Dairyman's State Bank v. Dunham

271 Ill. App. 249, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 348
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 25, 1933
DocketGen. No. 8,637
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 271 Ill. App. 249 (Dairyman's State Bank v. Dunham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dairyman's State Bank v. Dunham, 271 Ill. App. 249, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 348 (Ill. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Wolfe

delivered the opinion of the court.

The appellant filed its declaration of one count in assumpsit against the appellee on her promissory note dated June 1, 1929, for the principal sum of $1,500. An affidavit of claim was filed with the declaration. The appellee first filed the plea of non-assumpsit and a plea verified by her attorney denying the delivery of the note. The latter plea, on motion of the appellant, was stricken from the files. Thereupon the appellee again filed the plea of non-assumpsit, an unverified plea denying the delivery of the note and an affidavit of merits. The appellant filed a replication to the plea. Regarding the affidavit of merits, there is no controversy that its allegations were not sufficient to allow the introduction of appellee’s evidence hereinafter mentioned. By stipulation of the parties a jury trial was waived and the cause was submitted to the judge for a finding and judgment.

The appellant introduced the note in evidence and rested its case. The appellee introduced evidence tending to show that there was no consideration for the giving of the note and also that it was conditionally delivered. The court found the issues for the appellee and rendered a judgment against the appellant for costs.

Two assignments of error made by the appellant will now be considered. It is first urged by the appellant that since there was no verified plea of the appellee denying the execution of the note as provided by the Practice Act, evidence was not admissible to prove that the note was conditionally delivered. In support of his position the appellant cites cases holding that delivery of a note is an essential part of its execution, and that evidence under an unverified plea showing that the note was never delivered is not admissible. (Bailey v. Valley Nat. Bank, 127 Ill. 332.) It is next contended by the appellant that the evidence tending to show that there was no consideration for the giving of the note was not admissible because there was no special plea filed by the appellee denying consideration for the note (see Keith v. Mafit, 38 Ill. 303, and Wilson v. King, 83 Ill. 232, 238). To dispose of these two assigned errors, a reference to the bill of exceptions is necessary.

The testimony of the appellee was the only evidence introduced contesting the appellant’s prima facie case, made by introducing the note in evidence. She testified, in effect, that before signing the note the cashier of the appellant bank told her that she would not have to pay the note; that she was taking no chances as she was only loaning her name to the bank; that before she signed the note the cashier promised to give her a receipt or statement showing that she was the owner of a one-seventh interest in a Dakota farm owned by the appellant. The introduction of this evidence was objected, to by the appellant on the ground, among others, that the proffered testimony did not concern the delivery of the note but its payment. The court overruled the objections stating, “The court is only admitting this evidence for whatever bearing it may have on the question of delivery.” When the appellee testified that she did not receive from the appellant any money or anything from the bank for signing the note, the appellant made a motion that the testimony be stricken on the ground that it was a conclusion of the witness. Appellant introduced evidence tending to contradict all of this testimony of the appellee.

Nowhere does it appear in the bill of exceptions, or the record proper, that the appellant objected, or took exception, on the specific ground that such evidence of the appellee was inadmissible because the plea denying the execution of the note was not verified or that there was no special plea denying consideration for the note. This should have been done to obtain a ruling from the trial judge, and to allow the appellee an opportunity to amend the pleadings if she desired. Otherwise the assigned error cannot be considered in this court. Wilson v. King, 83 Ill. 232; Logan v. Mutual Life Ins. Co., 293 Ill. 510.

The appellant also assigns as error that the finding of the trial judge is contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. Underlying this contention there are two propositions insisted on by the appellant. It is urged that the evidence of the appellee varies the terms of the note and it was therefore inadmissible; that that part of appellee’s testimony which the appellee insists shows that there was a conditional delivery of the note, in fact shows the manner of the payment of the note.

The appellee is the daughter of Chauncey A. Dun-ham who died testate on December 30, 1926, leaving him surviving as his heirs, Ella C. Dunham, his widow, the appellee and a grandson. The will of Chauncey A. Dunham, after making several bequests, devises all the remainder of his real and personal property to the widow and the appellee. The appellee and Ella C. Dunham were appointed executrices of the will by the county court of McHenry county. The inventory filed in the estate was introduced in evidence and shows that Mr. Dunham died seized in fee of six parcels of real estate situated in Illinois and upon which there was placed an aggregate value in the inventory by the executrices of $22,150. He did not leave a great amount of personal property and there is nothing in the record to show its market value. It was not proved nor is it contended by appellee that the Dunham estate was insolvent.

Mr. Dunham during his lifetime executed his note for $1,500 payable to the appellant bank one year after its date. He never paid any interest on this note, although it called for the payment thereof. This note was renewed by Mr. Dunham giving new notes on the first day of June of each year, which was the due date of the original note. The last of such renewal notes was due on June 1, 1927, which was about five months after the death of Mr. Dunham. The reason for the giving of the first note of Mr. Dunham to the appellant bank is apparently understood by the parties to this appeal, but this court is not apprised by the evidence, or admission of the parties, of the circumstances connected with the execution of this note. Nor does it appear whether the note was included among the assets of the bank. (McComb v. Jacobs, 256 Ill. App. 141.) Nor does it appear from the evidence for what purpose the note was given. (State Bank of West Pullman v. Hovnanian, 250 Ill. App. 144.) No claim was filed against the Dunham estate based on the note.

The testimony of the appellee is substantially as follows: That her father since the year 1918, to the time of his death was a stockholder and a director of the appellant bank; a few days before June 1, 1927, she and her mother were in the appellant bank and that Clarence Coarson, the cashier of the bank, called their attention to the Dunham note and told them that the note was due and he wanted them to sign it; that appellee and her mother knew the note was in the bank since the time Mr. Dunham executed the first note for $1,500'. Coarson told them that if they did not sign the note, the bank would file a claim against the estate of Chauncey A. Dunham. The appellee and her mother told Coarson they did not have the money to pay the note and that the bank should file the note as a claim against the Dunham estate. Coarson told them that the only thing for them to do was to renew the note themselves.

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Bluebook (online)
271 Ill. App. 249, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dairymans-state-bank-v-dunham-illappct-1933.