Earle v. Fletcher American National Bank

123 N.E. 706, 70 Ind. App. 559, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 59
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 1919
DocketNo. 9,889
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 123 N.E. 706 (Earle v. Fletcher American National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Earle v. Fletcher American National Bank, 123 N.E. 706, 70 Ind. App. 559, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 59 (Ind. Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

Nichols, P. J.

This suit was upon a note executed by appellant John H. Earle, and upon a note and mortgage executed by appellant Effie S. Earle to her coappellant, and claimed by the appellee to be collateral security for the payment of the first-mentioned note. Hereinafter, appellant Effie S. Earle will be mentioned as appellant.

Appellee’s amended complaint was in one para[561]*561graph., with appellant and said John H. Earle as defendants therein. .In substance, it was as follows: On the-day of-, 1914, said John H. Earle borrowed of appellee $2,0.00, executing his note therefor, payable three months after date. At that time he held and owned a note for $2,000, secured by a mortgage on certain real estate, which note and mortgage were executed by appellant, and which he assigned as collateral security to appellee to secure said loan, which said note so assigned is due and wholly unpaid. When the note executed by said John H. Earle became due on January 23,1915, he renewed it to April 15, 1915, by executing a new note due at said last-named date, which note was not given in payment. To secure its payment he left with appellee the said note and mortgage of appellant. Said renewal note is due and wholly unpaid. Said collateral note and mortgage were assigned by said John H. Earle to appellee by written assignment. A reasonable attorney’s fee for the collection of the note of said John H. Earle is $250.

The said collateral note is noncommercial paper. The assignment thereof is in writing, in which it is provided that the same is as collateral security, and that it is “to include any and all renewals of promissory notes or new promissory notes or other obligations accepted in payment of former obligations.” John H. Earle suffered default. Appellant filed an answer to-the amended complaint in five paragraphs. The first was a general denial. The second admitted the execution of the' note and mortgage, but averred that they were executed to secure the payment of a note executed by said John H. Earle to appellant, dated September 25,1914, for a loan to him of $2,000, [562]*562and due ninety days after date, and for no other or different purpose, which appellee well knew, and that said note was taken up at maturity. The third paragraph was a plea of no consideration. The fourth paragraph admitted the execution of said note and mortgage, but avers that they were executed for the sole purpose and upon the sole condition that the payee might use the same as collateral for a loan to him from appellee of $2,000, to be evidenced by a note therefor, payable in ninety days after its execution. That pursuant thereto the said .John H. Earle borrowed said $2,000 from appellee, executing his note therefor, payable in ninety days after its execution, drawing eight per cent, interest from maturity, said note being the first-mentioned note in plaintiff’s complaint, and with which he deposited appellant’s note and mortgage as collateral security, but without any indorsement, and that the same are not transferred or in any manner assigned by said John H. Earle to appellee, and that-they were held by appellee as a bare deposit of papers in the original form without any writing, collateral or otherwise, transferring either of them to appellee. When said first-mentioned note fell due, to wit, on December 24,1914, said John H. and appellee entered into an agreement surrendering said note, and in consideration of such surrender said John H. executed a new note, in lieu of the former, due January 23/1915, and appellee extended the time of payment to said January 23, 1915, and accepted interest to said date from said John H. On January 23, 1915, by agreement, said note then maturing was surrendered, and in consideration of such surrender said John H. executed a new note in lieu thereof due April 15, 1915, and paid the interest [563]*563thereon to said date. Said last-mentioned note against said John H. is the note sued on in appellee’s complaint. Appellant executed to said John H. the said note and mortgage as surety only for the first of said notes, and that said note and mortgage were wholly without a consideration, saving only as' they were given as an accommodation to enable said John H. to obtain the first of said loans, as evidenced by said ninety-day note. Appellant had no notice or knowledge of either of said agreements between appellee and said John H. for the extension of the time of payment or anything pertaining thereto, and has never given her consent to anything that was so agreed to be done between appellant and said John H., and did not know or consent that her said note or mortgage should be held as security for other than the said first note, if so they were, and that said extensions were wholly without appellant’s consent, and appellee at all times knew she was the surety only. This paragraph of answer was verified.

' The fifth paragraph was the same as the fourth, except that it charged that each of the notes of December 24, 1914, and January 23, 1915, were executed in payment of the note immediately preceding. Appellee replied in two paragraphs, the first being general denial, and the second being addressed to the fourth paragraph of answer, and averring that said John H. applied to appellee for a loan of $2,000 on September 25, 1914, and stated that he expected to have a note for $2,000 secured by mortgage on real estate described in the complaint given him by appellant, and that, if appellee would loan him $2,000, he would deposit, assign and turn over to appellee said note and mortgage. Appellee agreed to make such loan if [564]*564such note and mortgage were so turned over. Thereupon John H. executed said note, which was held until the note and mortgage involved were assigned and delivered to the appellee as collateral security for the payment of said note; and that it made said loan depending on said security. John H. represented to appellee that he was the owner of said note and mortgage, and that appellee had no notice or knowledge that they were accommodation paper. That, at the maturity of the first note, said renewal notes were executed with the understanding that said note and mortgage should remain as collateral security therefor. Appellee had no notice or knowledge that said note and mortgage were not the property of John H., and acted in good faith, and in the honest belief that they were his property in making said original loan and the extension, and appellee never heard of the claim that said collateral note and mortgage were accommodation paper until after the commencement of this suit.

There was a trial by the court, which resulted in a general finding and judgment for the appellee against said John H. on his note for $2,499.98, and costs, and the finding and decree in appellee’s favor against appellant on her note and mortgage in the sum of $2,410.50, and for the foreclosure of said mortgage and for costs.

It was further found and adjudged that said note and mortgage were collateral for said note of John H. Appellant filed her motion to modify the judgment, which was overruled. She then filed her motion for new trial, which was overruled, and she now prosecutes this appeal.

Appellant assigns as error the action of the court [565]*565in overruling her motion to modify the judgment, and in overruling her motion for a new trial. In her motion for new trial the appellant has specified: (1) That the decision of. the court is not. sustained by sufficient evidence. (2) That the decision of the court is contrary to law.

It appears by the evidence in this case that John H.

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Related

Phelps v. American Mortgage Co.
104 P.2d 880 (California Court of Appeal, 1940)
Barker v. Wood
161 N.E. 298 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1928)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
123 N.E. 706, 70 Ind. App. 559, 1919 Ind. App. LEXIS 59, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/earle-v-fletcher-american-national-bank-indctapp-1919.