Demarest v. Holdeman

73 N.E. 714, 34 Ind. App. 685, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 46
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided March 8, 1905·No. No. 5,050·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Robinson, P. J.

This is an action by appellant Demarest, as treasurer of the school city of Elkhart, against appellees, Holdeman, a former treasurer of Elkhart county, Neidig, Miller, Vail, Platter and Lowry, sureties on Holdeman’s bond, Berkey, as auditor, and Wood, as treasurer, of Elkhart county, the board of commissioners of the county of Elkhart, and the Elkhart National Bank. Appellant seeks to recover $6,900, and to set aside the cancelation of certain warrants issued by the county auditor payable to one Einn, appellant’s predecessor in office. Upon a former appeal the complaint was held sufficient as against the several demurrers of the appellees. Demarest v. Holdeman (1901), 157 Ind. 467. Upon issues formed the court made a special finding of facts with conclusions of law thereon. Appellant Demarest claims the court erred in each conclusion of law and in overruling his motion for a new trial.

The facts found are substantially as follows: In May, 1897, the county auditor made a distribution of moneys to the school city of Elkhart, amounting to $15,194.67‘, and on June 2, 1897, made out three orders on the county treasurer for $7,293.75, $7,583.22, and $317.70, payable to Edward Einn or bearer. Einn, who was the treasurer of the school city, “made an arrangement with Edmund R. Kerstetter, cashier of the Elkhart National Bank, in said bank,” that he should receive from the county treasurer, and receipt to him therefor, all moneys coming from him to the school city, “and to deposit said money in said bank and pay it out on the order of the school city,” and Einn, at the time, left his school city books with Kerstetter in the bank, which books Kerstetter was to keep. Afterward, on June 2, 1897, appellee Holdeman, then county treasurer, instructed his deputy, Charles Kolb, to get the three orders, which he did, giving to the auditor receipts therefor, signed “Ed. Einn, by William H. Holdeman.” Kerstetter authorized Holdeman to receipt for the orders in the name of Einn, and to send the money to Kerstetter. Prior to the time the above [687] apportionment was made, IToldeman, on April 22, 1897, had advanced to the school city $3,000, and on May 10, 1897, advanced to the school city the further sum of $3,000, both of which advancements were to be applied on the apportionment when made; and after IToldeman got possession of the orders “he paid upon them to said Kerstetter, for said school city, the sum of $6,294.67, and no more.” Before this sum was paid over to the school city by the bank, IToldeman, claiming he had overpaid $3,000 upon the apportionment, ordered the bank to retain that sum, which the bank did, and afterwards, on August 13, 1897, upon Holdeman’s order, paid that sum to* the school city to apply upon, and which was applied upon, the_ July apportionment of $5,-308.03, which had been made in favor of the school city.

It is further found that in May, 1897, Holdeman paid to Kerstetter $2,900, in the treasurer’s office, as an advancement to the school city, Holdeman, at the time, taking Kerstetter’s receipt signed “Ed Einn, per Kerstetter;” that Kerstetter received this $2,900 for Einn as school city treasurer under the above-mentioned arrangement; that Kerstetter never paid any part of the $2,900 into the bank, nor to the treasurer of the school city, but still retains the same*; that he was cashier of the bank from January 1, 1897, to January 1, 1899 ; that the $3,000 which Holdeman claimed he had paid Kerstetter sometime prior to the June apportionment was not among the moneys turned over by Holdeman to his successor in office and that Holdeman converted the same to his own use; that no part of the June apportionment of $15,194.67 was ever paid directly by Holdeman to the school city or its treasurer, but all payments that he did make upon this apportionment were paid to Kerstetter, and Holdeman paid to Kerstetter upon this apportionment $12,-194.67, and no more, all of which, except $2,900, Kerstetter paid into the bank; that the bank paid over to the school city, of the moneys it so received from Kerstetter to apply upon the June apportionment, the sum of $9,294.67, and [688] no more; that the school city has never received. $5;900 of the June apportionment, which sum, with interest, is due and .unpaid; that after Holdeman, got possession of the orders abovp mentioned, he wrote across the face of each, “.Paid. June 3, 1897, William H. Holdeman, treasurer of Elkhart co.untv;” he then gave them to the- cormty auditor, who filed-them away among the. paid and canceled orders, .where they had since remained; that on October 4, 1898, .Cyrus.Seiler, Einn’s-successor in office, demanded of Delos N- Weaver, Holdeman’s successor, the $5,900, and brought an action of mandamus; that appellee Wood, Weaver’s successor, answered that he found the orders .canceled and filed -away,with the paid and canceled, orders; in the auditor’s office;'.that his predecessor claimed they were paid; that fie ,had, no..personal knowledge of;the matter,, and could not saf ely, pay any monpy upon them until it first should be determined, by some competent tribunal that, something was unpaid-upon them; that the Supreme Court field this answer a bar to;the .action.;.and that, as. the- answer-was true in fact, the.relator dismissed his action June 18, 1900. .

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Demarest v. Holdeman, 73 N.E. 714, 34 Ind. App. 685, 1905 Ind. App. LEXIS 46 (Ind. Ct. App. 1905).

73 N.E. 714 (Demarest v. Holdeman) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Brown v. Bunge
193 N.E. 919 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1935)
Wellston Trust Co. v. Am. Surety Co. of N.Y.
14 S.W.2d 23 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1929)
Churchville Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church v. MacNabb
125 A. 526 (Court of Appeals of Maryland, 1924)
National Bk. of San Mateo v. Whitney
180 P. 845 (California Court of Appeal, 1919)