American National Bank v. Knab Co.

158 F. Supp. 695, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2783
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedFebruary 5, 1958
DocketCiv. A. No. 57-C-203
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 158 F. Supp. 695 (American National Bank v. Knab Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American National Bank v. Knab Co., 158 F. Supp. 695, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2783 (E.D. Wis. 1958).

Opinion

GRUBB, District Judge.

This case is before the court on plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. on the ground that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the affirmative defenses asserted by defendants are insufficient as a matter of law.

The action is for recovery of monies due the plaintiff from the defendants in accordance with the terms of a certain promissory note dated February 4, 1957, executed by the defendant The Knab Co., Inc., hereinafter referred to as the defendant company, as maker, and by the defendants Edward A. Knab, James V. Knab and Daniel C. Knab, as indorsers. The American National Bank of Fort [697]*697Lauderdale, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff bank, is the payee and owner and holder of this note, which is in the principal amount of $45,000 and which amount was paid by plaintiff bank to the defendant company.

The promissory note in question was made, executed and delivered by the defendants in the State of Florida and was payable at the offices of the plaintiff bank in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The defendants allege that the incidents leading up to the execution of the note were as follows: In April and May, 1956 the defendant company was employed as a subcontractor by Barnes-Richardson Construction Company, hereinafter referred to as Barnes-Richardson, to do certain construction work within the State of Florida. Thereafter the defendant company did furnish labor and materials pursuant to their agreement with Barnes-Richardson. Prior to the execution of the note in question, the defendant company made demand on Barnes-Richardson in the amount of $45,000 in accordance with their contract, but Barnes-Richardson represented it was unable to meet such demand. Subsequently, Barnes-Richardson related to defendant company that it was unable to obtain loans from the plaintiff bank because E. J. Richardson, an officer of Barnes-Richardson, was also an officer of plaintiff bank, but that the bank would be able to extend a loan to Barnes-Richardson indirectly through the defendant ■company. Thus, in order for Barnes-Richardson to pay its debt to the defend.ant company, the defendant company, Barnes-Richardson and plaintiff bank arranged for defendants to execute the note in question, but upon the contemporaneous oral agreement that the plaintiff bank was to look only to Barnes-Richardson for payment.

The individual defendants signed the note as indorsers. It is alleged by the individual defendants that they signed .as indorsers only on the agreement between plaintiff bank, Barnes-Richardson, and the defendant company that the note would be paid directly or indirectly by Bárnes-Richardson, and that- such endrosement was for record purposes only.

Plaintiff bank contends that even if these allegations be taken as true for the purposes of this motion, they are insufficient as a defense.

Defendants assert basically three defenses :

1. That delivery of the note was conditioned on payment of certain sums from Barnes-Richardson to the defendant company, more specifically, Barnes-Richardson’s payment to defendant company of the amount due on the note.

2. That defendant company was an accommodation maker, and that defendants Edward A. Knab, James V. Knab and Daniel C. Knab were accommodation indorsers.

3. The individual defendants contend that having the note in the possession of the plaintiff bank, at its office on the date of payment for payment is not sufficient presentment as to indorsers.

The first defense goes to the question of whether the defendants shall be allowed to show a parol agreement made prior to or contemporaneous with the execution of the note, to contradict the terms of a note which is unambiguous on its face.

The general rule is that the maker of the note for which there was consideration, will not be permitted to contradict or vary his written contract by showing a parol agreement that he was not to be liable upon the note. Bacon v. Green, 1895, 36 Fla. 325, 18 So. 870; Strickland v. Jewell, 1920, 80 Fla. 221, 85 So. 670; Forbes v. Ft. Lauderdale Mercantile Co., 1922, 83 Fla. 66, 90 So. 821; Anderson v. Ax, 1932, 104 Fla. 294, 139 So. 798; Fannin v. Fritter, 1937, 127 Fla. 97, 172 So. 691.

Counsel for the defendants urges this case comes within the exception to the parol evidence rule provided by section 674.18, Fla.Stat.Ann., which reads as follows:

“Every contract on a negotiable instrument is incomplete and revocable until delivery of the instrument [698]*698for the purpose of giving effect thereto. As between immediate parties, and as regards a remote party other than a holder in due course, the delivery in order to be effectual must be made either by or under the authority of the party making, drawing, accepting or indorsing, as the case may be; and in such case the delivery may be shown to have been conditional, or for a special purpose only, and not for the purpose of transferring the property in the instrument. But where the instrument is in the hands of a holder in due course, a valid delivery thereof by all parties prior to him so as to make them liable to him is conclusively presumed. And where the instrument is no longer in the possession of a party whose signature appears thereon, a valid and intentional delivery by him is presumed until the contrary is proved.”

It follows that parol evidence of a contemporaneous agreement would be admissible where the agreement was not to limit the legal effect of the terms of the note, but to limit the character of its delivery prior to its becoming a completed note. This rule applies to agreements in which the note does not become effective until after the happening of a condition precedent.

In attempting to bring this case within such application, defendants cite Cockrell v. Taylor, 1936, 122 Fla. 798, 165 So. 887, 105 A.L.R. 1338, for the proposition that a defendant maker may show by parol evidence that the plaintiff payee was to look for payment of the note in question only out of funds to be paid the maker by a third party.

However, counsel overlooked the controlling facts of the Cockrell case that no consideration passed contemporaneous with the execution of the note in question. The promissory note there involved represented the commission payee would receive if and when the buyer of defendant’s property made deferred payments for the land sold. Thus, Florida’s high court held the note was conditional upon the payment for said real estate.

In the case now before the court the plaintiff bank paid the sum of $45,000 as consideration for the execution and delivery of the note in question. Consideration having passed contemporaneous with the execution of the note, the instrument was a completed note with legal effect. Defendants’ contention that there was a condition of delivery is not sustained. The alleged condition related to payment, not to delivery.

The use of the phrase “and not for the purpose of transferring the property in the instrument”, (Section 674.18, Fla.Stat.Ann.) clearly means the right to set up by parol conditions; parol conditions as to delivery, not parol conditions to vary the terms of the written instrument.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 F. Supp. 695, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2783, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-national-bank-v-knab-co-wied-1958.