Wisconsin Trust Co. v. Munday

168 N.W. 393, 168 Wis. 31, 1918 Wisc. LEXIS 142
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 8, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 168 N.W. 393 (Wisconsin Trust Co. v. Munday) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wisconsin Trust Co. v. Munday, 168 N.W. 393, 168 Wis. 31, 1918 Wisc. LEXIS 142 (Wis. 1918).

Opinions

The following opinions were filed June 19, 1918:

Rosenberry, J.

The deeds given by the plaintiffs to the Realty Realization Company were dated and delivered February 28, 1913, at which time the Realty Realization Company admittedly had not complied with the provisions of sec. 1770b, Stats. It is claimed that the failure of the Realty Realization Company to comply with the provisions of sec. 1770b does not render the deeds absolutely void, for three reasons: (1) The business was not transacted in Wisconsin; (2) the transaction was interstate in character; and (3) the statute applies only to bilateral and executory agreements and does not apply to executed contracts.

Sec. 1770b has been considered in a series of cases beginning with Ashland L. Co. v. Detroit S. Co. 114 Wis. 66, 89 N. W. 904, and ending with Phœnix N. Co. v. Trostel, 166 Wis. 215, 164 N. W. 995. No useful purpose would be served by again reviewing these cases.

[39]*39Certainly the deeds in question are within the terms of this statute, for they clearly relate to property within this state. In the consideration of this case we regard as immaterial the fact that the contract was negotiated in the state of Illinois. No matter where negotiated it was a transaction relating to property within this state, and under familiar principles its validity must be determined in accordance with the laws of this state. But it is claimed that because the business was transacted in the state of Illinois it is interstate in character because, as a part of the transaction, the Wisconsin owner of the real estate in question received fifty shares of the common stock of the Maine corporation and by the terms of the contract was to receive 700 shares of the preferred stock of the corporation; that the law of Wisconsin can have no extraterritorial effect, and therefore cannot operate upon transactions negotiated and made outside of the state of Wisconsin.

It is true that the provisions of sec. 17706 do not apply to such contracts as relate to interstate commerce. Interstate commerce has as a necessary element the transportation of goods between states. We see no circumstances connected with this transaction from which it may be inferred that it was interstate in character, as that term is used in the law relating to interstate commerce.

Beaser v. Barber A. P. Co. 120 Wis. 599, 98 N. W. 525, and Laun v. Pac. Mut. L. Ins. Co. 131 Wis. 555, 111 N. W. 660, are cited as sustaining the proposition that sec. 17706 applies only to bilateral contracts and does not operate upon executed contracts. A large number of cases from i foreign jurisdictions are álso' cited to the same effect. This question, it seems to us, is clearly determined adversely to the appellants by the prior decisions of this court to which we must adhere. Hanna v. Kelsey R. Co. 145 Wis. 276, 129 N. W. 1080. Nearly every deed or conveyance is given pursuant to an antecedent contract, written or oral, and if the statute should be held not to' apply tO' a deed given in performance of such antecedent contract its purpose would [40]*40be defeated. While the statute is in many respects a harsh one, it has nevertheless been upheld repeatedly by this court and thereafter reconsidered by the legislature in some of its aspects and no- change has been made to' avoid or modify the interpretation placed upon it by the court.

In Hanna v. Kelsey R. Co. 145 Wis. 276, 129 N. W. 1080, the statute was expressly held to apply to the conveyance of land in this state tO' a foreign corporation, and in this case it was also- expressly held that a conveyance to a foreign corporation which had not complied with sec. 17706 was absolutely void and not merely voidable. Upon the authority of the prior decisions of this court we must hold that the deeds given by the Wisconsin Trust Company and Frederick Robinson to- the Realty Realisation Company are absolutely and wholly void as to the Realty Realisation Company and its grantees; that no- title was conveyed thereby to the Realty Realisation Company, and that the subsequent deeds given are without legal force or effect, unless (1) the title to- premises is confirmed in appellants by sec. 1770/, Stats., as amended by ch. 211, Laws 1917, or (2) unless plaintiffs are estopped to claim the benefit of sec. 17706. It is undisputed that on February 28, 1913, Robinson entered into a contract with the Realty Realisation Company, party of the second part, and Clinton S. Woolfolk, party of the third part, by the terms of which Robinson agreed to procure from the Wisconsin Trust Company a conveyance of the premises in question to the Realty Realisation Company, in consideration for which the Realty Realisation Company was to pay the sum of $75,000, $5,000 in cash upon delivery of the deeds, and the balance according to the terms of six promissory notes, the payment of which was to be secured by the deposit of preferred stock of the Realty Realisation Company as collateral security. The contract also gave to Robinson an option to purchase certain stock of the Realty Realisation Company within the time and upon the terms therein specified, and included other details [41]*41of the transaction. This contract was delivered on February 28, 1913, the deeds in question being delivered at the same time as part of the same transaction. The Realty Realization Company had at that time not complied with the provisions of sec. 17705, but on October 5, 1915, it did comply with the terms of said section and was duly licensed and authorized to transact business and to acquire and hold property within this state. That part of sec. 17705 material here is as follows:

“2. No corporation, incorporated or organized otherwise than under the laws of this state, except railroad corporations, corporations or associations created solely for religious or charitable purposes, insurance companies and fraternal or beneficiary corporations, societies, orders and associations furnishing life or casualty insurance or indemnity upon the mutual or assessment plan, shall transact business or acquire, hold, or dispose of property in this state until such corporation shall have caused to be filed in the office of the secretary of state a copy of its charter, articles of association or incorporation and all amendments thereto duly certified by the secretary of state of the state wherein the corporation was organized. . . . Nothing in this section shall be construed to> prevent foreign corporations from taking or holding mortgages or trust deeds on property in this state to secure payment of money loaned or advanced. Mortgages or trust deeds heretofore taken by foreign corporations to secure the payment of money loaned or advanced are hereby declared valid.” [Sub. 2, sec. 17705, Stats. 1911.]
“. . . Every contract made by or on behalf of any such •foreign corporation, affecting the personal liability thereof or relating to property within this state, before it shall have complied with the provisions of this section, shall be wholly void on its behalf and on behalf of its assigns, but shall be enforceable against it or them.” [Sub. 10, sec. 17705, Stats. 1911.]

It having been held in Ashland L. Co. v. Detroit S. Co. 114 Wis. 66, 89 N. W. 904, and other cases, notably Hanna v. Kelsey R. Co. 145 Wis. 276, 129 N. W.

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Bluebook (online)
168 N.W. 393, 168 Wis. 31, 1918 Wisc. LEXIS 142, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wisconsin-trust-co-v-munday-wis-1918.