55 Vt. 110 | Vt. | 1882
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The Rutland & Burlington R. R. Co. had two mortgages resting upon its- property, and the road was in possession of, and being operated by, the trustees of the second mortgage bondholders. The trustees of the first mortgage bondholders had brought suit to foreclose that mortgage. While this suit was pending the-bondholders under the second mortgage obtained an act of incorporation under the name of the Rutland R. R. Co., for the purpose of “ holding, maintaining and operating ” said R. & B. Railroad, and in July of that year, 1867, the company was organized. Under the, authority of the eighth and ninth sections of the .charter and for the purpose therein named; and under the circumstances detailed in the referee’s report, the defendant by corporate vote, issued prior to February, 1872, “ preferred or guaranteed stock, commonly called preferred guaranteed stock,” to the amount of $4,300,000. The company had also issued corn
The. plaintiff was a preferred stockholder from June i, 1872, to October 9, 1877, and during this time purchased the certificates in suit and others, and had issued to him certificates on his own stock. The referee gives a statement of the floating debt of the defendant at yearly and half yearly intervals, beginning August 1st, 1868, and ending August 1st, 1879, and says these were the balances of the bills payable as shown by the treasurer’s books at the several dates named, which both parties treated as a fair representation of the floating debt of the defendant.
The referee finds that if the floating debt and current expenses were to be first paid out of rent or income, the defendant has had no funds with which to pay the plaintiff’s certificates, and had none at the time the demands were made and this suit brought. If the preferred stock was entitled to be paid dividends before the floating debt was paid, the income of the company at the time of the demands had been sufficient to pay all such certificates issued by the defendant. The road was leased before the certificates were issued and its sole income was from rents.
The defendant claimed before the referee and now insists that it never had income or earnings out of which a dividend could properly be made at the time when any of the scrip certificates were issued, and that the certificates were issued without authority and without consideration and are not binding on the defendant.
I. A primary question on the facts reported is: Which has the
The construction of similar provisions has not unfrequently been involved in causes in this country and in England, and the struggle has been to gain for the preferred guaranteed stockholders the ' double advantage of a shareholder and creditor, but without success. The legislation in this State and elsewhere has been in accord with the idea developed in the reported cases, that the stock and property of a corporation is a trust fund pledged for the payment of its debts, and the creditors’ right to payment and their lien is prior to - the right of every stockholder. In the late case of National Bank v. Douglass, McCrary’s Rep. vol. 1, p. 86, the court say “ sacredly pledged,” and quoting the language of Judge Clifford in R. R. Co. v. Howard, 7 Wall. 392, adds that “ stockholders are not entitled to any share of the capital stock nor any dividend of the profits until all the debts of the corporation are paid.” To similar purport and equally strong is the language of Judge Story in Woody. Dummer, 3 Mason, 308 ; and again in Mumma v. Potomac Co., 8 Pet. 286, and of Judge Curtis in Curran v. The State of Arkansas and Others, 15 How. 304. See also the numerous cases in defendant’s lbrief on this point.
{/ It is now well established that dividends on preferred’ stock are payable only out of net earnings which are applicable to the payment of dividends ; Pierce on Railroads, p. 125, and cases cited in notes ; and that such dividends are not payable absolutely and unconditionally as interest is, but' only out of profits made by the company. The preference is limited to profits whenever earned. Jones on Railroad Securities, s. 620, and cases cited in notes; Field on Corporation, s. 121, and cases cited ; Corry v. Railroad Co., 29 Bevan, 263 ; McGregor v. Ins. Co., 6 Stewart’s Eq. Rep. (N. J.) 181; St. John v. Erie R. R. Co., 10 Blatch. 271; s. c. 22 Wall, 136 ; Lockhart v. Van Alstyne, 31 Mich. 76 ; Taft v. R. R. Co., 8 R. I. 310.
In this case it could only be made from “ earnings and income.” The only earnings and income was the rental which was insufficient to pay the operating expenses and the floating debt. Upon the plaintiff’s theory there was an unqualified obligation to declare and pay dividends to preferred stockholders from the earnings and income, notwithstanding there were debts of the company greater than the earnings and income. The creditor must come after the stockholder. Under this claim the rule universally recognized in the books that the property of a corporation is a trust fund pledged for the payment of the debts of the corporation, and the distinction everywhere upheld between a stockholder and creditors, would have to be disregarded. In our view the terms of the charter neither force nor import such construction.
