Albright v. McDermott

76 F.2d 950, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 2736
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedApril 17, 1935
DocketNo. 5348
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 76 F.2d 950 (Albright v. McDermott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Albright v. McDermott, 76 F.2d 950, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 2736 (7th Cir. 1935).

Opinion

SPARKS, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a decree allowing a preferred claim in favor of appellee against the receiver of the Canton National Bank of Canton, Illinois, hereafter referred to as the Bank, and directing payment of the claim.

On November 3, 1932, the trustee of the bankrupt, Bogena & Williams, doing business as the Leather Shop, deposited with the Bank the proceeds of the sale of certain personalty of the bankrupt estate in the sum of $1038. The deposit consisted of $638 in currency, and one check for $350 drawn on a Peoria bank, and other small checks aggregating about $50 drawn on other banks. A certificate of deposit not subject to check was issued to the trustee bearing 2% interest per annum if the deposit remained four months, and 3% if it remained six months. On February 1, 1933, the trustee made another deposit of cash in the sum of $137.01 and a like certificate of deposit was issued to him for that amount.

Before these deposits were made, H. B. Heald, vice-president of the Bank, stated in good faith to appellee that that bank was a designated United States depository, and that he, Heald, presumed that it had authority to receive deposits of bankruptcy funds. After February 1, 1933, Heald, however, ascertained that the Bank was not a United States depository for bankruptcy funds, although it was a designated depository for other United States deposits.

In November, 1932, the $400 in checks was deposited in the regular course of business by the Bank, either in the First National Bank of Peoria, or in the Continental and Commercial National Bank of Chicago.

On March 3, 1933, the Bank closed its doors pursuant to the proclamation of the Governor of Illinois, and it remained closed during the national bank moratorium, and it was not again permitted to open. Heald was thereupon appointed its conservator and acted in that capacity until Lawlor was appointed its receiver on December 13, 1933.

For ten days after the trustee had made his first deposit in the Bank it had a credit with the First National of Peoria and the Continental of Chicago in excess of $1,038, and at the time the Bank closed it had a credit balance with each of the Peoria and Chicago banks named in excess of $1,038. During the bank moratorium, however, its account with the Continental of Chicago was overdrawn due to the dishonoring of certain checks sent in on March 3. From November 3, 1932, to the date the Bank closed it had cash on hand in excess of $2,-000, and Heald, the conservator, received from the Bank in cash a sum in excess of the trustee’s deposits.

On November 25, 1933,* the conservator, by order of the court, sold part of the Bank’s assets, known as the “Class A Assets” to the National Bank of Canton, a new organization. The new bank agreed to pay one hundred per cent, of all preferred claims and sixty per cent, of the general claims. Before payment of each preferred claim it was agreed that the conservator should deliver to the new bank a corresponding amount of Class B assets, or available cash, at the option of the new bank. All assets were not transferred to the new bank, and at the time of trial the receiver of the old bank had in his possession cash in excess of $20,000. Appellee did not claim or prove any other funds in the possession of the new bank which might have been available for payment of his claim. It was stipulated that an examination of the court’s record., would have disclosed the names of the bank. [952]*952designated as United States depositories for bankruptcy funds, and that the trustee made no examination of those records. Proper demands were made upon the conservator and the receiver. The receiver admitted the validity of the claim as a general claim, but denied its right to a preference.

Upon these facts the court held that a trust relation existed between the old bank and the trustee at the times the deposits were made; that since the Bank was not a designated depository for bankruptcy funds it had no right to receive the deposits, hence took them as a trustee'ex maleficio; that the relation of debtor and creditor at no time existed between the parties; that the Bank’s assets were augménted by the deposits; and that the funds had been traced into the hands of the conservator. It was decreed that appellee’s claim was preferred against the old bank and the conservator, and the new bank was ordered to pay the amount of the claim with costs within five days of the entry of the decree. That time was later extended to thirty days.

We are first confronted with appellee’s motion to dismiss the appeal on the ground that appellant has not joined the new bank either as appellant or appellee. In Hightower v. American National Bank (C. C. A.) 276 F. 371, it was held that the liability of a bank and its shareholders was several rather than joint, so that the latter could appeal from a decree establishing a claim against the bank and ordering the shareholders to pay it without joining the bank or having” severance. The case was affirmed by the Supreme Court without discussion of this point. 263 U. S. 351, 44 S. Ct. 123, 68 L. Ed. 334. The liability there arose out of a statute imposing it upon all shareholders in a national bank, while here it arises out of a contract. The liability of the new bank, if any, was by virtue of its agreement with the conservator to pay preferred claims. This did not create a joint liability. Further, it appears that in fact, although the decree in the case at bar orders the new bank to pay the claim of appellee, the new bank really has no pecuniary interest in the controversy, in view of the fact that under the terms of the contract of reorganization it was entitled to receive from the conservator, before payment of any preferred claims, a corresponding amount of Class B assets or cash.- The record discloses the statement of the new bank that it did not contest the validity of the decree, and this, we think, was sufficient to constitute a waiver of its right to appeal, and eliminated the necessity of an order of severance, even if the decree had been joint. Cf. Richards v. American Bank (C. C. A.) 234 F. 300. Appellant, however, has by motion asked permission of this court to allow the new bank to enter its appearance, and for an order of severance. To this motion the new bank appeared and consented to the jurisdiction-of this court over its person, and to an order of severance, the same as if it had been entered in the trial court, to the entry of any decision, order or judgment necessary to the determination of any motion presented by either appellant or appellee, or to a final determination of this cause, the same as if it had been one of the parties to this appeal. This, we think, is not necessary, and appel-lee’s motion to dismiss the appeal is denied.

We think a trust ex maleficio did not arise by reason of the old bank accepting the deposits when it was not a designated United States depository for bankruptcy funds. A trustee in bankruptcy is vested by operation of law with the title to all the bankrupt’s property, except that which is exempt. 11 USCA § 110; Mueller v. Nugent, 184 U. S. 1, 22 S. Ct. 269, 46 L. Ed. 405. Ordinarily, when money is deposited in a designated depository bank by a trustee in bankruptcy, it is deposited as other money is, and becomes the property of the bank, leaving the bank a debtor for the amount. Gardner, Trustee, v.

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76 F.2d 950, 1935 U.S. App. LEXIS 2736, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/albright-v-mcdermott-ca7-1935.