80 Wis. 624 | Wis. | 1891
This action is to set aside the assignment .of stock and the conveyance of land mentioned in the foregoing statement, on the ground that they were obtained by duress. The alleged duress is to. the effect that William H. Hinkle, under the circumstances mentioned in the foregoing statement, informed the plaintiff that A. Howard Hinkle wanted his stock, and would give him for it fifty per cent, of its par value; that, if the plaintiff refused to accept, A. Howard Hinkle would take immediate legal steps to charge the company’s property with $200,000 indebtedness then due to him for the borrowed money mentioned ; and that the defendants would notify any person proposing to purchase the' plaintiff’s stock of these facts. It will be observed that no threat of doing any act is al-
It does not appear from the complaint that the indebtedness of the company to A. Howard Hmlcle for borrowed money was not due and enforceable at the time of the alleged duress, but, on the contrary, it is fairly inferable therefrom that it was then due and enforceable. It does not appear therefrom that the plaintiff’s position, as vice-president and general manager of the company, was secured to him permanently or for any definite length of time, but, on the contrary, it is fairly inferable therefrom that, like all other officers and agents of the corporation, he was subject to displacement by a majority of the stockholders. In case the defendants had concluded to execute such threats, there would have been no obligation on their part to keep the same silent or refrain from informing per
By the Court.— The order of the circuit court is affirmed.