to said Kern for account of the company and in part [754]*754payment of its obligations to said Kern, various sums aggregating $400,000, but that in' the month of July, 1900,. said defendants refused to pay to said company any further sums on account of said underwriting agreement and agreed among each other and with said Kern to cancel said underwriting agreement and caused said company to release them' from ail their obligations to it under said agreement, and that neither they nor anyone else on their behalf ever paid any further sum whatsoever to said company or for its account under said underwriting agreement or for its capital stock then remaining unpaid; that by reason of the failure and refusal of the defendants to perform and carry out their said underwriting agreement, and by reason of the cancellation of the same, said company was not provided with any working capital and was totally unahle to carry on its business; ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ that on or about January 23rd, 1903, said plaintiffs duly tendered to said defendants due assignments and transfers of said shares of stock and the certificates therefor, and on or about February 26th, 1903, demanded repayment of said sum of $25,000 paid by said Henry Villard for said shares of stock as hereinbefore alleged, but that said defendants have refused to repay said sum to said plaintiffs; that ever since-said plaintiffs have been and now are ready and willing at any time to deliver to said defendants due assignments, and transfers of said shares of stock and the certificates therefor,” and they demanded judgment for $25,000, with interest from the 1st day of July, 1899.

It will be noted that the plaintiffs allege that all of the twenty-sis defendants sold the stock to Villard; that there is no allegation-of fraud, conspiracy or false representations, nor mutual mistake , or failure of considertion; that the alleged tender back of the stock and the demand for the amount paid therefor was three and a half years after the purchase. It is conceded that the statement alleged to have been made by the defendants that leading financial men in New York and elsewhere had underwritten the said company, agreeing to purchase from said company and pay for the entire capital stock' of said company, and that by means of said underwriting said patents had been purchased and ample working capital pro[755]*755vided for said company, was true at the time said statement is alleged to have been made.

The plaintiffs’ claim is that' the defendants having entered into the underwriting agreement set up in the complaint, and having made the statement alleged, and Villard having relied upon said statement in making his purchase, the defendants thereby entered into an implied agreement with. Villard that they would do nothing to change the situation as represented; and when, instead of fully carrying out then- underwriting agreement, they subsequently between.themselves and Kern agreed to cancel and did cancel the sale, Villard and plaintiffs as his personal representatives had the right to rescind the purchase and to sue and recover from the defendants the amount paid for the stock as money had and received.

It is to be emphasized that there is no evidence, and no claim made upon the trial or now, of any fraud, false statements or misrepresentations; there is no proof that at the time of the purchase by Villard he had ever seen one of the underwriting agreements, knew the names of any of the subscribers thereto, or ever had any personal transactions in regard to this matter with any one of the defendants. ■’

The basic fact which the plaintiffs must establish is that the defendants sold their stock to Villard.

In May, 1899, a number of gentlemen signed this paper: “Kern Incandescent Gas Light Company (Managing underwriters). It is proposed to organize a corporation under the laws of the State of New Jersey to be called ‘ Kern Incandescent Gas Light Company.’ * ⅜ ⅜ The company will be formed with an authorized capital stock of $12,000,000, of which $4,000,000 will be preferred cumulative stock and $8,000,000 common stock. It will purchase from the owner, Ottmar Kern, the patents covering this light ⅜- ⅜ ⅜ and will pay therefor the sum of $2,750,000 in cash, $750,000 in preferred stock, $8,000,000 in the common stock of the company, which payments shall also include all expenses of organization and promotion. Subscriptions ate invited for $8,250,000 of the preferred stock. The subscribers to the preferred stock of the company will receive from the owner of the patents two shares of the common stock of the company for each share of the pre[756]*756ferred stock allotted to them respectively. When, the entire amount of $3,25.0,000 of the preferred stock offered- for subscription is taken at par, there will remain in the treasury of the company for the use of the corporation $500,000 in cash for working capital. The'owner of the patents is made a party to this agreement and hereby assents to the delivery of two shares of the common stock for one share of the preferred stock of the company allotted to each subscriber.

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Bluebook (online)
145 A.D. 751, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/white-v-robinson-nyappdiv-1911.