Dove Creek State Bank v. Lawrence Warehouse Co.

402 P.2d 369, 157 Colo. 263, 1965 Colo. LEXIS 678
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedMay 17, 1965
Docket20468
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 402 P.2d 369 (Dove Creek State Bank v. Lawrence Warehouse Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dove Creek State Bank v. Lawrence Warehouse Co., 402 P.2d 369, 157 Colo. 263, 1965 Colo. LEXIS 678 (Colo. 1965).

Opinion

Mr. Chief Justice Pringle

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The Dove Creek State Bank commenced this action against the following defendants: Lawrence Warehouse Company, hereinafter referred to as Lawrence; the Montelores Bean Company; Harold and Marian Tanner; the United States Bank of Grand Junction, hereinafter referred to as the United States Bank; J. W. Lancaster and Blythe Buckingham. The complaint contained nine claims for relief, two of which were dismissed on the Dove Creek State Bank’s own motion.

*266 Many of the facts underlying this controversy are undisputed. The record discloses that Harold Tanner, together with his wife Marian under the name of the Montelores Bean Company, a partnership, and through two closely held corporations, Tanner Dove Creek, Inc. and Montelores Bean Company, Inc., was engaged in the business of buying and selling dry agricultural commodities — primarily beans. Tanner had two warehouses in the Dove Creek area, one located in Dove Creek and the other in Cahone, and he also conducted operations elsewhere in the state. The nature of the business required rather extensive financing, and in this connection Tanner dealt with the Dove Creek State Bank, and particularly with one Bruce Brandt, executive vice president and cashier thereof at all times material to this case. The Dove Creek State Bank is chartered under the laws of Colorado with a total capital and surplus of $150,000.00.

Defendant Lawrence operates a national warehouse system wherein it stores commodities and certifies the reception and storage of these items by the issuance of warehouse receipts. In order to secure bank financing, Tanner leased his two warehouses at Dove Creek and Cahone to Lawrence. Defendant Lancaster was employed as warehouse manager by Lawrence and placed in control of these warehouses. Defendant Buckingham inspected the warehouses as part of his duties as an examiner for Lawrence.

In 1958, the United States Bank and the Dove Creek State Bank embarked on what later proved to be an unfortunate undertaking with respect to the Tanner enterprises. By agreement initiated by Brandt, acting in his capacity as executive vice president and cashier of Dove Creek State Bank, with one Herbert Bacon, vice president and cashier of the United States Bank, the Dove Creek State Bank endorsed Tanner notes, sent them to the United States Bank and guaranteed their payment. These notes were secured by Lawrence ware *267 house receipts. The United States Bank, which was a correspondent bank of Dove Creek State Bank, credited the account of the latter with the amounts involved. Under the arrangement the Dove Creek State Bank received D/2% out of 6% interest and 1% out of 5% interest collected on the notes.

The two banks — and Tanner — pursued this course of conduct for a not inconsiderable period until two Tanner notes in the principal amounts of $60,000.00, one dated July 29, 1959, and the other dated October 30, 1959, were eventually received by the banks. It was the understanding of the United States Bank, because of its dealings and communications with Brandt, that these particular notes were to be secured by Lawrence warehouse receipts, as had been the case with other Tanner notes, and that these notes were to be handled in all respects in a manner similar to previous notes. There were, in fact, no Lawrence warehouse receipts issued to secure these notes and when they matured the United States Bank made possession of warehouse receipts a condition for their renewal. Brandt, in turn, made demand upon Tanner, and ultimately forwarded two renewal notes to the United States Bank accompanied by Lawrence warehouse receipts. Each receipt certified the existence of 900,000 pounds of “U.S. No. 1 Pinto Beans” at the Cahone warehouse.

When the first of the renewal notes became due and was not paid, demand was made for delivery of the commodities which was refused because the commodities were not in the warehouse as represented in the warehouse receipts. This signaled the beginning of the end of the Tanner financial pyramid. Lawrence denied liability. The Dove Creek State Bank denied liability on the renewal notes. The United States Bank thereafter set off the principal and its share of the interest on the two renewal notes against the account of the Dove Creek State Bank and the latter bank then commenced the instant action.

*268 To the complaint of the Dove Creek State Bank only Lawrence and the United States Bank filed responsive pleadings. The defendant Buckingham filed a motion to dismiss the action against him for failure to state a claim, which motion was granted by the trial court. In its complaint, the Dove Creek State Bank claimed damage for other transactions in addition to those involving the two notes referred to above. The pleadings are lengthy, involved and somewhat confusing. Absent the claims for relief which were later dismissed on the motion of Dove Creek State Bank and the responsive pleadings filed thereto, the pleadings are substantially as follows:

FIRST AND SECOND CLAIMS FOR RELIEF: These claims were based on Tanner notes in the amount of $50,000.00 and $70,000.00 respectively and Lawrence warehouse receipts securing the same. All defendants were involved in these claims with the exception of the United States Bank. Dove Creek State Bank alleged a default on these notes and a partial failure of the security therefor. At the conclusion of Dove Creek State Bank’s case, Lawrence confessed judgment in the amount of $2,500.00 on each claim and satisfaction of judgment was thereafter filed without prejudice to the Dove Creek State Bank to prosecute writ of error as to the defendants other than Lawrence.

THIRD AND FOURTH CLAIMS FOR RELIEF: These two claims were identical except that a separate promissory note and a separate warehouse receipt were involved in each. These claims were stated against Lawrence, Lancaster, Montelores Bean Company, Harold and Marian Tanner and the United States Bank.

The Dove Creek State Bank alleged that the United States Bank had agreed to participate in loans to Tanner; that on January 26, 1960, pursuant to such agreement, Dove Creek State Bank received from Tanner two notes, each in the amount of $60,000.00, payable to Dove Creek State Bank and endorsed by Tanner; that *269 these notes were endorsed by Dove Creek State Bank for delivery to United States Bank; that as security for said notes the United States Bank demanded and received from Lawrence the two warehouse receipts; that upon maturity of the notes the United States Bank improperly charged the account of Dove Creek State Bank in the amount of principal, interest and attorney’s fees. Dove Creek State Bank claimed a right to recover said charge from the United States Bank, but if prevented from so doing, it claimed a right to recover from Lawrence for the failure of Lawrence to honor its warehouse receipts.

In its answer, Lawrence denied that the United States Bank demanded or received from it the two warehouse receipts and alleged that on or about January 21, 1960, pursuant to a conspiracy to defraud Lawrence, the Dove Creek State Bank received the warehouse receipts issued to the United States Bank and transmitted them to the latter bank.

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

Related

Bank Itec N v. v. J. Henry Schroder Bank & Trust Co.
612 F. Supp. 134 (S.D. New York, 1985)
First Am. Nat. Bank of Iuka v. Alcorn, Inc.
361 So. 2d 481 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1978)
Labor Discount Center, Inc. v. State Bank & Trust Co. of Wellston
526 S.W.2d 407 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1975)
Pacific National Bank v. Hall
529 P.2d 855 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1974)
Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Dove Creek State Bank
470 P.2d 838 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
402 P.2d 369, 157 Colo. 263, 1965 Colo. LEXIS 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dove-creek-state-bank-v-lawrence-warehouse-co-colo-1965.