Bessenger v. Wenzel

125 N.W. 750, 161 Mich. 61, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 837
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedApril 1, 1910
DocketDocket No. 100
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 125 N.W. 750 (Bessenger v. Wenzel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bessenger v. Wenzel, 125 N.W. 750, 161 Mich. 61, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 837 (Mich. 1910).

Opinion

Moore, J.

On September 11, 1907, suit was instituted in this cause by declaration in assumpsit on all the common counts and with a notice attached that the plaintiff would offer in evidence a certain promissory note, in words and figures as follows:

“$2,000.00. Detroit, Mich., April 10, 1907.
“Ninety days after date we promise to pay to Frank L. Bessenger, or order, two thousand dollars, at German American Bank.
“Value received, with 6 per cent, interest per annum.
[Signed] ■ “Marvel Motor Car Co.,
“By W. J. Looman,
“ Secy. & Treas.”
[62]*62Written across the end of the note and on the face thereof: “Engelbert Venderbush.” Indorsed on the
back of said note: “Paul Wenzel. J. C. Forster. W. J. Looman. Engelbert Venderbush.”

The defendant Paul Wenzel pleaded the general issue, with the following notice:

“You will please take notice mat, upon the trial of the above cause, the defendant Paul Wenzel will give in evidence and insist upon in his defense that, if he signed the instrument set forth in the declaration in this cause, that the same was signed by him as accommodation indorser, without consideration; that neither at the maturity of the said instrument nor within a reasonable time thereafter was notice of the nonpayment of said instrument given to this defendant, nor any demand made upon him for the payment thereof; that since the maturity of said instrument the Marvel Motor Car Company, the maker of the said note, has become insolvent, and bankruptcy proceedings have been instituted against said company — all of which facts this defendant will claim has released and discharged him from liability as indorser as aforesaid.”

The defendants Venderbush and Looman pleaded the general issue, with the following notice:

“You will please take notice that on the trial of this cause the said defendants William J. Looman and Engelbert Venderbush will give in evidence under the general issue, above pleaded, and insist in their defense, that no notice of protest for nonpayment of said note has been given these defendants; and at no time have said defendants been served with a notice of protest for nonpayment of the instrument set forth in plaintiff’s declaration, and his bill of particulars, and no notice of nonpayment of the same by the makers thereof has been given to or served upon said defendants in the manner required by the statutes of the State of Michigan, and the law merchant thereof.”

The case was tried before a jury. Plaintiff obtained judgment for the amount of the note. The case is brought here by writ of error.

The plaintiff admitted that he did not present the note at the bank the day it became due. The parties to this [63]*63suit were all stockholders in the Marvel Motor Car Company. It is the claim of plaintiff that several days before the note matured it was talked between the parties to this litigation that the maker of the note would be unable to pay it when it matured, and that it would have to be renewed ; that they all knew upon the day of its maturity that there was no money in the bank with which to pay the note, and that at no time upon the day of its maturity was there as much as $90 in the bank, and that the maker of the note had no way to get funds there to pay it. It is his further claim that it was agreed by the indorsers who were also directors in the Marvel Motor Car Company, on the day the note matured, that it should be renewed; that upon the following day $30 as interest was paid to him; and that he was then assured by the defendants that the note he had was just as good as though it was renewed. He gave testimony tending to establish his claim.

Mr. Munz testified, in part:

“Q. Let us see what transpired at the meeting. Did Mr. Bessenger come in and have his note with him, do you know, that evening ?
“A. I did not see him show it.”

Witness continues:

“He said he wanted $200, and that he was willing if they gave him $200 to extend the payment of the other $1,800. Whoever were present said they could not pay the $200, but they would give him a renewal note for the total sum. I think that was agreed to by Mr. Bessenger. I think he agreed to come down the next day and have the new note made out by Miss Burley, the bookkeeper, for the full sum and get his interest.”

On the part of the defendant, while it was admitted there was less than $90 in the bank when the note matured, it is denied that defendants agreed to renew the note either before or after its maturity, or that they did anything by which its presentment was waived, or that the indorsers assured plaintiff at the time the $30 of inter[64]*64est was paid that the note was as good as a renewal would be. We quote from the brief of appellants sufficient to show their contention:

“We have quoted from the testimony at length, because we believe that the plaintiff has failed to prove by clear and unequivocal evidence such facts as would be sufficient to constitute a waiver, and because it must be apparent from the plaintiff’s own testimony that the minds of the parties never met either with reference to a renewal or with reference to any agreement on the part of the indorsers relative to a continuation of their liability on the note in question. * * * Conceding that the facts as detailed by the plaintiff are true, one of the most important elements of an implied waiver is lacking. We have seen that the doctrine of implied waiver is closely associated with that of estoppel, and, unless the plaintiff was induced before or on the day of maturity by some act or language on the part of defendants from making presentment, his claim must fail. * * * Under his own testimony, the statements which plaintiff relies upon as constituting waiver were not made until the time for presentment had passed, and the important element of estoppel is lacking. * * *
“It affirmatively appears from plaintiff’s testimony that defendants expected that he would take the necessary steps to protect himself. He says they were ‘ surprised ’ and ‘ relieved ’ on the 10th, when he told them he had not protested it. This testimony also indicates that defendants did not act with full knowledge of the facts — an important essential of the plaintiff’s case. •* * *
“Conceding, for the purposes of the argument, that the claim of waiver made by the plaintiff was a question of fact for the jury, we submit that the case was not fairly presented by the trial judge. Defendants requested the court to charge the jury as follows:
‘“I charge you, gentlemen of the jury, that the promissory note sued upon in this action was upon its face made payable at the German American Bank of this city, and that it was incumbent upon the plaintiff to present said note for payment at such bank during banking hours, unless the maker thereof did not have funds at such bank, with which to meet the note during that day, in which cáse presentment at any hour before the bank closed on that day is-sufficient,' but that presentment of such note at such bank, unless waived by the defendants, was absolutely necessary at some

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
125 N.W. 750, 161 Mich. 61, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 837, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bessenger-v-wenzel-mich-1910.