Fidelity Deposit of Maryland v. Meyer, Guardian

121 S.W.2d 873, 197 Ark. 42, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 338
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 14, 1938
Docket4-5244
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 121 S.W.2d 873 (Fidelity Deposit of Maryland v. Meyer, Guardian) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fidelity Deposit of Maryland v. Meyer, Guardian, 121 S.W.2d 873, 197 Ark. 42, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 338 (Ark. 1938).

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

This is an intervention filed on August 28, 1937, by William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, by their guardian in the matter of the American Exchange Trust Company, insolvent, pending in the chancery court of Pulaski county, wherein appellees made the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland, a defendant, seeking to recover from Gr. S. Jernigan, as State Bank Commissioner in charge of the assets of the insolvent American Exchange Trust- Company and said Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland the sum of $1,434.73 with interest at the rate of 6 per cent, per an-num from the date of filing said intervention by falsifying and surcharging the final account and settlement of the American Exchange Trust Company as guardian and curator of the estate of said minors. It was alleged in the intervention that the American Exchange Trust Company, as such guardian, purchased from itself a note for the sum of $1,000, and a mortgage given to secure same executed by L. B. Siegel; that L. B. Siegel went into bankruptcy and was finally‘discharged, and that Ora Lee Meyer, as guardian of such minors, was given an undivided one-fifth interest in an undivided 20/39 interest in lots 1, 2 and 3, block 2, Rectortown Addition to the city of Little Rock; lot 4, block 4, Russell’s Addition to the city of Little Rock; that this was the sole benefit received from said Siegel note and mortgage, and that same was of little valúe; that the Siegel nóíe for $1,000 was one of a series aggregating $9,750', and that the investment by the guardian in said "note was without authority of law and without an order first obtained from the Pulaski probate court, authorizing such guardian to invest funds in such' note; that said guardian knew that such note was of little value, and that it was guilty of gross neglect and fraud upon the minors in making such investment without an order of the ■ probate court.

The Fidelity & Deposit Company filed an answer admitting that the American Exchange Trust Company was appointed guardian and curator of the estate of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, on February 27, 1930, and that it received assets belonging to them of the value $3,645.73, and that the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland executed a bond as surety for the American Exchange Trust Company in the penal sum of $2,500; that on March 22,. 1930, the American Exchange Trust Company, as such guardian, purchased from itself with funds of said minors a $1,000 first mortgage real estate note bearing 6 per cent, interest executed by Louis B. Siegel and wife,-said note being* due and payable on the 14th. day of April, 1931; that it made this purchase without first obtaining an order from the Pulaski probate court to do so; that in November the American Exchange Trust Company became insolvent, and was placed in the hands of the State Bank Commissioner for liquidation; that on February 26, 1931, at the instance of Mrs. Ora Lee Meyer who was the mother of the minors, the Pulaski probate court removed the American Exchange Trust Company as guardian and curator on account of its insolvency and was herself appointed guardian and curator for them, and that on March 14, 1931, the American Exchange Trust Company through the Bank Commissioner filed its final report as such guardian and curator and received and receipted for the assets including the Siegel note and mortgage. It denied, however, that the American Exchange Trust Company knew that the Siegel note was of little value or that it was guilty of gross neglect and fraud upon the minors in making such investment without an order of the probate court first obtained.

By way of further defenses it interposed the five-year statute of limitations as a bar to the intervention and estoppel on the part' of Mrs. Ora Lee Meyer, and the minors to prosecute the action.

The testimony introduced covered the administration of the estate of said minors by their original guardian, the American-Exchange Trust Company, and their guardian in succession, the bankruptcy proceedings in part of Louis B. Siegel in the Federal court, and part of the proceedings of the Bank Commissioner in liquidating the assets of the American Exchange Trust Company, with a large number of exhibits attached which we deem unnecessary to set out in detail or in substance to determine the questions involved on this appeal.

After hearing all the evidence the chancery court rendered the following decree: “It is, therefore, by the court, considered, ordered, adjudged and decreed, that Ora Lee Meyer, as guardian and curator of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, do have judgment for and recover of and from G. S. Jernigan.as State Bank Commissioner in charge of the American Exchange Trust Company, insolvent, and, the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland-, collectively and severally, the sum of $1,-304.45, together with interest thereon from this date until paid, at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, for which execution or garnishment may issue as upon a.judgment at law against the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland only, and with the understanding that this judgment is now an adjudicated- and liquidated claim for such amount, in favor of the intervener as a common creditor of the insolvent bank.

It is further considered, ordered, adjudged and decreed by the court that any and all right, title and interest and equity of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, and as to Ora Lee Meyer, as an individual and as guardian and curator of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, in and to an undivided one-fifth interest in and to an undivided 20/39 interest in and to the following property situated and located in Pulaski county, Arkansas, to-wit:

Lots 1, 2 and 3, block 2, Rectortown Addition to the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, and lot 4, block 4, Russell’s Addition to the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, be and the same are hereby divested out of William F. Meyer and Leora E. Meyer, minors, and out of Ora Lee Meyer, as an individual and as guardian and curator of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, and be and the same are hereby invested in either G. S. Jernigan, as State Bank Commissioner in charge of the American Exchange Trust Company, insolvent, or in the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland, whichever shall pay said judgment. ’ ’

From the findings and decree, G. S. Jernigan as State Bank Commissioner in charge of the American Exchange Trust Company, insolvent, 'and the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland prayed an appeal to this court which was granted, and the interveners excepted to that part of the decree reducing the interest rate from 6 per cent, to 4 per cent., and prayed an appeal to this court which was granted.

The record reflects that on February 27, 1930, the American Exchange Trust Company was duly appointed curator of the estate of William F. and Leora E. Meyer, minors, and who are still minors, by the Pulaski county probate court, and that the Fidelity & Deposit Company of Maryland executed a bond as surety for the' faithful performance of the duties of said guardian in the penal sum of $2,500; that said trust company took possession of said assets appraised at $3,645.73; that at the time it owned a note for $9,750 executed by Louis B.

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Related

Selig v. Barnett
350 S.W.2d 176 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1961)
Hope v. American Bonding Company
143 S.W.2d 193 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1940)
Meyer v. Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland
122 S.W.2d 586 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1938)

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Bluebook (online)
121 S.W.2d 873, 197 Ark. 42, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 338, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fidelity-deposit-of-maryland-v-meyer-guardian-ark-1938.