Carroll Exchange Bank v. First National Bank

58 Mo. App. 17, 1894 Mo. App. LEXIS 259
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 30, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 58 Mo. App. 17 (Carroll Exchange Bank v. First National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carroll Exchange Bank v. First National Bank, 58 Mo. App. 17, 1894 Mo. App. LEXIS 259 (Mo. Ct. App. 1894).

Opinion

G-ill, J.

This case is here on a second appeal. Its former disposition is reported in 50 Mo. App. 92. At the first trial the circuit court sustained a demurrer to plaintiff’s evidence, and this ruling we held erroneous for reasons stated in the'opinion. After the cause was remanded the defendant amended” its answer and a full hearing was had with evidence for both sides. The defendant again prevailed and the plaintiff has the second time appealed to this court.

I. The cause may now be disposed of on facts which we think are practically undisputed.

In January, 1891, one Tuley, a stock trader, purchased from different parties in the vicinity of Carrollton, one hundred and six head of hogs, for the aggregate sum of $938.40, and gave therefor his checks on the plaintiff Exchange Bank. Tuley had nothing to his credit in said bank and, besides, was then owing the defendant First National Bank $875 on an overdraft for a like purchase the week before. The one hundred and six hogs were brought to Carrollton, January 12, 1891, and put in the stock pens ready for shipment to Kansas City. On that day, he (Tuley) went to the plaintiff bank, and as to what arrangement was then and there made, we quote the testimony of Rea, the cashier.

11Q. Tell the jury first what he (Tuley) wanted you to do? A. Well, he wanted us.to pay forthe hogs, and he wanted us to understand, too, that the title in the hogs would be ours absolutely, or virtually you might say, and he really thought all the interest he had in them was the profits, if any. and he knew he had no [22]*22money with us; he knew we were paying for them. He just said he had no interest in the hogs only the-profits; and he wanted us to pay for the hogs.

UQ. And the hogs were.to be yours ? A. Tobeours, and the proceeds to be turned over to our credit in the Kansas City Bank, our correspondent.

UQ. Now state to the jury why you paid those checks, or agreed to pay those checks. A. On the express understanding that the proceeds would come back to us, .and that he had no interest in them other than the profits.”

His testimony on cross-examination was as follows:

líQ. And he agreed if you would honor the checks the hogs would be yours? A. Yes, sir.

“Q. And that he would ship them to Kansas City, or were you to take them at the pens ? A. No,, sir.' He was to deliver them up there; deliver the proceeds to our credit there.

“Q. At Kansas City and place the proceeds to-your credit ? A. Yes, sir. Q. And on that agreement and in consideration of that agreement, you did accept and pay his checks ? A. Yes, sir.

UQ. Were you sworn .as a witness on the trial of this cause at the July term, -1891 ? A. I expect I was.

“Q. I will ask you if you were not asked this question: ‘Was there anything said about the hogs being yóur property after being paid for ? ’ and didn’t you answer in this way: ‘He merely said-that if we paid for the hogs the proceeds would be turned over in Kansas. City; we therefore paid the checks, as they were presented ; ’ now did you swear to that ? A. I don’t know. I expect I did.

“Q. Was that the truth; was that substantially your recollection of it ? A. Both of them are true as far as that is concerned, because he said all the interest he had in them was the profit, if any.

[23]*23“Q. I am asking you if you swore to this; now let me read the question again and take your time: ‘Was there anything said about the hogs being your property after being paid for? ’ You were asked that question, weren’t you? A. I don’t remember whether I was or not; I expect I was, though.

“Q. And didn’t you answer it in this way: ‘He merely said that if we paid for the hogs the proceeds would be turned over in Kansas City; we therefore paid the checks as they were presented.’ Didn’t you swear to that, Mr. Rea, as I have read ? A. I guess I did, and I s-wear to this other, too; they are both the same.

“Q. And you swear ' the same way now ? A. I say, all the interest he had in them was the profits, if any; and the balance was ours; of course the hogs were ours.

“Q. And the balance was yours ? A. Yes, sir.

>UQ. Did you ever .see the hogs? A.. I don’t know whether I ever did or not; possibly I have.

UQ. You don’t know it if you ever did ? A. No, sir.

“Q. Did he turn them over to you on that day or any other day ? A. He didn’t deliver the hogs to me.

UQ. Whose name were they to be shipped in? A. They were to be shipped in his own, I presume.”

Notwithstanding the evident disposition of this witness to make' of this transaction an absolute purchase of the hogs from Tuley, it was clearly nothing of .the kind, and was not so intended. At most it was only a parol mortgage, as we held when the case was here before. The sum and substance of the arrangement was, that the Exchange Bank should advance the necessary funds to pay Tuley’s checks then out, and to secure this amount, or to make good the overdraft, Tuley promised that when he sold his-hogs in Kansas City, he [24]*24would turn the proceeds into the plaintiff bank. It is also shown by the evidence that this overdraft by Tuley on plaintiff bank was all the time treated as a loan of money and not as a consideration for purchase of the hogs. The bank charged it to him on account and subsequently took Tuley’s note therefor which the plaintiff held at the trial of the cause.

Now further, on this same January 12, 1891 (and whether before or after the ,above named agreement does not appear), Tuley gave to the defendant bank an order on his commission firm at Kansas City whereby they were directed to pay the proceeds of these same hogs over to said defendant. Tuley shipped the hogs to Kansas City; they were sold by his agents, and the proceeds in pursuance of his orders, were turned over to the defendant, who applied the same towards the payment of his overdraft due said bank.

Under this state of facts, the legal right of the defendant to retain the money in controversy is plain. The plaintiff occupies the attitude of one claiming under a chattel mortgage, which was not only unacknowledged and unrecorded, but was, in fact, never reduced to writing. It was, therefore, invalid as to the defendant, who accepted the proceeds of the sale of the property in partial payment of its claim against the alleged mortgagor. The defendant’s instruction number 1 was a correct declaration of the law and was properly given. Indeed the court would have been justified in a peremptory instruction for the defendant. .When the case was before us at a former hearing, such an instruction was held improper because there was no evidence tending to prove that defendant bank had any interest in the fund in dispute. But on a new trial this has been cured and defendant’s interest has been alleged and clearly shown.

[25]*25II.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 Mo. App. 17, 1894 Mo. App. LEXIS 259, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carroll-exchange-bank-v-first-national-bank-moctapp-1894.