Page:North Dakota Reports (vol. 1).pdf/464

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440
NORTH DAKOTA REPORTS.

of any right by the plaintiff to be placed in a position to interfere and participate in the control and management of its internal affairs.” In Poole v. Association, 30 Hed. Rep. 513, Judge Brewer says: “The stock was assigned as collateral for moneys advanced by B. D. Brown. It was duly transferred on the books of the company, so that they unquestionably have all the rights of stockholders.” In State v. Ferris, 42 Conn. 560, a bankrupt in whose name stock stpod on the books of the company was adjudged entitled to the right to vote the stock after the title to the stock had passed to the assignee in bankruptcy under the provisions of the bankrupt act. The court observed: “It has been repeatedly held by this court that the books and records of a corporation determine who are its stockholders for the time being, and who have the right to vote on the stock, although the same may have been sold or pledged as collateral security. In such cases the party who appears to be the owner by the books of the corporation has the right to be treated as a stockholder, and to vote whatever stock stands in his name.” See, also, People v. Robinson, 64 Cal. 373; 1 Pac. Rep. 156; State v. Pettineli, 10 Nev. 141. Mr. Colebrooke, in his ‘work on Collateral Securities, says: ‘In the absence of restrictive statutes, the pledgee of certificates of stock indorsed and transferred on the books of the company has a right to vote at its meetings. His name appearing as stockholder on the records, he becomes for all purposes a stockholder. The right to vote is an incident of the pledge, and according to the presumed intention of the parties.” § 283. In Vail v. Hamilton, 85 N. Y. 453, the action was brought to set aside a mortgage on corporate property, on the ground that it was void because two-thirds of the stockholders had not assented to it. Certain of the stock stood in the name of the pledgee on the books of the corporation. The assent of such stock was essential to the validity of the mortgage. The pledgee did not give such assent, and the court adjudged the mortgage void on the ground, among others, that the pledgee was, as to that particular stock, a stockholder, and his assent was necessary because without it there was not the assent of the requisite two-thirds. The court said: “It is true that the shares were transferred to Conklin as collateral security,