Securities
Subscription Agreement
Florida
I was considering a private placement into a public company. we spoke about pricing and I wired $125k as the company was poushing for capital. I never received a subscription agreement for 8 months from the company which I then never signed because the SEC investigation caused the stock to drop considerably over 8 months. The company Atty tried to get me to sign subscription agreement and an accredited investor packet. I never didThe class action and SEC investigation ended about 2 years later but we never came to an agreement. The $125k I see booked in their public filings under equity but no details other than that. I want my money back? did the company violate any securities laws by not return ng the money when there was no subscription agreement. I am a Florida resident
I was considering a private placement into a public company. we spoke about pricing and I wired $125k as the company was poushing for capital. I never received a subscription agreement for 8 months from the company which I then never signed because the SEC investigation caused the stock to drop considerably over 8 months. The company Atty tried to get me to sign subscription agreement and an accredited investor packet. I never didThe class action and SEC investigation ended about 2 years later but we never came to an agreement. The $125k I see booked in their public filings under equity but no details other than that. I want my money back? did the company violate any securities laws by not return ng the money when there was no subscription agreement. I am a Florida resident
Answers from 1 Lawyer
Answer
Securities
Florida
Kenneth G.
ContractsCounsel verified
Holding your money is not, by itself, a securities law violation. The securities laws regulate how the company offered and sold the stock. A company that takes an investor's money before delivering offering documents or confirming accredited investor status has put its private placement exemption at risk. If no exemption applied, Section 12(a)(1) of the Securities Act gives the buyer a right to rescind, but that claim must be brought within one year of the violation and I think it has expired. If the company knew about the SEC investigation when it asked you for capital and did not tell you, you may also have a fraud claim under Rule 10b-5 and the Florida Securities and Investor Protection Act (Chapter 517). Those claims generally must be filed within two years after you discovered the facts and no later than five years after the violation. You learned of the investigation more than two years ago, so timing is a serious obstacle there too. Your stronger claim is probably a state-law claim that no agreement was ever completed and the company therefore has no basis to keep your funds (unjust enrichment or money had and received). Expect the company to argue the opposite, that you agreed on price orally, paid, and became a shareholder. An agreement to buy stock does not have to be in writing to be enforceable, so the missing subscription agreement helps you but does not decide the question. The equity entry in the public filings suggests the company treats your payment as a completed or pending stock purchase. If that is right, the company owes you shares. If it is wrong, it owes you a refund. It cannot keep the money and give you nothing. Florida generally allows four years for unjust enrichment and oral contract claims, and the period may run from the date of your wire. On your timeline, at least two years and eight months have passed, and the law of the company's home state may also apply. I would gather the wire confirmation, every email and text with the company and its attorney, and the page of the filing showing the entry, and I would ask the company's transfer agent whether shares were issued in your name. I would not sign the subscription agreement or investor packet now without advice. A securities attorney should review the documents and send a written demand soon. This is general information based on the facts in your question and is not legal advice.
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