II. But the learned counsellor the plaintiff deny that the preferred stock was capital stock, and insist that the only capital stock of the defendant company is the common stock, or the stock that was issued to the second mortgage bondholders, and that the intent and meaning of the charter in reference to the issue of preferred stock, was to provide means of exchanging the first mortgage bonds'into a preferred stock, but not to affect the security, and that such was the understanding of all parties at the time, and that wherever preferred stockholders have been held to be stockholders in distinction from creditors, it has been upon the ground that by the terms of the act or contract their stock formed a part of the capital stock, and' that they by taking the same become in reality and in substance, as well as in name, stockholders, holders of shares of capital stock.
. It is true the charter was granted to the second bondholders, and provides that the capital stock, meaning undoubtedly the stock
The terms of this charter are plain .to the intent of providing for two kinds of stock, viz.: common stock and preferred or guaranteed stock. It makes'" no distinction between them except to the effect that the preferred stock should receive dividends from the earnings and income of the corporation, at a rate and time named, with interest thereafter if not paid, “ before any other dividend shall be made therefrom.'” What is there in the charter to indicate that the legislature intended to simply create a creditor class in creating preferred stockholders, and meant interest by the word dividend ? As stated by Jones on Railroad Secu. s. 619, “ whatever rights attached to it [preferred stock] when issued continue to adhere to it.” The peculiar right specified in the charter to be attached to it, is the right to a dividend before any should be made upon the common stock, and that it may be converted into common stock. In St. John v. Erie R. R. Co.,
No claim is made in this case that the preferred shareholder does not have all the rights as a shareholder that is enjoyed by the holder of the common stock. The claim is that he is also a creditor with all the rights pertaining to that relation. Against this claim are the terms of the charter, the presumptions of law and the usual course of business. The evidence of his relation to the company is a certificate of stock which under the charter should, and probably does, guarantee a dividend to be paid to him before any dividend shall be paid on the common stock. Mr. Pierce, page 120, defines dividends to be corporate funds derived from the earnings of the corporation, and appropriated by a corporate act to be divided among the stockholders. A preferred dividend is the fund paid to one class of shareholde rs in priority to that to be paid to another class. See authorities cited by Pierce,
The distinction between that case and the one at bar is apparent. It is insisted that the pi-ovisions of the defendant’s charter to the effect that the preferred stock should be issued only for the “ purpose of satisfying, paying or purchasing prior claims, or incumbrances upon or interests in said road and property,” and should be limited to the amount of such claims, and providing the rate of dividend, and for its payment semi-annually, and, “ until declared,” interest thereon to be added from the end of the half year when the same should be declared, and that no mortgage should take precedence of the preferred .stock in the application of income, all show a purpose to create a preferred stock with all the security of a first mortgage, taken in connection with the fact that the prior claims consisted largely of the first mortgage then in process of foreclosure.
Courts have not favored the creation of different classes of shareholders with superior rights in one over others. Doubt is expressed in the books whether (here is power in a corporation
It was necessary for the defendant, consisting of the second mortgage bondholders, to raise money to pay up the first mortgage, in order to save the property from going on that mortgage. Two ways were open to them, one to borrow money, the other to sell stock. They decided to try the latter method. The pressure was severe upon them, and the amount to be raised was large. The stock in order to be sold must necessarily be carefully guarded. The issue of the preferred stock in this case was made as it usually is, that is, when the corporation has reached a crisis in its affairs, and the corporators are unwilling or unable to put more ' or sufficient money into the business, but are nevertheless disposed to give to those who will do so a preference in profits. Careful guards are, therefore, usually thrown around preferred stock in the charter or contract, as was done in this case ; but this did not change the chai’acter of the transaction. It was still an obtaining of funds by sale of stock, and not a borrowing of money on a mortgage.
These provisions of the charter seem to us to point to a careful security of the benefit of the preference as between the two kinds of stock, but not a preference over the creditor’s of the corporation ; not a preference with a perpetual promise to pay more than a legal-rate of interest on the sum invested, out of the earnings,
It follows from this construction of the charter that the earnings of the defendant corporation should have. been appropriated to the payment of its floating debt, in preference to the payment of dividends on preferred stock.
III. It appears from the report that until early in the year 1872, the financial condition of the company had not been fully understood, and that a very large floating indebtedness then first came to light. In this emergency the company began the issue of scrip dividend certificates. The first certificates were dated February 1st, 1872, and they were issued every six months thereafter ¡until February 1st, 1875.
The plaintiff claims that even if the company had no profits out of which to pay dividends, and therefore ought not to have made or paid them, yet it is estopped from denying the validity of these certificates as obligations of the company by reason of its conduct in regard to them.
