Cochran & Fulton v. Anderson County National Bank

83 Ky. 36, 1883 Ky. LEXIS 97
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedNovember 15, 1883
StatusPublished

This text of 83 Ky. 36 (Cochran & Fulton v. Anderson County National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cochran & Fulton v. Anderson County National Bank, 83 Ky. 36, 1883 Ky. LEXIS 97 (Ky. Ct. App. 1883).

Opinion

JUDGE PRYOR

delivered the opinion of the court.

It is unnecessary to notice the preliminary questions raised by counsel for the appellee on the last hearing, and in the consideration of this case it will be treated as if all the actions had been consolidated -and heard with the action in which Shipman was adjudged to have made a fraudulent preference as between creditors, bringing the case within- the act of 1856. It was a case in which the entire ■estate of Shipman passed to creditors for distribution. It was so considered by the - court below, and the only question to be settled here arises as to the conflicting liens or priorities in right in the distribution. of the fund arising from the sale of Ship-man’s property. '

. The .evidence conduces to show that Shipman was •a .private warehouseman, engaged largely' in buying and selling whisky on his -own account and for others. The appellants, Cochran & Fulton, became. the indorsers' of Shipman for a considerable [40]*40sum of money, and in order to secure them in their liability he pledged to them as collaterals certain, warehouse receipts for many barrels of whisky, with the serial numbers inserted; and if this controversy was alone with the appellants and Shipman, there* could be no question as to the former’s right to* subject the whisky to the payment of the debt for which they were bound, and which they were compelled to pay. The rights of other parties intervened and they claimed the whisky that had been, pledged to Cochran & Pulton as theirs, and were adjudged to have priority in the distribution of the proceeds of the sale' of the whisky by the judgment below.

The firm of Cochran & Pulton, as the proof shows,, had many transactions with Shipman in the purchase and sale of whisky; and Shipman at one* time purchased for the firm one thousand barrels of whisky in his, Shipman’s, name, with the agreement that he, Shipman, was to have part of the profits. This was some time prior to the bankruptcy of Shipman, and has no connection with this case except to show the manner in which Shipman was conducting his business.

It is well established that he purchased and sold whisky for others as well as himself, and that he. had no partner connected with him in his general business, but now and then became jointly interested, with others in the purchase and sale of specific* lots of whisky, the whisky being identified by serial numbers, as is usual in the trade.

Vandyke, Powell, Monroe Walker & Son, and the [41]*41Anderson County National Bank, are appellees here, and the three first named claim to have purchased, jointly with Shipman, certain specified lots of whisky that were deposited in his warehouse, and placed in each case to the account of the particular joint adventure.

Shipman and Vandyke entered into a writing evidencing their purchase of one hundred barrels of' whisky, or their joint interest in the one hundred barrels. This whisky was identified by numbers and removed to the warehouse of Shipman, and there-, placed to the account of Vandyke & Shipman. Powell had purchased two or more specified lots, jointly with Shipman, with the whisky identified in and out of the warehouse in the same manner as. Vandyke, and so with Monroe Walker & Son. These transactions did not constitute the bulk of the business conducted by Shipman, but were small lots of' whisky purchased on joint account, and openly held and claimed by the parties when in the warehouse, and before it reached the warehouse, as the joint-property of the parties making the purchase. Ship-man disposed of most of this whisky held on joint-account, not leaving enough to pay to the other joint owners their proportion of the whisky or its proceeds. They claim that in a court of equity their' claim is superior to that of the appellants.

The whisky, or the several lots, was purchased for-the purpose alone of being sold, and the profits, if' any, divided. It is not insisted in argument that. Shipman had the right to pledge the whisky belonging to others for his own debt, because it happened. [42]*42■to be in Ms warehouse, or. that he could issue ware.house receipts and pledge those • receipts as security ■for his debts. He had the power do sell the whisky because it was purchased by tbe parties, for that purpose, and a sale would have passed the title;. but here he has pledged whisky in which these appellees had a joint interest to pay his own debt, and this ■can not be done. One partner in a general commercial partnership has no such right, and in a single ¡adventure, or where the partnership is limited to two or more adventures in particular lots of whisky, ■or certain specified property, the right of one joint ■owner to pledge for his own. debt can not be maintained, unless authority to do so is shown to have been given by the other parties in interest. It is conceded, or the proof shows, that the pledge was to ■secure Shipman’s own debt, and of property that had been purchased jointly with others.

It can not be said that appellees trusted Shipman too far, for if so, the doctrine would apply to all cases where property is placed. in the hands of the ■commission merchants to sell, either. for a particular individual or on joint account, nor do we. understand •that such a position is urged .by counsel.. They .have •endeavored to maintain that these parties, appellees, were dormant partners, and for that. reason the whisky passed by the pledge. The proof. is clear that they -were not- partners in the general business ■of Shipman, for if they were, and the; n^me of Ship-man was alone used, the parties who were dormant partners can not assert a • clMm to the . property .as •against.the creditors of the ostensible partner. This [43]*43is the general doctrine applicable to commercial partnership ; but where parties purchase one or more ■specific lots or parcels of property on joint account, ■or in the nature of a limited partnership, and this fact is not attempted to be concealed or the creditor •of the one partner not misled by the others, there is no reason for the application of such a rule. If •they dealt generally in the sale and purchase of whisky jointly with Shipman, and permitted him, as the ostensible partner, to possess, use and claim it as his own, it would present a different question.

No such case appears from this record. Their purchases of the lot or specified lots, of whisky was made on joint account, without fraud or concealment as to the manner of the purchase. It was entered on the books of the warehouse as the joint ^property of the parties. The appellees concealed ■nothing. Either party had the right to sell, as it was purchased for that purpose, but neither had the right to pledge for his own debt. The appellants took the pledge from Shipman, believing that he •was the owner; but these parties gave him no authority to pledge the whisky in that way. They had done nothing to deceive appellants, or to mislead them in the transaction with Shipman. If they were dormant partners they would be. liable for appellants’ debt; but when appellants purchased whisky •of Shipman, or took whisky in pledge from Ship-man, they must know; that it is Shipman’s property, •or that he has the authority.to,sell .or pledge.

Appellants ask: How were they to find out who -¡was the .owner of the property ? The answer is: How [44]*44are they to find out the owner of any of the lots of' whisky in 'Shipman’s warehouse? They purchase or take the pledge at their peril. The doctrine of caveat emptor applies .in all such cases.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
83 Ky. 36, 1883 Ky. LEXIS 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cochran-fulton-v-anderson-county-national-bank-kyctapp-1883.