Beck v. Junction City State Bank

40 P.2d 1017, 37 P.2d 1089, 149 Or. 352, 1934 Ore. LEXIS 220
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 7, 1934
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 40 P.2d 1017 (Beck v. Junction City State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beck v. Junction City State Bank, 40 P.2d 1017, 37 P.2d 1089, 149 Or. 352, 1934 Ore. LEXIS 220 (Or. 1934).

Opinions

CAMPBELL, J.

This is an action to recover the possession of two certain bonds, a City of Marshfield *353 bond for $500, bearing six per cent interest, and a Morrow county bond, bearing five and one-half per cent interest, which plaintiff alleges he delivered for safekeeping only to the Junction City State Bank at Junction City, Lane county, Oregon, on October 22, 1929, under the express agreement and understanding that they should be delivered to plaintiff on demand. On February 11, 1932, the bank became insolvent and was taken over by defendant A. A. Schramm, state superintendent of banks, for the purpose of liquidation. Subsequent to that date, plaintiff demanded the return of said bonds of defendant, but was refused. On June 16, 1932, plaintiff filed with defendant A. A. Schramm “his petition in writing wherein and whereby plaintiff demanded that the bonds be delivered to him”, but that defendant refused to comply with his demand. He then alleges that said bonds are in possession of defendant A. A. Schramm as such superintendent. There is an allegation that the bank collected some interest and there are interest coupons attached to and a part of the bonds he seeks to recover. He further alleges that defendant Schramm was duly notified of his intention to begin this action more than 10 days before the complaint was filed.

Defendants’ answer amounted to a general denial except as admitted in the further and separate answer and defense. It is then alleged in the answer in effect: The organization of the bank; its insolvency; the assumption of control on February 11, 1932, by the superintendent of banks .for the purpose of liquidation; that the said superintendent of banks published and mailed the notices required by law for the time and in the manner prescribed by statute; the date of the first publication of said notices was February 5, 1932, and the last publication May 26,1932; that on June 16,1932, *354 plaintiff filed a claim with defendant A. A. Schramm claiming to he the owner of the two bonds described in the complaint; on the same date filed in the circuit court for Lane county his duly “verified petition and claim for preference wherein plaintiff asserted a preferred claim for said two bonds” and on said date filed a duplicate of said petition with defendant A. A. Schramm; that this claim was thereafter rejected and the petition denied by defendant Schramm; notice of the rejection of said claim was duly mailed by registered mail to plaintiff. Plaintiff on September 2, 1932, filed in said circuit court a motion for review of the action of defendant A. A. Schramm in rejecting said claim; defendant A. A. Schramm filed a motion to dismiss said motion for review and that thereafter said circuit court dismissed said proceeding.

It is further alleged that no other proceedings were taken by plaintiff; that he failed to file with the superintendent of banks any petition for preference within 90 days from the date of the first publication of the notice given by the superintendent as above alleged; that by reason of the above proceedings initiated by plaintiff before the superintendent of banks and in the circuit court plaintiff should now be estopped from prosecuting this action.

Defendant further alleges that the foregoing proceedings before the superintendent of banks and in the circuit court is an adjudication of all the questions presented by plaintiff’s complaint in the instant case. Defendant further pleads that this action has not been commenced within the time limited by statute.

Thereafter, plaintiff duly filed a reply denying all the material allegations of the new matter in the answer.

*355 "When the canse came on for hearing, defendant moved for a judgment on the pleadings which motion was allowed in the following order entered:

“* * * and it appearing to the Court that plaintiff’s action was not commenced within the time provided by Chapter 278 of the Laws of Oregon for 1931, and therefore was not entitled to maintain this cause,
“IT IS THEREFORE CONSIDERED AND ORDERED that said motion * * * be * * * sustained and judgment is hereby rendered in favor of defendants * * * for their costs and disbursements.”

The only question presented by the pleadings and the briefs upon this appeal is, whether a person attempting to recover personal property from an insolvent bank which has been delivered to the bank as bailee or for safekeeping is required to file a claim for preference with the superintendent of banks within the meaning of § 22-2009, Oregon Code 1930, as amended by Chapter 278, Oregon Laws, 1931.

The plaintiff contends that he is not now claiming, nor did he at any time claim, a preference as to any of the assets of the bank. Defendant in his answer claims that plaintiff did file such a claim. Plaintiff in his reply denied the allegations of the answer.

The statute prescribes the duty of the superintendent of banks in administering his possession and control of an insolvent bank in respect to safety deposit boxes and personal property in possession of the bank as bailee.

‘ ‘ Should any bank, at the time the superintendent of banks takes possession of its property and business, have in its possession, as bailee, for safekeeping and storage, any * * * bonds, * * * the superintendent of banks may at any time thereafter cause to be mailed to the person claiming to be or appearing *356 upon its books to be tbe owner of such property, * * * a notice in writing * * * directed to such person at his postoffice address as recorded upon its books, notifying such person to remove, within a period fixed by said notice not less than 90 days from the date thereof, all such personal property. Upon the date fixed by said notice, the contract, if any, between such person and the bank for the storage of said property * * * shall cease and determine. * * * If any such bonds, * * * be not removed within the time fixed by the notice of the superintendent of banks, he shall retain the same for a period of six months thereafter unless removed by the owner prior thereto and thereafter may sell the same under the direction of the circuit court and shall hold the proceeds of such sale for the benefit of the owner of such bonds * * *. Two years after the final order closing the liquidation of the bank * * * any such funds which have not been claimed may be disposed of in the same manner as this act prescribes for unclaimed dividends and deposits. * * #.” Oregon Code 1930, § 22-2016.

The statute further provides that unclaimed deposits and credits after a certain length of time shall escheat to the state: Oregon Code 1930, § 22-2018.

If the allegations in plaintiff’s complaint are true, the bonds described therein never were and never would become a part of the assets of the bank.

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Related

Harrisburg National Bank v. Skinner
73 P.2d 363 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1937)
Beck v. Junction City State Bank
40 P.2d 1017 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1934)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 P.2d 1017, 37 P.2d 1089, 149 Or. 352, 1934 Ore. LEXIS 220, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beck-v-junction-city-state-bank-or-1934.