Bossert v. Fletcher American National Bank

197 N.E. 708, 100 Ind. App. 557, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 67
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 15, 1935
DocketNo. 15,011.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 197 N.E. 708 (Bossert v. Fletcher American National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bossert v. Fletcher American National Bank, 197 N.E. 708, 100 Ind. App. 557, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 67 (Ind. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

Curtis, P. J.

The appellant brought this action in replevin in his capacity as receiver of the partnership known as J. P. Kennedy & Company, to recover the immediate possession of certain promissory notes executed by various makers to the said J. P. Kennedy & Company and by it pledged to the appellee as collateral security for a loan. The second paragraph of complaint upon which the case rests (the first paragraph *558 having been dismissed by the appellant) contains the following allegations among others : That said “partnership was engaged in the business of owning and operating a banking business in the. town of Liberty, Union County, in the State of Indiana, under the. firm name of J. P. Kennedy and Company and which banking house and business, owned and conducted by said firm and partnership, was known as Citizens Bank. ... and that “said Citizens Bank, owned and conducted by said partnership of J. P. Kennedy and Company, was at all times mentioned herein a private bank and subject to the laws of the State of Indiana governing private banks . . It is further alleged'.that “said J. P. Kennedy and Company, shortly prior to the closing of said bank, executed and delivered to the defendant herein its certain promissory notes in the principal amount of Thirty-four Thousand Dollars ($34,-000.00), and pledged as collateral security for the payment thereof the following described promissory notes made payable by the makers thereof to said J. P. Kennedy and Company, and which notes are more particularly described as follows:” Here follows a detailed statement and general description of said notes' and also the following allegations: “Plaintiff further alleges that at the time that said notes, herein described, :were delivered by said J. P. Kennedy and Company to said defendant, the depositors in said bank had a first lien on all of said notes, herein described, in case said bank was wound up, to the amount of their several deposits; that said bank is now being liquidated, and that said lien is now and has at all times been, in existence in favor of the depositors of said bank, and- that said defendant took said notes herein mentioned; subject to said statutory lien, and that said notes herein mentioned, now being required for payment of the claims of depositors in said bank, said receiver is .entitled.- to *559 the possession thereof, and for and on behalf of said depositors he is the lawful owner thereof, and said defendant has no right,' claim, or interest in or to said notes.

Plaintiff further alleges that said defendant is not a depositor of said bank owned and operated by said J. P. Kennedy and Company, and that said defendant is only a general creditor of such partnership.

■Plaintiff further alleges that said ■ property. has not been; taken for a tax assessment or fine, pursuant to a statute; that the same has not'been seized under execution or attachment against the property of this plain-., tiff; that the estimated value of said property is Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) ; that said property is believed to be detained in said Marion County, State of Indiana.” The complaint ends with the usual allegations as to ownership, right of possession, wrongful de^tention, demand and damages.

To the above paragraph of complaint the appellee addressed a demurrer upon the ground of insufficient facts to state a cause of action. The specifications of the memorandum of the demurrer are as follows:

I.

“It affirmatively appears from said paragraph of complaint that defendant holds the promissory notes sought to be replevied under and by virtue of a valid contract of- pledge.

II.

“It affirmatively appears from the allegations of said paragraph'of complaint that the defendant is the holder in due course of the promissory notes sought to be replevied.

III.

“No facts are.pleaded, nor allegations made, in said paragraph-of complaint, to show that defendant, prior *560 to accepting the pledge or hypothecation of said promissory notes, or prior to loaning money to the partnership described in said paragraph of complaint, was on any notice, or had any information, that said partnership was not in fact the owner of said promissory notes, or that said partnership did not have full right and power to make a valid pledge thereof.

IV.

“Said paragraph of complaint affirmatively shows that said promissory notes were made, by the makers thereof, to said partnership, and that said partnership assigned, pledged and delivered the same to the defendant, and said paragraph of complaint fails to plead that any of said notes were past due when the same were assigned, pledged and delivered to the defendant, or that the defendant did not give value for the pledge, assignment and delivery thereof.

V.

“Said paragraph of complaint fails to allege that the defendant knew, or was put upon notice, that said promissory notes sought to be replevied belonged to said Citizens Bank, mentioned in said complaint, or that said notes did not in fact belong to said bank.

VI.

“No facts are pleaded showing that the lien of defendant’s said pledge is in any respect void, voidable, invalid or unenforceable.

VII.

“Said paragraph of complaint shows affirmatively that J. P. Kennedy and Company is a partnership, that certain individuals compose said partnership, that said partnership owned and operated said Citizens Bank, that the plaintiff is the receiver of said partnership, and that said partnership and said bank were separate *561 and distinct entities, either of which was capable at law of transacting business and did transact business.

VIII.

“Said paragraph of complaint fails to allege that the only business or property owned by said partnership, known as J. P. Kennedy and Company, was said Citizens Bank, or that the only business transacted by said partnership was the operation and management of said Citizens Bank.

IX.

“It affirmatively appears from said paragraph of complaint thsit the notes sought to be replevied never were assets of the Citizens Bank, a private bank organized and doing business under Chapter 113 of the Acts of the Sixty-Fifth Regular Session of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, and' therefore are not and never were subject to any lien in favor of the depositors in such bank.

X.

“The lien upon assets of a private bank organized under the laws of the State of Indiana, such as said Citizens Bank, imposed by said Chapter 113 of the Acts of the Sixty-Fifth Regular Session of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, attaches only at, and not prior to, the winding up of such bank, and upon the assets then owned by such bank; and it affirmatively appears from the allegations of said paragraph of complaint that the notes sought to be replevied were not assets of said bank, if ever, at the time it was wound up.

XI.

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Related

Bossert v. Fletcher American National Bank
197 N.E. 711 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1935)

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Bluebook (online)
197 N.E. 708, 100 Ind. App. 557, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bossert-v-fletcher-american-national-bank-indctapp-1935.