Erwin v. Erwin

41 N.E.2d 644, 111 Ind. App. 448, 1942 Ind. App. LEXIS 134
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 8, 1942
DocketNo. 16,960.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 41 N.E.2d 644 (Erwin v. Erwin) 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
Erwin v. Erwin, 41 N.E.2d 644, 111 Ind. App. 448, 1942 Ind. App. LEXIS 134 (Ind. Ct. App. 1942).

Opinion

Stevenson, J.

On the 30th day of June, 1883, one James H. Matchett was operating a private bank in *450 the town of Bourbon, Indiana, and was doing business under the name of James H. Matchett & Company. On said date, this bank executed to Robert Erwin a certificate of deposit for the sum of $150.00. This certificate recited that “Robert Erwin has deposited in this bank One Hundred fifty____________Dollars payable to the order of Self, in current funds on return of this Certificate, properly endorsed.” This certificate forms the basis of the claim of the appellees against the estate of James H. Matchett. The appellees filed this claim as the sole surviving heirs at law of the said Robert Erwin, deceased.

To this claim, the appellant filed an answer in three paragraphs. The first paragraph of answer was based upon the twenty year statute of limitations. The second paragraph of answer alleged that no intangible tax stamps had ever been affixed to the written instrument, which constitutes the basis of this claim. The third paragraph of answer was a plea of payment, but was subsequently withdrawn.

The appellees filed a demurrer to each of the first and second paragraphs of answer, which demurrer was sustained as to each paragraph. The appellant refused to plead further, and elected to stand on the ruling on the demurrers. The court accordingly rendered judgment for the appellees for the sum of $150.00, together with the costs of this action. It is from this judgment that the appellant has .appealed, and the errors assigned in this court are the alleged errors in the sustaining of the demurrers to the first and second paragraphs of appellant’s answer.

The appellant contends that under the rules of the Supreme Court, effective September 2, 1940, the appellant was required to plead the statute of limitations, by way of answer, if he desired to defend on this ground, *451 and the court accordingly committed reversible error in sustaining the demurrer to the first paragraph of answer.

Conceding, without deciding, that under the rules of the Supreme Court, effective September 2, 1940, the appellant was required to plead specially all defenses which he might have to the appellees’ cause of action, the rule has long been established that the appellant had a right to file answers setting up affirmative defenses in claims against estates, if he desired to do so. § 6-1015, Burns’ 1933. The filing of affirmative paragraphs of answer, under the rule prior to September 2, 1940, was deemed a waiver of all other defenses not specially pleaded. In the case at' bar, therefore, having filed the affirmative paragraphs of answer, the appellant is limited to the defenses so pleaded, regardless of the above mentioned court rule. Abelman v. Haehnel (1914), 57 Ind. App. 15, 103 N. E. 869. The sufficiency of such answer is properly tested by a demurrer.

The demurrer to the first paragraph of answer presents a question as to whether or not the statute of limitations begins to run against the ordinary certificate of deposit, payable on the return of the certificate properly endorsed, prior to the time payment is demanded. The appellant contends that the certificate of deposit is in the same category as a demand note. The appellant has cited us to the following cases in Indiana which hold that actions on notes payable on demand are barred by the ten year statute of limitations, if payment is not demanded or payments made within ten years from the date thereof. Kraft v. Thomas, Executor (1890), 123 Ind. 513, 24 N. E. 346; Sheaf v. Dodge (1903), 161 Ind. 270, 68 N. E. 292; Hitchcock v. Cosper (1905), 164 Ind. 633, 73 N. E. 264. On the *452 strength of this authority, the appellant contends that the statute of limitations begins to run on a certificate of deposit, payable on demand or on return of the certificate, from the date thereof. In a discussion of the rule, as contended for by the appellant, we find the following statement in Vol. 34, Am. Jur., Limitation of Actions, § 124, p. 102:

“A majority of the courts, however, reject this rule applicable to demand notes, taking the view that the ordinary certificate of deposit issued by a bank is payable on demand, or on the return of the certificate properly endorsed, and that the statute of limitations does not begin to run until demand on such a certificate.”

The reasons adopted by the courts, which follow the majority rule, are well set forth in the case of First-City Trust & Savings Bank v. Doolittle (1930), 36 Ohio App. 218, 221, 222, 173 N. E. 19. In this case, the appellee deposited with the bank of Akron, Ohio, the sum of $200.00 on the 5th day of May, 1898, and received therefor a certificate of deposit, payable on the return of the certificate properly endorsed. On the 15th day of May, 1929, the certificate was returned, with proper endorsement, and payment was demanded. Payment was refused, and an action was commenced to which complaint a demurrer was addressed, asserting that the action showed on its face that it was barred by the statute of limitations. In discussing the question, as to when the statute begins to run upon a certificate of deposit, the court said:

“But by the great weight of authority in this country the statute of limitations does not begin to run until the obligation is repudiated by the bank, which usually occurs by demand being made for payment and refusal of the bank to honor the certificate.
*453 “While it is generally understood by the public that a banking corporation is a private one, organized by its stockholders for private gain, it nevertheless occupies the position of a quasi public institution, subject under the police power to reasonable regulation and control by the state. And while it is generally held that the relation of debtor and creditor exists between the bank and the depositor, it is recognized that this relation is not of the same character that generally exists between the ordinary debtor and creditor, as the money is not deposited in the bank as a loan in the -same sense that money is ordinarily loaned to individuals and others and notes taken to evidence the debt; the transaction, in the popular sense, is the receipt by the bank of the money for safekeeping, to be returned to the depositor upon demand — this popular notion being supported by the usual advertisements of the banks, in which they encourage their depositors to leave their money with them for long periods of time — a procedure which is in conflict with the theory that the bank reserves the right to set up the statute of limitations if the deposit is allowed to remain longer than the officials of the bank think it ought to be, and without notice being given to the depositor of a change in the contract.

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Bluebook (online)
41 N.E.2d 644, 111 Ind. App. 448, 1942 Ind. App. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erwin-v-erwin-indctapp-1942.