Collings v. Industrial Savings Society

1923 OK 1025, 221 P. 1036, 94 Okla. 271, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 536
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 27, 1923
Docket12351
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1923 OK 1025 (Collings v. Industrial Savings Society) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Collings v. Industrial Savings Society, 1923 OK 1025, 221 P. 1036, 94 Okla. 271, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 536 (Okla. 1923).

Opinion

Opinion by

PINKHAM, C.

The Industrial Savings Society, a corporation of the state of Michigan, hereinafter referred to as plaintiff, commenced this action against Estella Collings and George E. Collings; the El Reno State Bank, and El Reno Mill & Elevator Company, and Eller K. Holt were made parties defendant on allegations that they claimed some interest in the property involved. They were eliminated at a former trial, and the controversy here is between the plaintiff and the defendants Estella Collings and George E. Collings.

The petition alleges that on the 27th day of May, 1911, Estella Collings purchased from the plaintiff, and became the owner of 20 shares of class D stock, with a maturity value of $50 per share, and thereby became a stockholder in, and a member of, said plaintiff society, subject to its rules and entitled to all its privileges and benefits. That in consideration of said sale the defendant promised to pay the plaintiff thereafter the sum of $7 per month, for a period of 94 months; that on the first day of June, 1911, said defendants borrowed from the plaintiff the sum of $1,000, and executed and delivered to the plaintiff their bond in the sum of $2,000, conditioned that if the said Estella Collings ' would comply with the by-laws of the association and pay to the plaintiff at Detroit, Mich., 76%c per share per month on said 20 shares until the said shares shall have reached their maturity value of $50 per share, or until the defendant had made 94 payments, and also pay all fines legally assessed against her, then said obligation to be void, otherwise to have full force and effect.

The monthly payments of 76y¿c per share, or $15.30 on the 20 shares of stock consisted as follows: 35c per share on purchase price of stoek__$7.00_interest at 6 per cent, on $1,000 loan_$5.00; 16%c per share premium bid to secure loan — .3.80.

That the defendants executed and delivered to the plaintiff a real estate mortgage dated June 1, 1911, mortgaging certain lots in El Reno, subject to Hie condition of defeasance upon payment of said monthly payments of $15.30, for a period of not to exceed 94 months or until said stock reached the value of $50 per share. That defendants failed to pay the monthly installment of $15.30 due July 1, 1915, and each and every installment thereafter down to and including the installment due at the time of filing of the petition. That there were 11 installments due as of June 30, 1916. That defendant made 50 monthly payments in accordance with her agreement; that of said payments the sum of $7 per month applied to her stock, or a total of $350. That the earnings apportioned to her stock amounted to $131.70, making a total credit of $481.70, which amount was credited upon defendant’s loan. That the total amount due on July 1, 1916, was $651.48.

Defendants pleaded that the contract was usurious and alleged that they made application to plaintiff for a loan of $1,000, through one Tan Ness, agent of plaintiff at El Reno: that plaintiff agreed to make said loan in accordance with its fej’-laws, to wit: Purchase of 20 shares of stock, par value $50 per share: 35c per share per month for 94 months; $5 per iu6nth interest on loan, and $3.30 per month premium; a membership fee of 50c per share amounting to $10; fee for examining abstract of. $5; and allege, further, a fee of $50 to the agent, Van Ness, as commission.

Defendants pleaded the application for the loan and attached to the petition a copy of *273 said application, and also the by-laws of the plaintiff.

. Defendant Estella Collins further alleged that the contract was complete by defendant assigning her 20 shares of stock to plaintiff as collateral security, and that on payment of defendant to plaintiff of the sum of 76c per share per month for 94 months and the full maturity of the stock, the same was to be cancelled and surrendered.

Defendants further allege that neither of them made bid or offer for premium before or after application for said loan, and the amount of premium and payments on said contract was made at the time contract .was made. That contract was made and accepted by plaintiff with full knowledge of said conditions and with intent to exact a rate of interest in excess of the rate allowed by law.

The answer further states that plaintiff delivered to Van Ness draft for $9S5, to be delivered to defendants as proceeds of the $1,000 loan; that said agent paid a recording fee of $2.50 out of same, and also retained a commission of $50, and delivered to them the sum of $932.75; that defendants had paid the sum of $350 on stock, and were entitled to credit of an earning of $131.70.

The answer further asks to have set off against balance due plaintiff double the amount of alleged interest of $8.32 per month, for a period of 44 months, the balance of the contract period.

Defendant’s cross-petition recounts the allegations contained in the answer, alleges that contract was usurious, and asks for double the amount of interest paid, and an attorney’s fee of $250.

The cross-bill further avers that the mortgage contained a clause stipulating that it was agreed that if default was made in payment of taxes and assessments, the mortgagee could pay same and add amount to that secured by mortgage. That taxes for years 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917 became due and unpaid, and that plaintiff paid same, and is now holder and owner of tax certificates, and demands that plaintiff bring same into court or be forever barred.

To the answer and cross-petition of the defendants, plaintiff filed a general denial. Trial was had before a jury and resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff for the amount sued for and interest.

Defendants filed motion for new trial, which was overruled, and the case is brought to this court on case-made and petition in error.

A number of assignments of error are set out in the petition in error and in defendants’ brief. The propositions discussed are: Firát, Is the plaintiff a building and’loan association, and is the contract a building and loan contract, or merely a contract for the loan of money under the laws of Oklahoma? second, if the relationship existing between plaintiff and defendants under the contract is that of lender and borrower, then that the contract is usurious on its face; third, that the court erred in refusing the motibn of (he defendants for an instructed verdict; that the court erred in refusing to give to the jury defendants’ requested instructions numbered one to nine, inclusive; and that the court erred in giving to the jury instructions numbered one to five, inclusive.

Defendants contend, under the first proposition, that plaintiff is not a building and loan association for the reasons: First, that the capital stock of plaintiff is in excess of the amount permitted by law and chat the period of time for which the plaintiff’s charter was granted was in excess of the time permitted by the laws of this state; second, that premiums were not fixed 'by competitive bids at an open meeting held for that purpose but were fixed in advance by agreement; third, that the stockholders were not confined to classes of persons mentioned in the laws of the state in force at that time; fourth, that the contract between plaintiff and defendant is not a building and loan contract, but the relationship is that of lender and borrower.

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1934 OK 537 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1934)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1923 OK 1025, 221 P. 1036, 94 Okla. 271, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 536, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/collings-v-industrial-savings-society-okla-1923.