Brouwers v. Allied Paper Mills

278 N.W. 655, 283 Mich. 478, 1938 Mich. LEXIS 436
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedApril 4, 1938
DocketDocket No. 18, Calendar No. 39,780.
StatusPublished

This text of 278 N.W. 655 (Brouwers v. Allied Paper Mills) 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
Brouwers v. Allied Paper Mills, 278 N.W. 655, 283 Mich. 478, 1938 Mich. LEXIS 436 (Mich. 1938).

Opinion

North, J.

Plaintiff filed a bill of complaint asking that stock certificate No. 2,147 for 200 shares of the Allied Paper Mills, now in the name of William Westveer as one of the trustees for the segregated assets of the First State Bank of Holland, Michigan, be canceled and that a certificate for 100 shares of this stock be issued to her. She also asks for an accounting for dividends paid to the trustees. The defendant Holland State Bank has succeeded to and possesses some of the assets formerly held by the First State Bank of Holland. A decree was entered in the circuit court dismissing the bill of complaint, and plaintiff has appealed.

In August, 1926, the Wolverine Furniture Company was indebted on promissory notes to the First State Bank in the amount of $9,000. This indebtedness was canceled by the payment of $1,000 in cash and by each of the four indorsers on the furniture company notes giving to the bank his personal note for $2,000. Sikke Brouwers, one of the indorsers and husband of plaintiff, executed his note for $2,000 and delivered it to the bank September 14, 1926. March 8,1927, $250 was paid on this note, and for the balance of the obligation a note for $1,750 was executed by plaintiff and her son-in-law, Mr. Eli Cross. Thereafter until August 26,1930, renewal notes were signed every six months by Sikke Brouwers. Al *480 though plaintiff at the trial denied remembering her part in the execution of the $1,750 note, still her testimony is not at all convincing. Portions of it indicate she knew all about the transaction. But in other portions she denies any knowledge concerning it. This note, presumably having been returned to either Mr. or Mrs. Brouwers, was not produced at the hearing.

When the $2,000 note was given to the bank by Sikke Brouwers he turned over as collateral a stock certificate issued January 6, 1922, to S. and D. Brouwers, representing 200 shares in the Allied Paper Mills. This stock was issued prior to the enactment of our present statutory provision governing the character of ownership of stock issued to a husband and wife (3 Comp. Laws 1929, § 13071); and counsel concede that plaintiff and her husband held this stock as tenants in common. When the certificate was delivered to the bank as collateral it bore the signature of Sikke Brouwers and under his signature appeared the name “D. Brouwer.” The testimony does not show who placed “D. Brouwer” on the certificate. Plaintiff denies having signed it. So far as appears from the testimony the bank officers did not know who wrote the signature “D. Brouwer ’ ’ upon the certificate. It came to the bank as collateral to Sikke Brouwers’ note in the regular course of business and the genuineness of the indorsement was not questioned. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Brouwers had previously done business with the bank and hence the signature “D. Brouwer” was not recognized at the bank as being or not being that of plaintiff. In passing upon this phase of the case the trial judge said:

“Plaintiff’s denial of the indorsement of the certificate, exhibit A, supported as it is by other ex- *481 Mbits containing ber undoubted signatures, satisfies me that ber apparent signature on exhibit A is not genuine. But that is not tbe whole story. Sbe seeks equitable relief and must satisfy all the applicable maxims and rules. Is sbe estopped or otherwise precluded from receiving tbe relief sought?”

Mrs. Brouwers testified that sbe and ber husband held stock jointly in tbe Wolverine Furniture Company and that ber husband “looked after tbe interests” of Mmself and plaintiff “mostly.” Previous to tbe transaction here in suit Mr. and Mrs. Brouwers bad owned two other certificates of stock in tbe Allied Paper Mills, No. 670 for 126 shares and No. 668 for 200 shares. Tbe first of these two certificates was sold to tbe son-in-law and was indorsed by both plaintiff and ber husband; but plaintiff seems to have bad no information concerning tbe ownership of tbe other certificate and she did not indorse it at tbe time it was sold.

Tbe testimony is uncertain as to when plaintiff first learned about tbe pledge of tbe stock here in suit, but sbe sets tbe time as either in 1927 or 1928. Sbe testified that sbe knew of it when tbe $250 was paid on the note in 1927. That was at tbe time that tbe first renewal note was executed by plaintiff and ber son-in-law. However, plaintiff asserts that tbe first time sbe knew that ber purported signature was on tbe certificate was when sbe went to tbe bank after ber husband’s death. This was in 1933 and sbe asked at tbe bank that sbe be permitted to see tbe certificate. Sbe testified that sbe then told tbe bank officer, Mr. Wickers, that tbe indorsement on tbe certificate “D. Brouwer” was not ber signature. Mr. Wickers testified that be bad no recollection of plaintiff having so stated. In 1936 plaintiff first learned that tbe stock in question bad been trans- *482 f erred to William Westveer. Notwithstanding plaintiff admits knowledge of the challenged indorsement in 1933, she took no action until this suit was started in January, 1937. In this connection she testified that she did not think the bank could sell this stock because “I didn’t sign it.”

The circuit judge in granting a decree dismissing plaintiff’s bill of complaint planted decision on the ground that plaintiff was estopped from now asserting that she is not bound by the indorsement ££D. Brouwer.” Plaintiff’s apparent attitude as a witness and the contradiction in testimony given by her seriously challenge her integrity. The trial judge evidently discredited her testimony. Under such circumstances this court on appeal is fully justified in construing her testimony in the light most unfavorable to her. With this in mind we quote a portion of plaintiff’s testimony:

“Q. And you knew of his (plaintiff’s husband) having stock ownership in the Wolverine Furniture Company of Zeeland, didn’t you?

“A. Ido.

‘ ‘ Q. Did you hold stock in there too ?

“A. Yes. It was jointly, I guess, so far as I know.

£ £ Q. But he handled these matters relating to his affairs and yours, all your interests or joint interests in that institution, didn’t he?

“A. Well, I don’t know what to say as to that. # # #

“Q. You didn’t have anything to do with the management of your interests or his in connection with that company, did you?

“A. Not at all.

“Q. You left that to him, didn’t you?

“A. My husband and I always got along well together. I considered him honest. He always dealt fairly with me and other people.

*483 “Q. You don’t know of anything irregular or dishonest in the handling of his matters with the First State Bank, do you? * * *

“A. No, I don’t. * * *

“Q. You knew at the time of the settlement that was made with the First State Bank when they took over Brouwers’ note for $2,000 with jfchis stock as collateral, didn’t you?

“A. No I didn’t

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Bluebook (online)
278 N.W. 655, 283 Mich. 478, 1938 Mich. LEXIS 436, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brouwers-v-allied-paper-mills-mich-1938.