GUARDIAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION v. Rubinstein
GUARDIAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION v. Rubinstein
Opinion of the Court
Guardian Investment Corporation and Earl Lombard, its president, appeal from a denial of their motions to set aside summary judgments against them for conduct in violation of Sections 12(2)
While the Securities Act has a special jurisdictional section,
Significantly, we have had occasion to consider a similar question. In Hall v. Chaltis,
The substantive question presented by appellants is whether there was a genuine issue as to a material fact precluding the award of summary judgment to appellees. The complaint, answer and interrogatories established the following facts. Appellants, dealers in securities, solicited appellees by means of communications in interstate commerce for the purpose of purchasing certain shares of stock. Appellees subsequently bought the offered shares and paid appellants in full. While appellees received confirmation of their purchases, they never received the stock certificates. Their suit is for the return of the purchase price.
Appellants admit confirmation of the sale and receipt of the money, but in answer to the specific question, “Did you deliver the stock?” they have replied, “No record of such delivery.” They contend that appel-lees have failed to show that at the time of the sale there was an untrue statement of a material fact.
Appellants' argument has lost sight of the fact that the Act was designed to protect investors, and, being remedial, its provisions will be liberally construed.
“ ‘Inherent in the relationship between a dealer and his customer is the vital representation that the customer will be dealt with fairly, and in accordance with the standards of the profession.’ Duker & Duker, 6 S.E.C. 386, 388 (1939). At a minimum, he represents that he will act in accordance with reasonable trade custom. Trade custom requires a dealer to consummate transactions with customers promptly, and in every transaction an implied representation to this effect is made, unless there is a clear understanding to the contrary. If a dealer intends not to consummate a transaction promptly, and fails to disclose this intention to his customer, he omits to state to that customer a material fact necessary to make the above representation not misleading, in violation of the anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.”11
It is clear from the record that appellants did not intend to consummate the transactions promptly. We hold that their conduct falls squarely within the conduct proscribed by Section 12(2) and that the award of summary judgment was proper.
The other assignments of error relating to appellants Kenney and Burke are without merit.
Affirmed.
. Section 12(2), 15 U.S.C. § 77? provides: “Any person who * * * (2) offers or sells a security * * * by the use of any means or instruments of transportar tion or communication in interstate commerce or of the mails, by means of a prospectus or oral communication, which includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (the purchaser not knowing of such untruth or omission), and who shall not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of such untruth or omission, shall be liable to the person purchasing such security from him, who may sue either at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction, to recover the consideration paid for such security with interest thereon, less the amount of any income received thereon, upon the tender of such security, or for damages if he no longer owns the security.”
. Section 15, 15 U.S.C. § 77o provides: “Every person who, by or through stock ownership, agency, or otherwise, or who, pursuant to or in connection with an agreement or understanding with one or more other persons by or through stock ownership, agency, or otherwise, controls any person liable under sections 77k or 771 of this title, shall also be liable jointly and severally with and to the same extent as such controlled person to any person to whom such controlled person is liable, unless the controlling person had no knowledge of or reasonable ground to believe in the existence of the facts by reason of which the liability of the controlled person is alleged to exist.”
. See United States v. Corrick, 298 U.S. 435, 56 S.Ct. 829, 80 L.Ed. 1263 (1936); Henderson v. E Street Theatre Corporation, D.C.Mun.App., 63 A.2d 649 (1948); 1425 F Street Corporation v. Jardin, D.C.Mun.App., 53 A.2d 278 (1947).
. 15 U.S.C. § 77v provides: “(a) The district courts of the United States, and the United States courts of any Territory, shall have jurisdiction of offenses and violations under this subchapter and under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission in respect thereto, and, concurrent with State and Territorial courts, of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by this subehapter. * * * No case arising under this sub-ehapter and brought in any State court of competent jurisdiction shall be removed to any court of the United States. * * * ”
. See n. 1, supra.
. Wilko v. Swan, 346 U.S. 427, at 431, 74 S.Ct. 182, at 184-185, 98 L.Ed. 168 (1953).
. Now the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions.
. D.C.Mun.App., 31 A.2d 699, 704 (1943). See also, Glidden Company v. Zdanok, 370 U.S. 530, 581, 82 S.Ct. 1459, L.Ed.2d (1962); O’Donoghue v. United States, 289
. Creswell-Keith, Inc. v. Willingham, 264 F.2d 76, 80 (8 Cir., 1959); Blackwell v. Bentsen, 203 F.2d 690, 693 (5 Cir., 1953), appeal dismissed, 347 U.S. 925, 74 S.Ct. 528, 98 L.Ed. 1078 (1954).
. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Timetrust, Inc., 28 F.Supp. 34, 39 (N.D.Cal. 1939).
