First Nat. Bank of Ardmore v. Fidelity Nat. Bank of Oklahoma City

1927 OK 369, 265 P. 1071, 130 Okla. 164, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 525
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 25, 1927
Docket16933
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1927 OK 369 (First Nat. Bank of Ardmore v. Fidelity Nat. Bank of Oklahoma City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Nat. Bank of Ardmore v. Fidelity Nat. Bank of Oklahoma City, 1927 OK 369, 265 P. 1071, 130 Okla. 164, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 525 (Okla. 1927).

Opinion

JEFFREY, C.

The First National Bañil *165 of Ardmore, as plaintiff, commenced this suit in the district court of Oklahoma county, against the Fidelity National Bank of Oklahoma City, as defendant, for an alleged deposit in the sum of $22,532.94. The petition alleges liability on two theories: That of moneys had and received, and conversion. At the trial of the case to a jury, a demurrer was sustained to plaintiffs evidence, and judgment rendered in favor of defendant for its costs, from which judgment plaintiff has appealed.

The material portions of plaintiffs evidence follows: On the 21st day of October, 1921, one J. S. Mullen, who owed plaintiff large sums of money, called one W. M. Bonner, at Oklahoma City, and requested that he see F. P. Finerty, president of the defendant bank, and ascertain whether or not Finerty, as such bank officer, would loan $22,500 on the note of himself and D. Lacy, the last-named party being president of plaintiff bank. Bonner did call on Mr. Fin-erty, and Finerty replied that he would take care of Lacy, with the understanding that the proceeds of the loan should remain in the bank until the note was paid. This information was transmitted to Mullen by Bonner, and on October 22, 1921, defendant received a note for $22,500, signed by D. Lacy and indorsed by J. g. Mullen. The net proceeds of the note, being $22,045.50, after deducting the interest for the period of the note together with revenue, were deposited to the credit of plaintiff bank. On that date Finerty, as president of defendant bank, wrote a letter to Lacy, as president of the plaintiff bank, which is as follows :

“F. P. Finerty, President. Jno. A. Campbell, “Cash.
“Boyal C. Stuart, Y. Pres. J. M. Bellenger,
Asst. Cashier.
“C. M. Bosworth, Y. Pres.
“M. M. Bath, Asst. Cash.
“Fidelity National Bank.
“Oklahoma City, Oct. 22, 1921.
“Don Lacy, President,
“First National Bank,
“Ardmore, Okla.
“Dear Don:
‘‘We credit the account of the First National Bank of Ardmore to-day $22.045.50. being the proceeds of note of yourself for $22,500, less discount and revenue, for 90 days.
“My understanding from Mr. Bonner is that this is to be a dead balance as long as we carry this note, and on this we will allow you three per cent, on daily balances.
“I inclose herewith signature card which kindly execute and iile with us, and I will be mighty glad if your remittance department gets balled up some day and begins giving us some of your Oklahoma City account. Please remember that we are a national bank now, and are ready, willing and able to serve you, and we would surely, appreciate a part or all of your active account.
“With kindest regards, and hoping this little transaction is only a starter to a large business relation, I am,
“Very truly yours,
“F. P. Finerty, President.”
This letter was received by Lacy, and on October 25th Lacy replied with the following letter:
“First National Bank.
“Capital, $200,000 “Surplus $100,000 “Ardmore, Okla., October 25, 1921.
“Mr. F. P. Finerty, President,
“Fidelity National Bank,

“Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“Dear Mr. Finerty:
“We acknowledge receipt of yours of the 22nd, advising the credit for account of J. S. Mullen. You understand Mr. Bonner correctly. We do not intend to check against the balance as long as you are carrying the loan, and when money matters" ease up, hope to do some active account business with you.
“Enclosed find signature card bearing the signature of our officers authorized to sign for the bank.
“Thanking you very much for the favor, and with kindest regards,
“Yours very truly,
“D L-G. D. Lacy, President.”

The evidence further discloses that at the time of this transaction plaintiff was in great need of money with which to pay its drafts and checks; that on the 22nd day of October, the date plaintiff was credited with the deposit in the defendant bank, plaintiff received a cash letter from the Federal Beserve Bank of Oklahoma City for the sum of $48, 433.71, and that one of the items included in the cash letter was a draft of the Farmers & Merchants Bank at Banger, for $24,938.25. The evidence further discloses ¡that, at the time this draft was received, there was not sufficient money In the account of the Banger bank; with which to pay said draft, anci that Mullen’s account showed an overdraft of $25. At that time Lacy, as president of the nlaintiff bank, directed one of the tellers not to pay the item, but stated that he was expecting a *166 credit sufficient to pay the draft before time to return it. During the day Lacy furnished the teller with charge slips directing him to charge defendant with $21,900, to credit the account of J. S. Mullen with a like amount, and in turn transfer $22,671,65 from M-ullen’s account to the account of the Ranger bank, which, with the balance then in the Ranger account, equaled the amount of the Ranger draft. The cash letter was then paid by three drafts, one drawn on Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, for $15,000, one on Central National Bank at Tulsa for $5,000, and one on the First National Bank of Oklahoma City for $28,433.71. After Lacy received the letter from defendant showing the amount of credit given plaintiff, a similar transaction was had with reference to the additional $145, which had not been entered on plaintiff’s books.

The note at the defendant bank was renewed from time to time, and the renewal notes werS executed in the same manner as the first note, except that the first renewal note was signed by J. S. Mullen as maker, and indorsed by D. Lacy. Mullen paid the interest as it became due, amounting in all to $1,800, and defendant allowed plaintiff the three per cent, on daily balances as stated in Finerty’s letter.

On April 4, 1922, Ed Sandlin, as cashier of plaintiff bank, wrote the defendant bank saying that the books of plaintiff bank showed that it had been carrying for sometime a balance for something more than $20,-000 in defendant bank, and inquired as to whether this deposit was being held as security for any indebtedness. On April 7, 1922, F. P. Finerty, as president of defendant bank, replied by letter that the balance to the credit of plaintiff was left there distinctly as collateral to the note of Don Lacy and ,T. S. Mullen, and was to be left there until the note was paid.

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Related

Streeter v. Anderson
1935 OK 287 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)
First Nat. Bank v. Fidelity Nat. Bank
74 F.2d 447 (Fifth Circuit, 1934)

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Bluebook (online)
1927 OK 369, 265 P. 1071, 130 Okla. 164, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 525, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-nat-bank-of-ardmore-v-fidelity-nat-bank-of-oklahoma-city-okla-1927.