Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SECTION

ARTICLE VI. TAXATION OF DIVIDENDS.

2890. Policy of laying taxes on dividends.

2891. The standard by which to determine what is a dividend under such statutes.

2892. Distinction between a tax on dividends and a tax on capital. 2893. Distinction between a tax on dividends and a license tax. 2894. Franchise tax admeasured upon dividends.

2895. Taxing prospective dividends to the corporation.

2896. Taxing the corporation on dividends already declared and paid. 2897. Taxing dividends paid in reduction of capital.

2898. Taxing dividends arising from damages for condemnation of

the property of the corporation.

SECTION

2899. Taxing the dividends.

2900. Taxing the dividends of foreign corporations.

2901. Dividing the dividend payable within any year so as to defeat taxation.

2902. Illustration.

2903. Corporation estopped by its own declaration of dividends.

2904. Taxation of dividends declared through mistake.

2905. Taxation of stock dividends. 2906. But not when founded on a mere formal increase of capital. 2907. When tax measured by dividend on paid-up capital.

2908. Taxation of corporate property represented by interest bearing stock certificates.

ARTICLE VII. QUESTIONS RELATING TO ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION.

[blocks in formation]

CHAPTER XXIII.

CONDITIONAL STOCK SUBSCRIPTIONS.

ART. I. VALIDITY OF CONDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS, §§1305-1328.
II. EFFECT ON CONDITIONS IN SUBSCRIPTIONS, §§ 1332-1345.
III. INTERPRETATION OF PARTICULAR CONDITIONS, §§ 1349-1356.

SECTION

ARTICLE I. VALIDITY OF CONDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS.

1305. Conditions imposed by the charter.

1306. View that conditional subscriptions are void.

1307. Because not concurrent and hence not obligatory on each at the same time.

1308. Effect of illegal conditions: whether the whole contract void, or the condition merely. 1309. Condition discharged when a fraud on the law, and contract absolute.

1310. Explanation of this principle. 1311. Parol conditions void. 1312. Parol agreements among subscribers.

1313. Subscriptions made for collateral purposes.

1814. Illustrations of such subscriptions.

1315. Contemporaneous parol declarations.

1816. Collateral agreements with third persons.

SECTION

1317. View that conditions in subscriptions not contrary to public policy.

1318. Illustrations of good conditional subscriptions.

1319. Other American cases where conditional subscriptions have been upheld.

1320. Illustrative English cases. 1321. Distinction in respect of conditional subscriptions made before and after organization. 1322. Condition that all the stock shall be subscribed.

1328. Waiver of this condition. 1324. Impossible conditions. 1325. Conditions as to assessibility of shares.

1326. Stipulation for the payment of interest on stock subscription. 1327. Validity of conditions as affected by the statute of frauds. 1328. What amounts to an acceptance by the corporation of a subscription upon condition.

§ 1305. Conditions Imposed by the Charter. - Conditions imposed by the organic law of the corporation enter into and form a part of the contract.1 When, therefore, the charter

[blocks in formation]

requires the enterprise to be completed within a certain time, otherwise the franchises granted to be null and void, if it is not completed by that time the subscribers are released, notwithstanding an amendment to the charter, procured subsequently to the contract of subscription, extending the time, unless the subscriber assists in procuring the amendment, or assents thereto.1

§ 1306. View that Conditional Subscriptions are Void.There is a difference of opinion on the question of the validity of a conditional subscription to the shares of stock of corporations organized to build railroads, or plank roads, or for other public purposes. It has been held, in cases chiefly turning on the language of local statutes, and, for the most part, where the subscriptions were made prior to the formation of the corporations, that conditional subscriptions are void, because contrary to public policy, or to the charter or other statute under which they are taken. But a subscription to a fund to be donated to a railroad company,- not being a subscription to its stock - provided it will build a bridge at a certain point, has been held valid and enforceable. Nor does this principle apply to a condition that the subscription shall not be enforceable until the full amount intended to be raised shall have been subscribed. On the contrary, such a condition is a condition precedent, which must be performed before an action can be made thereon."

3

§ 1307. Because not Concurrent and hence not Obligatory on Each at the Same Time. The validity of such subscriptions has been denied on the further ground that the contract, in order to be binding, must be "concurrent and obligatory on each at the same time." 5 The theory seems to be that, as the corpora

1 Union Hotel Co. v. Hersee, 15 Hun (N. Y.), 371; Ante, §§ 1273, 1296.

2 Butternuts Turnp. Co. v. North, 1 Hill (N. Y.), 518; Macedon Plank Road Co. v. Lapham, 18 Barb. (N. Y.) 318; Ft. Edwards &c. Plank Road Co. v. Payne, 15 N. Y. 583. Macedon &c. Plank Road Co. v. Snediker, 18 Barb. (N. Y.) 317.

3 Cumberland Valiey R. Co. v. Baab, 9 Watts (Pa.), 458: s. c. 36 Am. Dec. 132.

4 Belfast &c. R. Co. v. Cottrell, 66 Me. 185; Belfast &c. R. Co. v. Moore, 60 Me. 561; Penobscot &c. R. Co. v. Dunn, 66 Me. 185; post, § 1322. 5 Macedon &c. Plank Road Co. v. Snediker, 18 Barb. (N. Y.) 317. See

« AnteriorContinuar »