The defendant claims that they are incapable of ratification; that they are absolutely void because issued without right; that being issued when the company had no money applicable to dividends it was an unauthorized, illegal act, which affected the cer
There was no lack of authority to make dividends to preferred stockholders. The charter provided for it. The company’s action in regard to dividends was unseasonable, that is before it had funds applicable. Did such unseasonable exercise of power render the certificates void ? The question is not what might have been the right of creditor or stockholders had they interposed. But must the court say in behalf of the company only, that its premature exercise of charter power was void because premature ? We think not. In Stoddard v. Shetucket Foundry Co., 34 Conn. 542, it was held in an action against the corporation by a stockholder, to recover a dividend declared by the directors, if all the other stockholders have received and retain their dividends, the corporation cannot set up in defence, that the dividend has not been earned, and that its payment would withdraw a part of the capital. Kent v. Quicksilver Mining Co., 78 N. Y. 186. “ If the power to make the contract exists, an excess in some particulars is not a defence.” Pierce, 518, and cases there cited. In Taylor v. Chichester &. M. R. Co., L. R. 2 Exch. 356, 378, Blackburn, J., says : “ I think it very unfortunate that the same phrase of Ultra Vires has been used to express both an excess of authority as against the shareholders, and the doing of an act illegal as being malum prohibitum ; for the two things are substantially different; and I think the use of the same phrase for both has produced confusion.”
It is ordinarily a matter of internal management, to be determined by the company-or the directors, when to declare dividends and the amount. This is subject to limitations, and equity will interfere either to enforce or restrain a dividend upon sufficient showing. Green’s Brice, Ultra Vires, 2 Am. Ed. p. 202, and cases cited.
But equity even would not interfere with a dividend unless it appeared that somebody in particular was hurt or liable to be injured. It would not interfere after all danger had passed, and for the sake of vindicating general principles. Stevens v. The South Devon Ky Co., 9 Hare, 313 ; reported also in XII. L. and Eq. 229; Browne v. The Monmouthshire R'y & Canal Co., 13 Beav.
IV. These certificates being susceptible of ratification, should the defendant be estopped from denying their validity in this case ? All these issues of .certificates were authorized by nearly if not entirely unanimous votes of the corporation, followed by votes of the directors. The first vote was as follows:
“ Besolved, That the directors be authorized and are hereby instructed to prepare and issue to the holders of the preferred stock, a scrip dividend of three and a half per cent., to date February 1st, 1872, upon forty three thousand shares of preferred stock.” The next vote was, “ to pay further dividends on the preferred stock of the company by issuing to the holders thereof scrip (dividends) therefor as the same may become due.” Other votes followed from time to time. Every vote of the company and directors expressed or implied the idea of a payment of dividends. These certificates were all expressed to be “ in settlement of dividends on the preferred guaranteed stock ” ; and were made convertible on demand or at the option of the holders, into mortgage bonds of the company, except the last two issues. The referee finds that the plaintiff received scrip certificates as they were issued from time to time on the preferred stock owned by him, and they have all been converted into bonds. Certificates have been so converted amounting to over $1,000,000. In such conversions, no distinction or difference has been made between the two last issues, Nos. 6 and 7, and the earlier issues. Considerable of this scrip was sold in market and was purchased by the president, treasurer and some of the directors, and was converted into bonds. The scrip so purchased in market was converted by the company into bonds, for the- purchaser as readily as it was for the holders of the preferred stock to whom the scrip certificates thereon were issued. This was done for the plaintiff to quite an extent down to about the time this suit was brought, July, 1878. The referee reports that the president had the general direction of the conversion of scrip certificates into bonds.
Some of the preferred stockholders, when they saw such clause was omitted from the scrip certificates, supposed they were not convertible into bonds and so sold them in market, and the plaintiff bought them at large discount, after he had been informed by the president that they were convertible into bonds, and was shown by him the said stockholders’ vote to that effect; and he never knew until after this suit was brought, why the last two issues did not contain the convertible clause. Until after this suit was brought, neither the company nor any of its officers ever denied that these certificates were convertible into bonds, and the president and treasurer continued to make the conversions until after this suit was brought, though some of the later conversions were into a lower rate of interest bond, as shown in the report.
The referee does not find in terms that the plaintiff’s certificates are the only ones not so converted; but he finds certificates have been so converted to an amount of over $1,000,000 ; and it appears by computation that the total amount of certificates was about $1,058,500. Therefore the fair conclusion from the report is that the plaintiff’s certificates are substantially the only ones not converted.
It further appears that the floating debt of the company at the time this suit was brought had been very largely reduced, and it does not appear that the same treatment of these certificates with the other would have embarrassed the company, or that any creditor objected to the conversion.
