978-0538496902 Chapter 27 Part 2
STUDENT _______________________________________ CLASS _______________________ DATE _________
LESSON273PRACTICEACTIVITY
Readthefollowingcasesandanswerthequestionsaboutthem.Attachapageifadditional
spaceisneededforanswers.
1.TheFordMotorCompanyhadgeneratedextremelylargeearningsfromthesale
ofitsModelTs.HenryFord,thecompanyslargestshareholderandpresident,
persuadedtheBoardofDirectorstoissueonlyasmallportionoftheseearnings
asdividendstotheshareholdersandtoretaintheremainderinthecorporateaccountsforfutureuse.AsaconsequencetheDodgebrothers,whowerealsolargeshareholdersintheFordMotorCompany,broughtsuitagainstthecompanytoforcethepayoutoftheretainedearningsasdividends.AtthetrialHenryFordtestifiedthatheplannedfortheretainedearningstobeutilizedtobuildanewplantthatwouldbeabletobuildmorecarsatacheaperpriceandgivemoreAmericanstheabilitytoownacar.Inotherwords,Henrysoughtto
asdividendstotheshareholdersandtoretaintheremainderinthecorporateaccountsforfutureuse.AsaconsequencetheDodgebrothers,whowerealsolargeshareholdersintheFordMotorCompany,broughtsuitagainstthecompanytoforcethepayoutoftheretainedearningsasdividends.AtthetrialHenryFordtestifiedthatheplannedfortheretainedearningstobeutilizedtobuildanewplantthatwouldbeabletobuildmorecarsatacheaperpriceandgivemoreAmericanstheabilitytoownacar.Inotherwords,Henrysoughtto
asdividendstotheshareholdersandtoretaintheremainderinthecorporateac
countsforfutureuse.AsaconsequencetheDodgebrothers,whowerealso
largeshareholdersintheFordMotorCompany,broughtsuitagainstthecom
panytoforcethepayoutoftheretainedearningsasdividends.Atthetrial
HenryFordtestifiedthatheplannedfortheretainedearningstobeutilizedto
buildanewplantthatwouldbeabletobuildmorecarsatacheaperpriceand
givemoreAmericanstheabilitytoownacar.Inotherwords,Henrysoughtto
bealtruisticwiththemoneyearnedbythecompany.Canthelargestshare
holderinsistthattheshareholdersmoneybeusedinthisway?CouldtheDodge
brothersinsistthatForddeclaredividendssothattheycouldreceivetheirprofit
fromthecompany?[Dodgev.FordMotorCo.,170N.W.668(Mich.1919)]
2.In1859,theIllinoislegislatureadoptedtheRosehillCharter,whichcreatedthe
originalRosehillCemeteryCompanyasanotforprofitcorporation.Corpora
tionscreatedbythelegislaturearecalledspecialactscorporations.Thelegisla
tiongaveRosehilltherighttoacquirerealestateforthepurposeofmaintaining
acemetery.In1983,RosehillMemorial,Inc.(Rosehill),aprivateforprofitcompany,wasincorporatedbyusualmeans,i.e.,byfilingproperincorporationpapers.Shortlyafterincorporation,itboughttheRosehillCemeteryCompanyanddissolvedit.ThenewRosehill,inadditiontomaintainingthecemetery,thenbegansellingheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.GastMonuments(Gast),wasacompetingcompanyoperatingdirectlyacrossthestreetfromRosehill.Gastalsosoldheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.AsaresultofthecompetitivepositionassumedbyRosehill,GastfiledsuitagainstRosehill.ThesuitallegedthatwhenRosehillpurchasedtheoriginalRosehillCemetery
acemetery.In1983,RosehillMemorial,Inc.(Rosehill),aprivateforprofitcompany,wasincorporatedbyusualmeans,i.e.,byfilingproperincorporationpapers.Shortlyafterincorporation,itboughttheRosehillCemeteryCompanyanddissolvedit.ThenewRosehill,inadditiontomaintainingthecemetery,thenbegansellingheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.GastMonuments(Gast),wasacompetingcompanyoperatingdirectlyacrossthestreetfromRosehill.Gastalsosoldheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.AsaresultofthecompetitivepositionassumedbyRosehill,GastfiledsuitagainstRosehill.ThesuitallegedthatwhenRosehillpurchasedtheoriginalRosehillCemetery
acemetery.In1983,RosehillMemorial,Inc.(Rosehill),aprivateforprofitcom
pany,wasincorporatedbyusualmeans,i.e.,byfilingproperincorporationpa
pers.Shortlyafterincorporation,itboughttheRosehillCemeteryCompanyand
dissolvedit.ThenewRosehill,inadditiontomaintainingthecemetery,thenbe
gansellingheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.GastMonuments
(Gast),wasacompetingcompanyoperatingdirectlyacrossthestreetfrom
Rosehill.Gastalsosoldheadstones,burialmarkers,andmonuments.Asaresult
ofthecompetitivepositionassumedbyRosehill,GastfiledsuitagainstRosehill.
ThesuitallegedthatwhenRosehillpurchasedtheoriginalRosehillCemetery
Companyitbecamesubjecttothesamerestrictionsthathadbeenplacedinthe
originalRosehillCharterin1859.Theserestrictionsincludedoperationasanot
forprofitcorporationwhichwasnotauthorizedtosellanything.IsGastcorrect?
Explain.[GastMonuments,Inc.v.RosehillCemeteryCo.,566N.E.2d487(Ct.App.Ill.1990)]
Explain.[GastMonuments,Inc.v.RosehillCemeteryCo.,566N.E.2d487(Ct.App.Ill.1990)]
Explain.[GastMonuments,Inc.v.RosehillCemeteryCo.,566N.E.2d487(Ct.App.
Ill.1990)]
6-32 Chapter 27 The Law of Corporations
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Law for Business and Personal Use (DECA) 19th Edition