Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank v. Clancy

128 N.W. 752, 163 Mich. 586, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 656
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 7, 1910
DocketDocket No. 140
StatusPublished

This text of 128 N.W. 752 (Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank v. Clancy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank v. Clancy, 128 N.W. 752, 163 Mich. 586, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 656 (Mich. 1910).

Opinion

Moore, J.

This suit was commenced to recover the amount due on a note given to the Farmers’ & Mechanics’ Rank for $4,378.75, bearing date April 27, 1903, payable six months after date, without grace, with interest at 5£ per cent., signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, by Ernest Rehberg, president, William J. Clancy, secretary, and Herman Hardinghaus, and indorsed by the same persons. The note recites that there were deposited and pledged with the Farmers’ & Mechanics’ Bank, as [587]*587collateral security for the payment of this note, and any other indebtedness due or to become due to the bank, certain bonds and stock.

At the time of giving the note in suit the Ann Arbor Brewing Company was further indebted to the plaintiff bank upon two notes for $1,000 each, signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, indorsed by Clancy, Rehberg, and Hardinghaus, also one note for $1,000, signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company and indorsed by Clancy and Rehberg, also one note for $500, signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, and indorsed by Rehberg and Hardinghaus. On the 4th day of December, 1903, plaintiff’s bank began three suits, one against the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, William J. Clancy, and Ernest Rehberg, to recover upon the two notes of $1,000 each, indorsed by Clancy and Rehberg, one upon said $1,000 note signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company and indorsed by Clancy and Hardinghaus, and one against Rehberg and Hardinghaus on the $500 note signed by the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, and indorsed by Hardinghaus and Rehberg. The defendants appeared in each of said cases, pleaded the general issue, and on the 26th day of December, 1903, judgment was rendered in all three of the cases for the amount of the notes, interest, and costs respectively.

The defendant pleaded the general issue, and gave notice of a defense which is stated in the brief of counsel as follows:

“ Defendant was to confess judgment on the three one thousand dollar notes for himself and secure confession on behalf of the Ann Arbor Brewing Co.; he was to pay the judgment rendered upon the note indorsed by himself and Hardinghaus; the bank was to take out execution against the Brewing Co. on the two one thousand dollar notes indorsed by defendant and Rehberg and levy upon its property, and defendant was to bid it in, was to pay all the costs of the suits and the levy, and hold the bank harmless in regard to the whole matter, including the fees of the bank’s attorney, Mr. Norris; and defendant was to re[588]*588lease the bank from all liability to him by reason of its unauthorized release of $2,000 worth of the collateral deposited with the note in suit. In consideration of these acts on the part of defendant, the bank agreed to accept the $4,000 of bonds still held as collateral to the note in suit as payment on said note, pro tanto, and release defendant from liability for the rest of the note.”

The case was tried before a jury, which returned a verdict in favor of defendant. The case is brought here by writ of error.

It is apparently conceded that as to the question of whether a contract was made as the defendant and his attorney swear positively it was made, while the cashier of the bank and its attorney swear as positively that no such contract was made, that this would, under proper conditions, present a question of fact to be passed upon under proper instructions. But it is contended by appellant (we quote from the brief):

“The plaintiff claims, that conceding the claimed contract to be as set up in the plea and shown by the testimony:
“(1) That neither Mr. Belser, as cashier, nor Mr. Norris, attorney for the bank in the three suits mentioned, had any authority or power to make a contract of the character and kind mentioned in the testimony, and therefore the bank was not bound by any such contract, if one was made as claimed.
“ (2) That if such a contract was made as claimed by the defendant, there was no consideration for the contract, and it was, therefore, void.
“ (3) The rulings and decisions of the court in receiving and rejecting testimony and remarks of the court made in the presence of the jury were erroneous.
“ (4) The failure and refusal of the court to rule upon objections was erroneous.
“ (5) The remarks of counsel made in the presence of the jury were erroneous.”

Whatever may have been the attitude of counsel in the court below, they apparently agree in this court as to the law of the case. We quote from the brief of counsel for appellant:

[589]*589‘ ‘A cashier of a bank has no legal authority by virtue of his position to compromise a claim of the bank, or to execute a composition agreement and release therefor. Such a power is discretionary, calling oftentimes for the exercise of considerable reflection, and a high decree of judgment. It is strictly a sacrifice, at least of nominal property of the bank, and is a function of the board of directors, and not of an executive officer'. Magee on Banks & Banking, p. 178 (bottom); Chemical Nat. Bank v. Kohner, 58 How. Prac. (N. Y.) 267; Bank of Commerce v. Hart, 87 Neb. 197 (55 N. W. 631, 20 L. R. A. 780, 40 Am. St. Rep. 479); North Star, etc., Shoe Co. v. Stebbins, 2 S. D. 74 (48 N. W. 833, 834); 2 Comp. Laws, § 6093, subd. 7. The extent of the general powers of a cashier of a bank is a question of law, and not of fact. Farmers’ & Mechanics’ Bank v. Troy City Bank, 1 Doug. (Mich.) 457; Peninsular Bank v. Hanmer, 14 Mich. 208. And a charge is erroneous which refers it to the jury to determine whether a cashier as such has power to accept stock and bonds in payment of notes of the bank. 1 Doug. (Mich.) supra.”

Counsel then proceed to quote at length from the cases cited.

In relation to the proposition of counsel for plaintiff the counsel for defendant reply as follows:

“Appellant argues that Mr. Belser, as cashier, had no authority to make a contract of the character mentioned in the testimony. At the head of its discussion of this point it places the caption, Cashier’s Powers,’ and quotes from Magee on Banks and Banking in respect to the authority which the cashier of a bank possesses by virtue of his office. Now, we do not claim that a cashier as such, and solely by virtue of his office, would have authority to make that agreement which the jury have found was made in this case. The case was not tried on that theory, nor was the jury instructed upon that theory. Appellant says that the power to release an indorser or compromise a claim is not within the power which a cashier possesses by virtue of his position; that the extent of the general powers of a cashier of a bank is a question of law, and not of fact; and that a charge is erroneous which refers it to a jury to determine whether a cashier as such has power to accept stock and bonds in payment of the notes' of the [590]*590bank. We admit all this. * * * If the testimony had merely shown that Mr. Belser was cashier of plaintiff bank, and it had been contended that upon such a showing as the jury should say whether or not the bank was bound by the compromise agreement, appellant’s argument would have been sound, and its authorities would doubtless have sufficed to demonstrate that the bank was not bound.

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

Related

President of the Peninsular Bank v. Hanmer
14 Mich. 208 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1866)
Bank of Commerce v. Hart
20 L.R.A. 780 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1893)
Quimby v. Bee Building Co.
127 N.W. 118 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1910)
North Star Boot & Shoe Co. v. Stebbins
48 N.W. 833 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1891)
Wing v. Commercial & Savings Bank
61 N.W. 1009 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1895)
Davenport v. Stone
62 N.W. 722 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1895)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 N.W. 752, 163 Mich. 586, 1910 Mich. LEXIS 656, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farmers-mechanics-bank-v-clancy-mich-1910.