Caneer v. Kent

119 S.W.2d 214, 342 Mo. 878, 1938 Mo. LEXIS 358
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedAugust 17, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 119 S.W.2d 214 (Caneer v. Kent) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caneer v. Kent, 119 S.W.2d 214, 342 Mo. 878, 1938 Mo. LEXIS 358 (Mo. 1938).

Opinion

*881 TIPTON, J.

Appellant filed her petition in the Circuit Court of Dunklin County, Missouri, and by ber action sbe sought to enjoin tbe foreclosure of a parcel of real estate situated in that county and to cancel a note and a deed of trust on same. On a change of venue, tbe cause was sent to tbe Circuit Court of Butler County, and that court rendered a judgment in favor of respondents.

Appellant became tbe purchaser of all tbe assets of tbe Caneer Store Company in July, 1927, at a bankruptcy sale.

On June 7, 1915, the Caneer Store Company executed its promissory note for $18,000, due January 15, 1916, secured by a deed of trust on real estate located in Senatb, Missouri, and payable to tbe Senter Commission Company of St. Louis, Missouri, respondent. T. B. Kent is tbe trustee named in tbe deed of trust.

Tbe Caneer Store Company was organized as a corporation September 19, 1904, and was engaged in tbe retail mercantile business in Senatb, Missouri. It bought cotton in that locality and shipped it to tbe Senter Commission Company in St. Louis and they sold it. Tbe Senter Commission Company made advancements to tbe Caneer Company in various amounts at different times. The note in question was given to take up tbe indebtedness which tbe Caneer Company owed respondent, which amounted to approximately $9000', leaving tbe balance in respondent’s bands. Later, drafts were honored by respondent in various amounts, and at one time tbe Caneer Company owed it an open account of nearly $48,000. This was eventually paid by tbe sale of cotton, and on February 2, 1920, there was a balance due tbe Caneer Company of $5864.97, which was on that date credited on tbe $18,000 note. Tbe foreclosure was started on November 14, 1930.

It is admitted that appellant stands in tbe same position as the Caneer Company. Other pertinent facts will be stated in tbe course of this opinion.

I. First, it is tbe contention of appellant that tbe note was fully paid by overcharges on interest and insurance which respondent charged tbe Caneer Company, and also by tbe failure of respondent to get tbe Caneer Company proper credits for freight rebates from April 27, 1905, to February 2, 1920. "We are convinced that tbe substantial evidence in this case fails to sustain appellant in this contention, but because of tbe view we take of this case, it will not be necessary to discuss this evidence because tbe note was given in payment of all indebtedness prior to June 7, 1915. If appellant were correct in ber contention in regard to the overcharges of interest and insurance premiums subsequent to that date, tbe amount would not be sufficient to pay tbe note. Tbe giving of tbe note made an account stated between tbe parties for indebtedness prior to that date.

*882 ‘"When parties, having mutual matters of account between them, growing out of a contract, deliberately account together and state a balance, and the party who, on such accounting, is found indebted to the other pays the debt or gives a written obligation for its payment this settlement is so far conclusive between the parties that it cannot be reopened or gone into, either at law or in equity, except upon clear proof of fraud, or mistake, or of an express understanding that certain matters were left open for future adjustment.’ [Pickel v. St. Louis Chamber of Commerce Assn., 10 Mo. App. l. c. 194. See, also, Knox v. Whalley, 1 Esp. 159; Bull v. Harris, 31 Ill. 489; Lee v. Reed, 4 Dana, 111; Hodges v. Hosford, 17 Vt. 615; Darlington v. Taylor, 3 Grant’s Cases, 195; Martin v. Beckwith, 4 Wis. 220; Gibson v. Hanna, 12 Mo. 165; Cogswell v. Whittlesey, 1 Boot, 384; Sergeant v. Ewing, 36 Pa. St. 156; Nicholson & Co. v. Pelanne Bros., 14 La. Ann. 508.] ” [McCormick v. Transit Ry. Co., 154 Mo. 191, l. c. 201.]

As the above authority shows, this account stated cannot be set aside except for fraud or mistake. Appellant does not attempt to set it aside on either ground, but, on the contrary, ratifies the settlement by trying to prove payment of the note. Moreover, if the issue of fraud were before us in setting aside this account stated, the evidence would not be sufficient to sustain appellant’s contentions.

In regard to the rebates of freight charges, W. T. Caneer, vice president and general manager of the Caneer Company testified that he knew of the practice in such regard in the year 1913. A. A. Caneer, in regard to the overcharges on interest, testified that£ £ I figured the account at the legal rate of interest of the State of Missouri, six percent,” while the evidence showed that the agreed rate of interest on the notes and open account was at a higher rate. Bespondent rendered a statement to the Caneer Company at regular intervals showing the interest and the insurance premiums charged. No complaints were ever made in regard to these statements until after February 2, 1920; in fact, on August 8, 1911, the Caneer Company wrote respondent that “we have your statement which agrees with our books exactly as we figure it.” The record shows other similar expressions of approval of the statements rendered by respondent. It follows that appellant’s contention of payment cannot be sustained.

II. Appellant’s other contention is that the note is barred by the Statute of Limitations. The foreclosure was started November 14, 1930, and appellant concedes that the running of the Statute of Limitations was arrested that date. Subsequent to the execution of the note, business relations continued between the Caneer Company and respondent until February 2, 1920, during which time respondent advanced large sums of money to the Caneer Company which were referred to in the record as an open account. At one time the Caneer *883 Company owed respondent approximately $48,000 in this account, in addition to the note in question. On June 27, 1916, the Caneer Company sent some notes payable to it to respondent as collateral for its indebtedness. The letter transmitting these notes reads as follows:

“We take the liberty of sending yon some notes for yon to hold as collateral until our cotton sells. But when the cotton sells, unless it leaves ns owing yon more than the note yon hold we want these notes returned if we owe yon more than that then these notes can remain. . .

It is conceded that the open account was closed on February 2, 1920, leaving a balance in the hands of respondent of $5864.97 due the Caneer Company, who directed that it be given as credit on the note.

Appellant contends that the note was barred on February 2, 1930, while respondent contends that there were payments made on the note by the Caneer Company which extended the Statute of Limitations past November 14, 1930, as shown by credits indorsed on the back of the note.

“There is no presumption that the indorsement of a payment on a promissory note was made at the time it bears date. Where the Statute of Limitations is relied on as a defense to a note, the plaintiff should not be permitted to read in evidence credits indorsed on the note without first proving when the indorsements were made, where they bear date prior to the running of the Statute of Limitations. The purpose of the rule is obvious.

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Bluebook (online)
119 S.W.2d 214, 342 Mo. 878, 1938 Mo. LEXIS 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caneer-v-kent-mo-1938.