First & Lumbermen's National Bank v. Buchholz

18 N.W.2d 771, 220 Minn. 97, 1945 Minn. LEXIS 505
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedMay 18, 1945
DocketNo. 33,951.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 18 N.W.2d 771 (First & Lumbermen's National Bank v. Buchholz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First & Lumbermen's National Bank v. Buchholz, 18 N.W.2d 771, 220 Minn. 97, 1945 Minn. LEXIS 505 (Mich. 1945).

Opinion

Youngdahl, Justice.

This is an appeal from an order overruling plaintiff’s demurrer to defendant’s answer. The trial court certified that the question presented by the demurrer is important and doubtful, and the certification is made a part of the order.

Plaintiff, a banking corporation of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, secured a cognovit judgment in Chippewa county of that state against defendant, who operates a floral company at Red Wing in this state, for a balance due on a coal burner sold defendant by the National Coal Company of Chippewa Falls. Plaintiff brought suit in this state' on the judgment. In its amended complaint, plaintiff alleges that the action in Wisconsin was founded upon a negotiable promissory note upon which there is a balance of $689.58; that plaintiff became a bona fide holder of the note; that the note was attached to a conditional sales contract, which was made with the express and implied understanding that the note could be detached, and that the note contained the words “detach before filing or recording contract”; and that under such circumstances the law of Wisconsin is that‘the note is severable and a distinct instrument, independent of the conditional sales contract.

In defendant’s answer, it is alleged that on April 16, 1913, defendant executed a conditional sales contract to National Coal Company of Chippewa Falls for the purchase of “one bin type Iron Fireman automatic coal burner complete with electric equipment for alternating current with thermostat,” for the sum of $1,250.50; that said burner was to be installed in a workmanlike manner; that the sum of $100 was paid as part payment, and defendant executed *99 a note payable to the National Coal Company in the snm of $850, with the balance payable in installments; that said note was “attached to and a part of said contract of conditional sale aforesaid.” It was further alleged that immediately thereafter and before the installation of the burner the National Coal Company assigned the conditional sales contract to plaintiff, together with the note attached ; that plaintiff became responsible for the proper installation of the coal burner and equipment in a workmanlike manner; that plaintiff had in its possession as owner the conditional sales contract and had full and complete knowledge of the terms and conditions of the sale, including the duty to install the coal burner and equipment in a workmanlike manner; that an additional sum of $255.42 was paid under the contract, making a total amount of $655.42 paid; that the burner was not installed in a workmanlike manner, and such unworkmanlike installation caused damage to defendant in the sum of $2,500 by reason of the freezing of plants, flowers, and other vegetation, on account of which damage a recovery is sought under a counterclaim.

Although in the statement of questions involved set forth in plaintiff’s brief it is indicated that plaintiff intended to argue the point that the defense alleged in the answer is not available to defendant in a suit on a cognovit judgment obtained in Wisconsin and sued upon in this state, the issue is not discussed in plaintiff’s points and authorities in the brief, nor was it orally argued. Rule VIII (3) (e), Supreme Court Rules of Practice, effective July 1, 1942, provides (212 Minn. xlii) :

“In appellant’s brief, the points urged for reversal, modification or relief, shall be separately stated and numbered, and each point so stated and numbered shall be followed by the argument thereon. The law and facts presented on each point shall be clearly stated, with citation of the authorities and statutes relied upon.”

This court will not consider any issue not urged in appellant’s points and authorities or orally argued. Cutting v. Weber, 77 Minn. 53, 79 N. W. 595; City of Duluth v. Cerveny, 218 Minn. 511, *100 524, 16 N. W. (2d) 779, 786. Therefore, plaintiff’s position before this court is the same as if it had brought suit on the note in this state.

Plaintiff argues that defendant is not entitled to recover under its counterclaim, because the mere assignment of- the contract to plaintiff did not create a personal liability on its part, citing Pioneer Loan & Land Co. v. Cowden, 128 Minn. 307, 310, 150 N. W. 903, 904. We need not here consider this question, for if the defense alleged by defendant that the burner and equipment were not installed in a workmanlike manner is available to her as an offset to plaintiff’s claim, the demurrer must fall, even though it might be good as against the counterclaim. If, as here, a demurrer is interposed to a whole pleading and such pleading contains at least one good defense, the demurrer is bad. A. E. Johnson Co. v. White, 78 Minn. 48, 80 N. W. 838; Wild Rice Lbr. Co. v. Benson, 114 Minn. 92, 130 N. W. 1; Brill v. Minnesota Mines, Inc. 200 Minn. 454, 274 N. W. 631, 112 A. L. R. 173.

Our discussion, therefore, will be confined to the one issue whether the defense of unworkmanlike installation of the coal burner is available as an offset against the claim of plaintiff in an action on the note. Plaintiff asserts that such defense is not available, because it is a bona fide holder of the note; while defendant contends that plaintiff took the note subject to all the defenses that might be interposed against the original payee. Although, in defendant’s brief, it is stated that the note was not payable in Wisconsin, at the oral argument it was conceded that that statement was erroneous, and both parties agree that the law of Wisconsin applies to the construction of the note and contract. In determining the issues here involved, the allegations of the answer must be considered as true. Vogt v. Ganlisle Holding Co. 217 Minn. 601, 15 N. W. (2d) 91. From such allegations, it appears that the note was attached to the conditional sales contract by a perforation, and in such condition the contract and note were assigned and endorsed to the plaintiff. At that time, the coal-burning equipment had not been installed, and the consideration under the *101 contract had not yet moved. Plaintiff took the note and contract with full and complete knowledge of the terms thereof and with knowledge of the fact that the consideration had not yet moved; and, at the time of suit, plaintiff was the holder and owner, not only of the note, but of the conditional sales contract as well.

The fact that the note was attached to the contract by a perforation did not destroy its negotiability. It was still on its face a negotiable instrument. Shawano Finance Corp. v. Julius, 214 Wis. 637, 254 N. W. 355. Plaintiff relies upon that case in support of its position that the answer is demurrable. The case is not in point on the issue to be here determined. In that case, there was a motion to set aside a cognovit judgment upon the ground that the instrument upon which it was based was not negotiable because attached to a conditional sales contract by a perforation, and therefore not subject to a cognovit judgment under the statute. The court simply held that the instrument was a note within the meaning of the statute, and its negotiability was not affected by the fact that it was attached to the contract by a perforation. That is not the problem before this court.

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Bluebook (online)
18 N.W.2d 771, 220 Minn. 97, 1945 Minn. LEXIS 505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-lumbermens-national-bank-v-buchholz-minn-1945.