The above is but a summary of what the report more fully shows that the company did in respect to the dividend certificates, and after stating the facts, the referee finds “ that the defendant has uniformly treated the scrip certificates as an obligation binding on the defendant.”
On the other hand the plaintiff was a stockholder, and so far as' affected by constructive notice is entitled to stand no better as to
After this suit was brought the stockholders voted to issue five per cent, bonds, secured by mortgage, “ to fund the indebtedness of the company, including the outstanding scrip dividends or certificates,” and used them for that purpose. The company has
Y. The defense of alleged want of consideration in the certificates is not available.
The right to dividends, seven per cent., existed under the charter when there should be funds applicable. As before shown, this is a continuing right. The company issued the certificates in settlement. The shareholder took them in settlement. The votes were in effect to pay the dividends in this form. The certificates were taken, and the right to a dividend in any other form surrendered. They were taken in settlement of a claim made by the shareholders, and recognized as valid by the company, and authorized by the terms of the charter. There would be no question but that this would constitute a good consideration if the financial condition of the company had warranted a dividend. Hayward v. Pilgrim Soc., 21 Pick. 276; Blake v. Peck, 11 Vt. 483; Cross v. Richardson, 30 Vt. 641; Miller v. Emans, 19 N. Y. 384; Plank Road Co. v. Payne, 17 Barb. 567.
The company having obtained the surrender in the exercise of a power existing under the charter, and having always treated the certificates as resting upon the same consideration as though given in surrender of a dividend actually earned and warranted, cannot, under the facts disclosed, be heard to say that the certificate holders surrendered nothing.
YI. The defendant’s counsel make the point and support it by strong argument and great array of authority, that the company
It is plain that the company had no better right to appropriate its bonds to the payment of a dividend not strictly earned than it had to pay ii^money. There was no absolute right to a dividend in any form before debts were paid. Neither is it clear that the amended charter and the mortgage issued thereunder should be construed as authorizing the exchange of the bonds for these certificates. We malte no further expression upon these points, because what has been said upon the subject of ratification and estoppel applies ás well here. The stockholders themselves in corporate action have given construction to the act and the mortgage, until they have been benefitted under that construction to the amount of a million dollars and more. It is now too late, under the facts reported, for the company to ask for a different, though perhaps better construction, as against the last holder of its obligations of this character.
VII. These certificates, except the first issues, were made payable at the option of the company, but convertible into bonds at the option of the holder. They were all issued from 1872 to 1875. inclusive, and demand made for bonds and suit brought in 1878. As to certificates promising to pay a specified sum with interest, in bonds, on demand, Jones (R. R. Securities, s. 19) says: if the corporation does not on demand exercise its election to make payment in bonds, the creditor may recover the amount in money; payment in bonds being a privilege for the benefit of the corporation ; but if this privilege be not taken advantage of at the proper time, the rule of damages is the principal sum and interest.” These certificates are different, but whatever would be the proper construction of them independently, we think the facts of this case bring them within the rule established as to certificates payable in bonds on demand, and this applies to the first issue.
YIII. It is claimed these certificates are not negotiable instruments, hence the plaintiff cannot recover in his own name. They run to the “ holder,” went on the market, and have always been treated by the defendant as entitling the subsequent holder to the same rights as though payable to bearer. Such has always
IN. The Cheshire Railroad Company, one of the trustees named in writ, is a foreign corporation. The defendant claims it cannot be held chargeable, first, because the process does not allege that this corporation is operating any railroad or doing any business in this State, or was under any liability in consequence of any debt due or owing in this State, and insists that such jurisdictional fact is necessary to be alleged in the process. The process alleges that the Cheshire Company u has an authorized agent resident within the State of Vermont at Bellows Falls, in the town of Rockingham and the County of Windham and said State of
The defendant filed allegations, claiming for reasons therein stated that the Central Vermont Railroad Company should not be held or adjudged chargeable as trustee. The reasons assigned pertain not to any question between the trustee and the defendant (except the assignment to Williams), but to the right of the plaintiff to recover of the defendant. The statute, Gen. Sts., c. 34, s. 16, R. L., s. 1094, provides that either party may allege and prove any facts that may be material in deciding whether the alleged trustee is chargeable. This does not refer to the issues between the principal parties, but to questions as to the liability of the alleged trustee. There being no such question in this case, as it stands on the disclosure and report, said allegations should be dismissed.
The proforma judgment of the County Court is reversed, and judgment for the plaintiff to recover the amount of his scrip dividend certificates with interest as found by the referee, with interest thereon, and both the Central Vermont Railroad Company and the Cheshire Railroad Company are adjudged chargeable as trustees.