Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs v. Brand

105 S.W.2d 292, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 930
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 22, 1937
DocketNo. 5132.
StatusPublished

This text of 105 S.W.2d 292 (Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs v. Brand) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs v. Brand, 105 S.W.2d 292, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 930 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Chief Justice.

The Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs, Tex., filed this suit against the Banking Commissioner of the State of Texas, seeking to establish a claim for $3,500 against the Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse, Tex., a state bank then in the hands of the Banking Commissioner for liquidation. Trial to the court without a jury’ resulted in judgment denying establishment of plaintiff’s claim. Plaintiff has perfected an appeal to this court by writ of error. In addition to the statement of facts, the record contains the findings of facts and conclusions of law of the trial judge.

The material facts are substantially as follows: Neal Butler, witness for plaintiff, testified that he was cashier of plaintiff bank during the times hereinafter mentioned; that on November 6, 1930, J. P. Senter & Co., a produce concern of White-house, Tex., for its convenience in buying produce in and around Carrizo Springs, through its authorized representative, W. L. Hill, opened a checking account with plaintiff bank, by executing and delivering a check in favor of plaintiff bank, drawn on the Guaranty State Bank of White-house, Tex., for $1,000, signed J. P. Senter & Co., by W. L. Hill; that the account of J. P. Senter & Co. was credited with the amount of the check, less customary exchange; that plaintiff bank indorsed the check and sent it through the regular channels for collection; that like transactions, for same amounts, were repeated on November 19 and 22, 1930; that these three checks were all duly paid by the drawee, the Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse; that like transactions as the above were again repeated on December 4, 6, 8, and 12, 1930 ; that three of the checks were for $1,000 each, and the fourth was for $500, making a total of $3,500; that these last four checks were not paid. It is for the alleged promise of their payment that liability is sought to be established against the closed Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse, based upon a telephone conversation had December 13, 1930, between the cashier of the plaintiff bank and the cashier" of the closed bank, in which conversation it is claimed that the cashier of the closed bank unconditionally promised to pay the checks. With regard to the conversation the witness Neal Butler testified:

“I was in the bank at Carrizo Springs on the 13th of December, 1930, and I received notice from the National Bank of Commerce, San Antonio, Texas, our San Antonio correspondent, to whom we had sent these checks on their journey to final collection, to the effect that the $1,000.00 check, dated December 4th, had been returned by the Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse, as unpaid. Being unable to understand the situation, I immediately put in a long distance call for the Guaranty *293 State Bank of Whitehouse, and I talked with Mr. (A. S.) Langford, who told me he was Vice-president of the bank, and I asked h.im why the $1,000 draft had not been paid. He told me that the $1,000 check had been received from the Federal keserve Bank of Dallas, in its regular collection letter and had been in the bank for several days, awaiting returns on some outstanding collection items sent out by the Whitehouse bank for J. P. Senter & Co. and that the $1,000.00 check had been erroneously returned on the 12th of December, the day before our conversation. He also told me that he had one or two of the other drafts there in the bank at that time, which would be taken care of, and also told me to see that the $1,000.00 check which had been returned was again sent to the Whitehouse bank for payment. I then told him that the Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs had just the day' before taken another check for $500.00, making in all $3,500.00 outstanding; Mr. Langford, told me then that there would be no difficulty in the payment of any of the drafts, and I told him then that Mr. Hill was then in Carrizo Springs buying tomatoes, and that I intended to protect the bank if there was any danger whatever in any of the drafts not being paid. Mr. Lang-ford again assured me of the soundness of the deal, and stated unequivocally over the telephone that the Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse would pay the drafts arid so promised me at that time. I asked him to confirm this promise by letter and he promised me that he would do so, however, we never received any letter or other communication from him. Our next advice was on the 16th of December, when we were notified that the bank had closed and that the drafts were being returned unpaid.
“I certainly did rely implicitly on what Mr. Langford told me, and I can safely say that the Citizens State Bank of Carrizo Springs relied upon the promise of Mr. Langford and his bank to pay those checks. I insisted upon Mr. Langford’s promise to take care of the drafts and I told him that I would proceed against the concern in every possible way to protect the bank unless I had his asssurance of payment. Mr. Hill was then buying tomatoes and loading them on the railway cars at the time. I told Mr. Langford of this condition and he asked me not to do anything whatever. I relied upon what he said and did not take any action whatever, but permitted Hill to go on and ship out the tomatoes.”

On cross-examination the witness testified :

“He told me that the account of J. P. Senter & Company had been insufficient to take care of some drafts that were there, and he said that the expected returns would be in that day and would give the J. P.' Senter & Company account sufficient funds’ to pay all of the drafts.
“Q. Did you request the party with whom you talked at Whitehouse to accept the draft or drafts then in the hands of the Guaranty State Bank of Whitehouse? A. I told the party with whom I talked at Whitehouse on the 13th that I wanted assurance from the bank that not only the drafts then in the Guaranty State Bank would be paid, but the $1,000.00 draft which had been returned the day before as well as the $500.00 draft which was on its way would also be paid by the bank.
“Mr. Langford, as I have already testified, told me that the expected returns that day would be enough to take care of all drafts; I told him to remove all possible doubt and insisted that the bank itself agree to pay the drafts and he agreed to do so, stating that should the expected returns not come in that day, the J. P. Senter & Company were amply able to make satisfactory arrangements for the payment of the drafts, and that they would be taken care of that day.
“Q. Did you .ever receive any letter or writing of any character accepting the draft or drafts in controversy, or any of them? A. No, sir.”

Witness further testified that shortly after the Guaranty State Bank of White-house closed, J. P. Senter' & Co.

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105 S.W.2d 292, 1937 Tex. App. LEXIS 930, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-state-bank-of-carrizo-springs-v-brand-texapp-1937.