Macfarland v. West Side Improvement Ass'n
Macfarland v. West Side Improvement Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
This is a rehearing of Macfarland v. West Side Improvement Ass’n, 53 Neb. 417, in which we affirmed a judgment of the district court rendered in favor of the association against Macfarland. The action was brought by the association against Macfarland on a contract of subscription to its capital stock. His defense was that the entire capital stock bad not been subscribed. On the former bearing we held that be bad estopped himself by bis conduct from interposing this defense, and beyond all question the evidence in the record sustains this holding, as will appear from a resume thereof in the former opinion. But it is insisted by Macfarland that the petition of the association does not state a cause of action and will, therefore, not sustain the-judgment. We think it does. The petition, after alleging the incorporation of the plain
It is true that the petition does not set out the specific acts or conduct of Macfarland which we held estopped him from interposing the defense that the capital stock was not all subscribed, but it does allege that he waived this defense. This plea was good as against a general demurrer. It is not a conclusion of law, but is the statement of an ultimate fact. If Macfarland desired the petition to state what the pleader claimed he had said or done which amounted to a waiver of his defense, he should have submitted a motion to the petition. Waiver is the intentional relinquishment of a right or privilege. It was the right of Macfarland to have all the stock subscribed before being liable on his subscription, but this was a right which he could waive; and the averment of the petition is in effect the same as if it had alleged in express words that Macfarland intentionally relinquished his right to have all the stock subscribed. Of course, when it is claimed that a party has waived a right, it must appear that he knew he had such right; otherwise he could not have intentionally relinquished it. But whether in such a case a party knew that he was possessed of a right is a question of evidence, and we are dealing with a question of pleading; and When the pleader avers that Macfarland waived his right, included in that averment are all the ingredients winch constitute
We adhere to the former opinion, and the judgment of the district court is
Affirmed.'
Dissenting Opinion
I dissent. In the former opinion it was ruled that the defendant by his conduct estopped himself from urging the defense that the entire stock was not taken, and it was- upon that ground alone that the judgment of affirmance was based. The sole proposition necessary to be considered by the court on the present submission is whether an estoppel or the waiver by the defendant of the right to assert that the stock had not all been subscribed is sufficiently raised by the pleadings to be available to the plaintiff below.
It was determined in the former hearing herein, following the earlier decisions of this court, that the entire amount of capital stock of a corporation must be subscribed before action can be maintained against a subscriber to recover assessments thereon, except where the law or charter authorizes the corporation to proceed with its ultimate object or purpose with a less subscription, or the subscriber has either waived this condition precedent, or estopped himself from asserting that the whole capital stock had not been taken. And in Livesey v. Omaha Hotel Co., 5 Neb. 50 a case similar to the one at bar, it was expressly decided that the capital stock required by the charter of a corporation must be wholly subscribed as a condition precedent to the bringing of an action to recover the assessments levied on a stock subscription, and in such an action the plaintiff must aver the performance of such condition precedent, or set up the facts essential to show a waiver thereof by the defendant so as to fix his liability 'without such performance. In the light of these principles, which are firmly established in the jurisprudence of this state, I will prooeed to an examination of the petition of plaintiff in the trial court. It contains the following: “While it is true that the entire amount of capital stock described in the articles of incorporation Avas not subscribed, the defendant waived this defense by participating in the execution
In the last preceding case Champlin, C. J., speaking for the court, said: “There is no dispute upon the testimony in this' record that the defendant attended what was considered as a meeting of the subscribers to the capital stock, which included those who bad joined in the organization, and others like him, who bad agreed to subscribe for and take stock in the corporation. He acted, to all intents and purposes, as a stockholder upon the occasion, and for the purpose of considering a corporate act. I think there can be no question but that the corporation recognized him as a stockholder and member, and that be recognized that relation himself. the estoppel, so far as membership is concerned, is mutual and binding upon both parties; but whether be is liable to assessments depends upon other considerations. lie was not liable to be assessed upon bis stock, unless be has waived the condition upon which such assessments in a corporation like this are based, and that is that the whole capital stock must first be subscribed. (See Michigan authorities before referred to.) Did be intend by what be did to waive that condition? The burden of proof is upon the plaintiff to show waiver. the plaintiff
In Portland v. Spillman, 32 Pac. Rep. [Ore.] 688, the court, in the opinion, uses this language: “It does not appear, nor is it claimed, that at the time of such waiver of notice, or participation in the stockholders’ meeting, he knew that the required amount of stock had not been subscribed; and without such.notice it is not perceived how he can be said to have waived the condition of his subscription.” The same doctrine was stated and applied by this court in Livesey v. Omaha Hotel Co., 5 Neb, 50. Gantt, J., delivering the opinion, says: “Now, the corporation, with full knowledge of the condition precedent contained in the subscription contract and of that in the charter, and in violation of this condition in the contract, has proceeded to assess the shares of stock, and it is insisted that the plaintiff in error by his acts has waived his immunity from liability to pay such assessments. In other words, the proposition contended for is, in effect, that these acts of the plaintiff in error are equivalent to an assent by him to the unauthorized proceedings of the corporation, and therefore he is estopped from claiming the rights he had under the contract. It is said that ‘a waiver is the intentional relinquishment of a known right, and there must be both knowledge of the existence of the right and an intention to relinquish
.1 am fully persuaded that the petition fails to set forth sufficient facts to constitute a waiver or an estoppel, in that it is not averred that Macfarland knew that the whole capital stock had not been subscribed and that the conduct of the defendant was relied upon and induced action. There is no' allegation that the articles of incorporation contained a provision authorizing the corporation to proceed to do business before the full amount of stock was subscribed. It is true the contract of subscription is set out in the petition, but there is no statement therein that the corporation was to proceed with the execution of its main purpose when a portion of its stock was subscribed, nor does it contain any language indicating an intent that the subscribers should be bound to pay their subscription until the whole capital should be taken. The sufficiency of the petition was not assailed for the first time in this court, since the defendant objected in the court below to the introduction of any evidence on the ground that the petition failed to state a cause of action against him. The judgment of the district .court is wrong and should be reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John D. Macfarland v. West Side Improvement Association
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- 3 cases
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- Published