Farmers State Bank v. First State Bank of Liberty

317 S.W.2d 768, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2305
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 30, 1958
Docket3588
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 317 S.W.2d 768 (Farmers State Bank v. First State Bank of Liberty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farmers State Bank v. First State Bank of Liberty, 317 S.W.2d 768, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2305 (Tex. Ct. App. 1958).

Opinion

McDONALD, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a summary judgment granted under Rule 166-A, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Parties will be referred to as in the Trial Court. Plaintiff *769 Farmers State Bank of Cleveland brought this suit against J. O. Trantham and wife and Glenn Roberds, and the First State Bank of Liberty, alleging that Trantham and wife had entered a contract with Rob-erds whereby Roberds was to construct a dwelling house for the Tranthams; that the Tranthams had executed a note and a contractor’s and materialman’s lien in the amount of $16,900 on a lot owned by them and delivered same to Roberds; that on 29 September 19S6 Roberds transferred and assigned such note and lien to plaintiff Farmers State Bank for a consideration of $16,900; and that on 29 September 19S6 the defendant First State Bank of Liberty wrote plaintiff bank a letter as follows:

“First State Bank “Liberty, Texas.
“September 29, 1956
“Farmers State Bank
“Cleveland, Texas.
“Dear Sirs:
“This is to confirm an agreement between this bank and Mr. J. O. Trant-ham of this city for financing a home to be built to his order. We have agreed to either finance direct or secure for Mr. Trantham from the sale of Humble Oil Co. stock which he owns and we have in our possession the necessary amount to pay off this home when completed according to plans and specifications. It is understood these plans now call for this home to cost $16,900.
“Very truly yours
“Benny L. Rusk
“V/P & Cashier

Plaintiff pleads that the foregoing letter constitutes a warranty on the part of the Liberty bank to pay the obligation of Trantham and wife, and that it relied on such promise and agreement. Plaintiff alleges the note for $16,900 has not been paid and pleads for judgment for $16,900 against the Tranthams, Roberds and the Liberty bank (as well as for foreclosure of its lien, interest and attorney’s fees).

The defendant First State Bank of Liberty answered by general denial and by allegation that the letter sued on does not warrant payment of the Tranthams’ obligation nor constitute a contract upon which plaintiff Cleveland bank can recover as a third party beneficiary.

Defendant Liberty bank then filed its motion for summary judgment on the grounds that there was no genuine issue as to any material fact and that it was entitled to judgment as a matter of law because (1) the letter supra on its face does not warrant the payment to plaintiff Cleveland bank of the Tranthams’ debt; (2) nor can the agreements recited to have been made therein between the Tranthams and the Liberty bank be construed to be for the benefit of plaintiff Cleveland bank. In support of its motion for summary judgment defendant Liberty bank attached the affidavit of J. O. Trantham that the letter supra recites the exact agreement between himself and the Liberty bank and that such agreements were not made for the benefit of the Cleveland bank, and that the house involved had never been completed according to its plans and specifications.

The affidavit of Benny L. Rusk, who signed the letter supra, is further attached to the motion for summary judgment. This affidavit reflects that Rusk or the Liberty bank never had any dealing whatsoever with the plaintiff Cleveland bank about this matter; that the letter was written and handed to Roberds by Rusk to reflect the agreement the Liberty bank had with the Tranthams; that such agreements were solely for the benefit of the Tranthams and for no third party; that Roberds wanted to finance the house at the Cleveland bank and requested the affiant to give a letter stating what the Liberty bank’s agreement had been with the Tranthams, so that Rob-erds could work out a financing agreement with the Cleveland bank; that the Liberty bank never received any consideration; never assumed or intended to assume or warrant payment of plaintiff Cleveland bank’s claim against Roberds or the Trant- *770 hams; that the Liberty bank never agreed or promised to provide any one but the Tranthams any money.

Thereafter the plaintiff Cleveland bank filed what it designated its 1st Amended Answer to Motion for Summary Judgment, in which it asserts that the letter supra was written by the Liberty bank as a guarantee of the payment of the $16,900 represented by the Trantham-Roberds construction contract and mechanic’s lien. Such answer was sworn to by one of plaintiff bank’s attorneys.

The Trial Court sustained defendant Liberty bank’s motion for summary judgment and decreed that plaintiff 'take nothing against the defendant Liberty bank.

Plaintiff Cleveland bank appeals on one point of error: The Trial Court erred in granting the motion of defendant bank for summary judgment because there was a bona fide issue of fact to be submitted to the jury as to the intention of Benny L. Rusk, as Vice-President and Cashier of the' Liberty bank, in the direction of the letter of September 29, 1956, to the Cleveland bank.

In its brief the plaintiff bank contends that the defendant1 Liberty bank intended to guarantee the payment of the Trantham obligation- in writing the letter, and “that there is a bona fide issue of a substantive right as between such First State Bank and the plaintiff Farmers State Bank, and if there be any ambiguity in such letter, or if the same be indefinite in its terms, it is certainly subject to explanation by extrinsic evidence offered by the plaintiff * * *

This appeal presents the question of whether the letter written by the defendant Liberty bank, constitutes a guarantee of the Tranthams’ obligation to the plaintiff Cleveland batik. Such letter reads:

“Farmers State Bank
“Cleveland, Texas.
'“Dear Sirs:
“This is to confirm an agreement between this bank and Mr. J. O. Trant-ham of this city for financing a home to be built to his order. We have agreed to either finance direct or secure for Mr. Trantham from the sale of Humble Oil Co. stock which he owns and we have in our possession the necessary amount to pay off this home when completed according to plans and specifications. * * * ”

Applicable law is expressed in Mercantile Nat. Bank at Dallas v. McCullough Tool Co., Tex.Civ.App., 250 S.W.2d 870, at page 881 in the dissenting opinion which was upheld by the Supreme Court, 152 Tex. 471, 259 S.W.2d 724, 729, as follows [250 S.W.2d 881.]:

“ ‘Parties are presumed to contract for themselves. It follows that a contract will not be construed as having been made for the benefit of a third person unless it clearly appears that such was the intention of the contracting parties.’ Citizens Nat. Bank in Abilene v. Texas & P. Ry. Co., 136 Tex.

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Bluebook (online)
317 S.W.2d 768, 1958 Tex. App. LEXIS 2305, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farmers-state-bank-v-first-state-bank-of-liberty-texapp-1958.