Cole v. Seaman
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a denial of an application to intervene in the consolidated case of John W. Seaman v. Richard McCulloch et al. For a full statement of the pleadings and facts in the consolidated case, reference is made to the opinion on the appeal of Samuel W. Adler v. Seaman (also decided at this time) 266 Fed. 828. For the purposes of the present appeal, it is necessary to consider only a portion thereof, together with certain additional circumstances peculiar to this case.
Seaman filed his bill as a stockholder against certain officers and directors' of tlie United Railways Company, alleging fraudulent diversion of corporate assets, and also wrongful acts and course of conduct of the directors and officers, resulting in arousing public en-city, to the detriment of the company’s business. He sought recovery of such wasted assets, the election of a new board of directors, and the submission to the stockholders, for adoption or rejection, of certain power contracts, alleged to have been fraudulently entered into by the directors. The bill also prayed a receiver, in the event that during the litigation the street railway system of the company should be threatened with dismemberment by creditors. This bill was filed
The view we hold concerning the merits of this appeal makes unnecessary any consideration of a motion filed by Seaman to dismiss the appeal. The purpose of the intervention, as shown by the application and proposed answer and cross-bill filed therewith, was to vacate the receivership, on the ground that the company was in fact solvent at the time of the appointment of the receiver. In the answer of the company to the Adler bill it admitted its insolvency. This answer was authorized by the board of directors. There is no claim by appellants that the directors, in authorizing such answer, acted fraudulently or wrongfully, but merely that they did so without authority of the stockholders. No such authority is necessary. The directors were the duly authorized and acting governing body of the company for all of the stockholders, and their acts, honestly done, within the scope of their office, are binding upon the corporation and all of its stockholders. It. is within the scope of their authority to judicially admit insolvency, and where, as here, no question of the good faith of that action is raised, stockholders cannot interfere and seek to overthrow that action. The evidence before the master is not preserved in the record brought here, and we have no hesitation in adopting the finding of the master that the interests of all stockholders are being adequately represented by parties already in court. In addition to the absence of right to intervene, it appears that the court acted wisely in exercising its discretion in refusing the intervention.
The order denying the application to intervene is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COLE v. SEAMAN
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- 1 case
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- Published