Brown v. United States & Brazil Mail Steamship Co.

8 Misc. 562, 28 N.Y.S. 642, 31 Abb. N. Cas. 392, 59 N.Y. St. Rep. 466
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1894
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Misc. 562 (Brown v. United States & Brazil Mail Steamship Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. United States & Brazil Mail Steamship Co., 8 Misc. 562, 28 N.Y.S. 642, 31 Abb. N. Cas. 392, 59 N.Y. St. Rep. 466 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1894).

Opinion

O’Brien, J.

This is a motion by the permanent receiver of the defendant company for an order for delivery to him of certain moneys deposited with the Central Trust Company.

[563]*563Brown Brothers & Co. were creditors of the steamship company for the amount of certain drafts, accepted and paid hy them, drawn on letters of credit issued. On receiving these letters of credit, the steamship company delivered to Brown Brothers & Co. an agreement to make good the amount of any drafts drawn, and as collateral security for such payment pledged all freight moneys earned and to he earned.

The Atlantic Trust Company was trustee of a mortgage executed hy the steamship company, which covered five ships, and, among other things, all contracts and property, and all tolls, income, profits, etc., arising out of such properties, and the right to collect and recover the same.

Certain bankers other than Brown Brothers & Co. had also issued letters - of credit to the steamship company and paid drafts thereunder, and claimed to be entitled to a specific lien or claim upon the freight moneys earned by the company.

In February, 1893, this action was commenced by Brown Brothers & Co. to enforce their pledge and to procure the appointment of a receiver of the freight moneys, some of which were already in the possession of the steamship company or its agents, and others of which were in process of being earned, the vessels being at sea and not having then arrived in the port of Hew York. The Atlantic Trust Company intervened as a defendant, asserting that its right was superior to that of the other claimants to the specific interest in these moneys.

Thereupon a stipulation was entered into, of which the following is a copy:

“N. Y. SUPREME COURT.
“John Crosby Brown and Others v. United States & Brazil Mail Steamship Company.
“ The plaintiff having applied for the appointment of a receiver for freight moneys received or to be received by the defendant, upon the allegations set forth in the complaint, and the Atlantic Trust Company, as trustee of the mortgage of the defendant, dated July 1, 1889, having applied for leave to [564]*564intervene as a party defendant, which application is not opposed by the other parties, claiming certain alleged equities in or liens upon said fund, upon the allegations contained in the petition for intervention, and the defendant stating that claims for certain equities in or liens upon said fund are also made by other persons making such claims and alleging that the same arise under or by reason of certain bankers’ credits issued to the defendant by certain bankers in the city of New York;
“ And the defendant conceding that some or all of the parties and persons above named or referred to is or are entitled to the possession of said freight moneys, whether or not already received by the defendant, but that the said defendant is unable to determine which of said several claimants, is. entitled to such moneys or any part thereof as against each other;
“ Now, it is stipulated and agreed, by and in behalf of all the parties hereto by their attorneys, for the benefit of them and of all the persons above referred to, that there be forthwith deposited in the Central Trust Company in the city of New York, to the credit of this action, all the freight moneys now in possession of the said defendant or its agents, Paul F. Gerhardt & Co., as well as all freight moneys hereafter to be received by the said defendant or its said agents, or any person claiming under them or either of them or in their behalf, on account of the ships Kate, Joshua Nicholson, Segurcmca, Elsie, Etherley, and any and all other ships owned, operated or chartered by said defendant, such moneys to be kept as a separate fund by the said trust company, subject to the further order of this court, either of the parties herein named or above referred to, upon intervention herein and upon notice to the other parties, being authorized to apply to the court for’ any such further order.
“ It is further agreed that either of the parties hereto may, without further notice, enter an order herein in accordance with the foregoing stipulation.
“Dated New York, March 15th, 1893.”

[565]*565The order for the deposit of freight moneys which are the subject of this application directs that: The defendant, the Hnited States & Brazil Mail Steamship Company, forthwith deposit with the Central Trust Company of New York, to the credit of this action, which trust company is hereby designated as depository for such purpose, all the freight moneys now in possession of the defendant or its agents, Paul F. Gerhardt & Co., as well as all freight moneys hereafter to be received by the said defendant or its agents, or any person claiming under them or either of them or in their behalf, on account of the ships Kate, Joshua Nicholson, Beguranca, Elsie and Ebherley, and any and all other ships owned, operated or chartered by the defendant, such moneys to be kept as a separate fund by the said trust company, subject to the further order of this court, and it is further ordered that either of the parties in said stipulation named or therein referred to, upon intervention herein, upon notice to the other parties hereto, be and tney are hereby authorized to apply to this court for any such further order.”

■This order for the deposit of freight moneys yas made on March 15, 1893, and three days after H. W. Gray was appointed temporary receiver of the steamship company in a judgment creditor’s action then pending in this court, .and an order was subsequently made allowing such receiver to intervene in this action, and such receiver thereafter did intervene and answered, taking issue with the plaintiffs and claiming to be entitled to possession of and to administer the fund.

On March 6, 1894, the temporary receiver was made permanent receiver of the defendant corporation, and on the following day gave notice to all the parties of this application.

Although the bulk of the money now on deposit with the trust company under the stipulation was deposited prior to the appointment of the temporary receiver, it is conceded that a small portion of it was collected and deposited after such appointment.

If there were no facts other than those above stated, then, though there might be much force in the suggestion that the [566]*566moneys deposited subsequent to bis appointment should be transferred to the receiver, still, I think that, with respect to the moneys deposited prior to his appointment, they should be retained by the trust company under the terms of the stipulation to the credit of this action, wherein the rights of all the parties would be determined and the fund accordingly distributed. In addition, however, it is made to appear that besides the freight moneys collected and deposited, certain other freight moneys were collected and retained by owners of several of the vessels chartered to the defendant company, and, for the purpose of reaching such moneys, an application was made to enjoin such owners from collecting the freight moneys, and to direct them to deposit the same to the credit of this action with the trust company.

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Bluebook (online)
8 Misc. 562, 28 N.Y.S. 642, 31 Abb. N. Cas. 392, 59 N.Y. St. Rep. 466, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-united-states-brazil-mail-steamship-co-nysupct-1894.