Commercial Nat. Bank of Salt Lake City v. Brinton

145 P. 42, 45 Utah 265, 1914 Utah LEXIS 85
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 11, 1914
DocketNo. 2466
StatusPublished

This text of 145 P. 42 (Commercial Nat. Bank of Salt Lake City v. Brinton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commercial Nat. Bank of Salt Lake City v. Brinton, 145 P. 42, 45 Utah 265, 1914 Utah LEXIS 85 (Utah 1914).

Opinions

McCARTY, C. J.

(after stating the facts as above).

1 We think the contention made on behalf of the bank that the firm of Page & Brinton was not dissolved is against the undisputed evidence and admitted facts and is untenable. Page testified on this point, in part, as follows:

“About the 22d day of May, 1906, I went to the bank with respect to this dissolution of the partnership. * * * The business I did was with Mr. Clark, the cashier. I asked him what he thought about it. He said: ‘Buy Mr. Brinton out.’ He said he would advance the money through the Commercial National Bank to buy Mr. Brinton out. * * * I paid Mr. Brinton $5,000 on account of the partnership. I got $4,000 of this money from the Commercial National Bank.”

Brinton testified:

“The $4,000 was paid me by Page in his office in Salt Lake City. It was paid the same day the contract [referring to the contract of dissolution] was made, or perhaps the next day. * * * When I was in the bank after the 22d of May, I told Mr. Clark that I had sold out to Page, and he said that he and Page had talked about it. * * * He seemed to know all about it.”

Clark testified:

“Page came into' the bank and stated that Mr. Brinton was involved in his subcontracts upon the Cottonwood conduit, needed money to pay off his laborers, and that Page believed he could buy out Brinton’s interest in the Boise project on account of his embarrassment at that time. Subsequently he told me that he had bought Brinton’s interest in the profit of the contract.”

We think this evidence, considered in connection with Brinton’s failure to thereafter take any part in the management of the business or transactions entered into' by Page in the name of Page & Brinton, and Page’s ■ assumption of [272]*272the entire control of all the assets of the firm and conduct and management of the business as his own, clearly establishes the dissolution of the partnership. 30 Cyc. 603, 604.

2, 3 The nest question presented is: Was the trust deed intended as security for the payment of only the specified $15,000 loan as represented by the five notes given at

the time it was executed, or was it intended to secure the payment of any and all loans or advances, not exceeding $15,000, the bank might make Page & Brinton, and to include any loan or advance made after the payment and cancellation of the five notes executed contemporaneously with the deed? It is vigorously contended on behalf of the bank that the note of $15,000 and the trust deed were, when executed, intended to1 be left on deposit with the bank as security for any loan Page & Brinton might thereafter obtain, or that might be obtained by either member of the partnership in the firm name, and that, when the five notes repre-' senting the loans for which they were given should be paid, other notes for additional advances should be given and deemed secured by the original note of $15,000 and the trust deed. On the other hand, it is contended that the note for $15,000 and the five notes evidenced but one and the same indebtedness, to secure which the trust deed was given, and that it was not intended and was not given to secure any other indebtedness. It is admitted the real indebtedness, to secure which the trust deed was given, was as evidenced by the five notes first placed to the credit of the account of Page & Brinton. The trust deed, so far as material here, provides that:
“David B. Brinton and Susan Brinton, his wife, * * * grantors, convey and warrant to H. P. Clark, trustee, * * * grantee, for the sum of one dollar and in further consideration of the debt hereinafter mentioned and the trusts hereinafter constituted and set forth, the following described tracts of land [describing the land]. * * * In trust, however, to said grantee and his- successors for the following purposes: Whereas, David B. Brinton and H. D. Page, as Page & Brinton, have borrowed of the Commercial National Bank of Salt Lake City, Utah, the sum of $15,000, [273]*273payable on or before September 7, 1906, * * * said indebtedness being evidenced by one promissory note in tbe sum of $15,000. * * * Said note being executed by said David B. Brinton, Susan Brinton, Page & Brinton, H. D. Page, and bearing even date herewith, and being payable to the order of said * * * bank. * ® * Now, if the said note and interest be well and truly paid as the same becomes due according to the terms of said note, ® * * then this deed shall be void and the property hereinbefore conveyed shall be released at the cost of said grantors.”

It will be noticed that there is nothing in the deed of trust from which it can be inferred that it was given or intended to secure any indebtedness other than the specific $15,000 loan therein mentioned. It contains no language which indicates any other intention, nor is there any evidence dehors the deed showing or tending h> show, or from which it can be inferred, that the parties intended the trust deed to secure any indebtedness other than the one specific $15,000 loan. The evidence affirmatively shows that Page had m> authority from the Brintons, or either of them, to enter into any agreement or contract with the bank to modify or extend in any particular any term or provision of the trust deed; nor did he, after the dissolution of the partnership, have any authority to bind Brinton by making or renewing notes in the firm name. It is a well-recognized rule of law:

“That, after a dissolution of a partnership, neither of the parties has implied authority to bind the firm or his copartners by making, renewing, or indorsing negotiable paper in the firm name, and this is true even though the obligation be given for a firm debt.” 30 Cyc. 668.

As we have pointed out in the foregoing statement of the facts, four of these notes, amounting to $13,000, were paid by charging the amount to the account of Page & Brinton; and the undisputed evidence shows. that the notes were stamped paid by the bank and delivered to Page. The notes were not paid by the execution of “renewal notes” representing the same indebtedness. It was more than two months after the four notes were paid before Page executed the three notes which the bank claims were given as renewal [274]*274notes for the indebtedness, as evidenced by the four canceled notes. And, as we have stated, the four notes secured by the deed of trust were paid (the indebtedness discharged) with money Page had to his credit in the name of Page & Brinton in the bank. Moreover, we think it clearly appears from the evidence that, at the time the trust deed and the notes secured thereby were delivered to the bank, Page and Brinton expected that the remittances they would receive from the Government on their work in the form of United States treasury drafts during the mónths of June, July, and August, 1906, would be sufficient to pay the notes and to carry on the construction work, and that there would be no necessity to continue the loan for the full length of time for which it was made. On this point Brinton testified, in part, as follows:

“At the time these five notes were signed, it was understood that treasury drafts would commence to come in in June, July, and August, and that would give us time to get the money to pay the notes.”

Page testified:

“At the time Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
145 P. 42, 45 Utah 265, 1914 Utah LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commercial-nat-bank-of-salt-lake-city-v-brinton-utah-1914.