Camden Co. Limited v. Princess Properties International Limited

Decision Date23 March 1976
Citation38 N.Y.2d 961,384 N.Y.S.2d 152
Parties, 348 N.E.2d 609 CAMDEN COMPANY LIMITED, Appellant, v. PRINCESS PROPERTIES INTERNATIONAL, LIMITED, et al., Respondents.
CourtNew York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals

James D. Zirin and Richard W. Lyon, New York City, for appellant.

John J. Loflin and George R. Reid, II, New York City, for respondents.

MEMORANDUM.

Appellant contends that it properly exercised the right of first refusal by making a commercially equivalent offer upon the same terms and conditions contained in the original offer. Both offers provided for immediate cash payment of one million dollars and nine million dollars in deferred payments over a 10-year period. In view of the deferred nature of the proposed payments, the manner in which the obligation was to be secured was critical. The collateral in the original offer consisted of a guarantee by Norwest S.A., a company with an averred net worth of 25 million dollars by its latest audited balance sheet and its most recent unaudited financial reports, not effectively contradicted in the opposing papers. Additionally, the agreement included various limitations on Norwest to prevent any significant divesting of assets. In contrast, appellant's offer was to be secured by a potpourri of notes, mortgages and chattels, which was unsupported by financial disclosure in regular form and without provisions protecting the security offered. The lack of substantiation and the apparent inadequacy of appellant's collateral coupled with the lack of limitations to prevent dissipation make it clear that appellant's offer was not 'upon the same terms and conditions' necessary to properly invoke the right of first refusal.

Accordingly, the order of the Appellate Division, 47 A.D.2d 340, 366 N.Y.S.2d 664, granting summary judgment to respondent should be affirmed.

BREITEL, C.J., and JASEN, GABRIELLI, JONES, WACHTLER, FUCHSBERG and COOKE, JJ., concur.

Order affirmed, with costs, in a memorandum.

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3 cases
  • USA CABLE v. WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Delaware
    • September 18, 2000
    ... ... (1) whether the right of first refusal is limited to the subject matter of the original contract ...          9. See Camden Co. Ltd. v. Princess Properties Int'l, Ltd., 38 ... ...
  • Burzynski v. Travers, 85 CV 717.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Eastern District of New York
    • March 10, 1986
    ... ... ; defendants Miam Productions, a New York limited partnership and Terence O'Leary1 (O'Leary) were ... invoke the right of first refusal.'" Camden Co. Ltd. v. Princess Properties, Int'l Ltd., 38 ... ...
  • Duane Sales, Inc. v. Carmel
    • United States
    • New York Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • March 25, 1980
    ... ... Camden Co. v. Princess Props. Int., 38 N.Y.2d 961, 384 ... ...

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