. In the matter of Lewis H. Ankeny, 29 S.E.C. 514, 516 (1949).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
I am unable to agree with the majority opinion -in its reasoning and conclusion that the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions had jurisdiction to consider and determine actions brought under the Securities Act of 1933
By applying only Section 771 of the Act, the majority holds that the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions is a “court of competent jurisdiction” as set forth in that section. But I submit that Section 771 cannot be read alone but must be read as further specifially defined by Section 77v.
The right created by Section 771 is enforceable in “any court of competent jurisdiction,” but, as defined by Section 77v, “competent jurisdiction” is specifically stated to mean “The district courts of the United States and the United States courts of any Territory * * * and, concurrent with State and Territorial courts * *” The “Historical Note” following Section 77v in the 1963 edition of the United States Code Annotated explains that the words, “and the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia,” which originally followed the words, “the United States courts of any territory,” have been deleted as superfluous in view of section 132(a) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
It is a cardinal rule of statutory construction that significance and effect should, if possible, without destroying the sense or effect of the law,
The courts of a state derive their jurisdiction from the constitution and laws of the state and do not derive any power from the laws of the United States. Congress cannot confer jurisdiction upon a state court or any other court which it has not ordained and established.
In enacting the Securities Act of 1933, Congress did not attempt to ordain and establish the state courts as inferior courts of the United States in the sense of the Constitution, but merely stated that if the state courts otherwise had jurisdiction then they could exercise jurisdiction under the Act. Congress thus refused to preempt the securities field as it could have done under its broad commerce powers conferred by the Constitution.
The Constitution of the United States, Art. I, Section 8, Clause 17, gives Con
The Municipal Court of the District of Columbia, now the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions, has always been a court of limited jurisdiction. It is neither a state court nor a territorial court. Being created by statute, its jurisdiction cannot be extended by inference or implication
Hall v. Chaltis,
The Emergency Price Control Act of 1942
As I have concluded that the trial court had no jurisdiction under the Securities Act of 1933 to entertain these causes of action, it is unnecessary for me to discuss the merits of the two claims involved. I would reverse and remand for dismissal.
. Securities Act of 1933, 48 Stat. 74, as amended 15 U.S.C. §§ 77a-77aa.
. 15 U.S.C. § Tlv provides: “(a) The district courts of the United States, and the United States courts of any Territory, shall have jurisdiction of offenses and violations under this subchapter and under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission in respect thereto, and, concurrent with State and Territorial courts, of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by this sub-chapter. * * * No case arising under this subchapter and brought in any State court of competent jurisdiction shall be removed to any court of the United States. * * *”
. People v. Welch, 71 Mich. 548, 39 N.W. 747, 1 L.R.A. 385.
. D. Ginsberg & Sons v. Popkin, 285 U.S. 204, 52 S.Ct. 322, 76 L.Ed. 704.
. Ledbetter v. Hall, 191 Ark. 791, 87 S.W.2d 996.
. Walton v. Pryor, 276 Ill. 563, 115 N.E. 2, L.R.A.1918E, 914, writ of error dismissed in 245 U.S. 675, 38 S.Ct. 10, 62 L.Ed. 542.
. Bowles v. Barde Steel Co., 177 Or. 421, 164 P.2d 692, 162 A.L.R. 328.
. O’Donoghue v. United States, 289 U.S. 516, 53 S.Ct. 740, 77 L.Ed. 1356.
. Campbell v. Porter, 162 U.S. 478, 16 S.Ct. 871, 40 L.Ed. 1044; Vaughan v. Northup, 15 Pet. (U.S.) 1, 10 L.Ed. 639.
. Davis v. Universal Corp., D.C.Mun.App., 133 A.2d 479.
. These two courts were combined in 1942 to establish the Municipal Court for the District of Columbia.
. Hall v. Chaltis, D.C.Mun.App., 31 A.2d 699.
. Emergency Price Control Act of 1942, Public Law 421, 77th Cong., as amended by the Act of Oct. 2, 1942, Public Law 729, 77tU Cong. U.S.Code Cong. & Adm. News, 1942, pp. 23, 1202.
. Supra, note 13, Section 205(c).
. Deckert v. Independence Shares Corporation, 311 U.S. 282, 289, 61 S.Ct. 229, 85 L.Ed. 189.
. Although a number of suits have been filed under the Securities Act of 1933 in the Federal District Court here, there is no record of any suit heretofore filed in the Municipal Court until the present cases.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GUARDIAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION, Earl J. Lombard, David Eugene Kenney and Louise Burke, Appellants, v. Harry I. RUBINSTEIN, Appellee; GUARDIAN INVESTMENT CORPORATION, Earl J. Lombard, David Eugene Kenney and Louise Burke, Appellants, v. Joseph E. KAPLAN, Appellee
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published