Andrew v. Farmers State Bank

238 N.W. 425, 212 Iowa 1375
Supreme Court of Iowa·Decided October 20, 1931·No. No. 41110.·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

De Graff, J.

The plaintiff-appellant herein, L. A. Andrew, is the statutory receiver (Sec. 9242, Code, 1927) of the Farmers State Bank of Grand River, Iowa, insolvent. On January 29, 1931, the claimant, J. O. Jones, filed his claim in the sum of $700 in the receivership matter and prayed that his claim “be made a preferred claim against the assets of the Farmers State Bank of Grand River then in the hands of the receiver.” The preference was predicated on Section 11, Chapter 30, Acts of the 43d G. A. The primary facts were stipulated and it was agreed that the Farmers State Bank of Grand River, Iowa, was a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Iowa to do a general banking business and was doing a general banking business at Grand River on the 3d day of November, 1930. The bank closed its doors on November 28, 1930, and on December 3, 1930, the State Superintendent of Banking, L. A. Andrew, was appointed receiver of said bank. It was stipulated that at said time the bank was insolvent and that there was in the hands of the receiver a sum sufficient to pay the $700 claim of J. O. Jones, if the same is found to be á preferred claim.

The evidence discloses that J. O. Jones purchased from the Farmers State Bank of Grand River on the third day of November, 1930, a draft in words and figures as follows:

72-1101 No. 7828 ‘ ‘ Farmers State Bank
Grand River, la., Nov. 3, 1930.
Jones $700.00 Pay to the order of J. O:
— — 700 and 00 cts. Dollars Farmers State Bank Grand River, Iowa
Central National Bank and Trust Company Des Moines, Iowa.
A. E. Blair Cashier. ’'

It was stipulated that J. O. Jones was the owner and holder *1377 of said draft and owner of said claim and that same was due and unpaid. There seems to be some dispute between the respective attorneys in this cause whether the case is in equity or in law. The cause was tried to the court and was originally commenced by L. A. Andrew, Superintendent of Banking of the State of Iowa, against the Farmers State Bank of Grand River, to have a receiver appointed for said bank. The plaintiff was appointed as the receiver and J. O. Jones filed in the receivership proceeding a claim predicated on the draft heretofore set out wherein he asked a preference. Subsequently, the receiver of said bank classified the Jones claim as a general, claim to which Jones filed objection. For the purposes of this appeal, we will view the case as in equity. The trial court determined from the evidence that there were ample assets in the hands of the receiver to pay the claim of the applicant in full and to pay all other claims which were entitled to a preference and entered findings, judgment, and decree to that effect and adjudged that the claim of J. O. Jones be established as preferred and ordered the receiver to pay the said applicant his claim of $700 before he paid anything to the depositors or general creditors. It is from this judgment and order that the appellant-receiver appeals.

Our first inquiry necessarily concerns itself with the involved statutory provision (Sec. 11, Chap. 30, Acts of the 43d G. A.) which reads:

“Any draft, or cashiers’ check issued and drawn against actual existing values by^any bank or trust company prior to its failure or closing and given in payment of clearings and any money paid in the usual course of business to any bank, or trust company for the purchase of a draft for the bona fide transfer of funds shall be a preferred claim against the assets of the bank or trust company. ’ ’

It may be pointed out at this time that Section 11 of Chapter 30 aforesaid was amended by the 44th G. A., Chapter 202, by striking from lines 2 and 3 of said Section 11 the words “or cashiers’ check issued and drawn against actual existing values” and inserting in lieu thereof the words “drawn and issued.” The amended section is found in Section 9239-c1, Code of 1931. *1378 Chapter 202, Acts of the 44th G. A., was approved April 3, 1931, and became effective after publication thereof on April 9, 1931.

It is apparent that prior to the enactment of Chapter 30, the instant claimant’s status would have been that.of a general creditor and the relation of debtor and creditor would have existed between the claimant and the bank. The decisions of this court prior to the enactment of said Chapter 30 are sufficient to establish the foregoing statement of legal principle. Danbury State Bank v. Leach, 201 Iowa 321; Leach v. Citizens State Bank of Arthur, 202 Iowa 879; Leach v. Iowa State Savings Bank, 204 Iowa 497. These and similar decisions undoubtedly caused the legislature to enact Chapter 30, Acts of the 43d G. A., in an attempt to remedy the apparent injustice of such a rule and to recognize that a draft drawn and issued under the conditions named therein constitutes a preferred claim against the receiver of an insolvent bank. In passing it may be said that Chapter 30, aforesaid, prior to the instant appeal has called for interpretation but once in the court. It was held that the legislative -intent in the enactment of this Chapter was not applicable to private banks. See Ellis v. Citizens Bank of Carlisle, 211 Iowa 1082.

The evidence discloses that the draft in suit was bought by the claimant with money paid in the usual course of business to the Farmers State Bank of Grand River, which draft was to be used by claimant for a bona fide transfer of funds. There were ample assets of said bank to pay said draft. It is argued by the appellant that Section 11, Chapter 30, 43d G. A., should be given a strict construction by virtue of Section 64, Code, 1927. We do not so construe said section. Section 64, supra, reads as follows:

‘ ‘ Common-law rule of construction. The rule of the common law, that statutes in derogation thereof are to be strictly construed, has no application to this code. Its provisions and all proceedings under it shall be liberally construed with a view to promote its objects and assist the parties in obtaining justice.”

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Andrew v. Farmers State Bank, 238 N.W. 425, 212 Iowa 1375 (iowa 1931).

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