First Nat. Bank v. Beatty

1935 OK 486, 45 P.2d 158, 172 Okla. 47, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 361
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 30, 1935
DocketNo. 24492.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1935 OK 486 (First Nat. Bank v. Beatty) 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 v. Beatty, 1935 OK 486, 45 P.2d 158, 172 Okla. 47, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 361 (Okla. 1935).

Opinion

*48 PER CURIAM.

This is an action commenced by J. H. Beatty and Grace T. Beatty, hereinafter called plaintiffs, against the First National Bank in Tonkawa, a corporation, hereinafter called defendant, to recover the value of a diamond ring pledged as collateral to a note given the bank by plaintiffs, which collateral the defendant bank failed to return upon tender and demand, said ring allegedly having been lost through bank robbery.

Plaintiffs alleged the value of the ring to be $2,950, and prayed for that amount, .with interest, less any amount' that- might be found due and owing to defendant on •the note secured by said ring. . Plaintiffs further .alleged that the defendant bank, through one of its officers, represented that the bank maintained adequate and full insurance for the protection of the said collateral security.

The defendant filed an answer and counterclaim for the balance due on said note, which originally was for $500; denied the value of the ring to be $2,950, but stated that the agreed value of the ring was $1 ,- 200; denied that it agreed to keep the ring insured, or to use extraordinary care for the safekeeping of the ring. Defendant further answered stating that said ring was lost through robbery of the bank.

Plaintiffs replied denying such allegations in defendant’s answer which controverted plaintiffs’ petition. Plaintiffs, in their reply, alleged negligence on the part of the defendant.

All of the allegations in plaintiffs’ reply were denied by the defendant.

Plaintiffs made no answer to the cross-petition of the defendant to recover on the note.

In April, 1929, Dr. Beatty sought a loan of $500 from the bank, and offered to pledge as collateral a three and a half carat diamond ring which belonged to his wife. A note was made for a period of three months and was renewed from time to time and was signed by plaintiffs. The evidence shows that before putting up the ring as collateral, Dr. Beatty inquired concerning Die bank’s insurance of such collateral, and was assured by Mr. Wycoff, the cashier handling the transaction, that the bank maintained adequate insurance protecting Dr. Beatty against loss of such collateral from any cause, and agreed to maintain insurance during the time the bank held the ring. Testimony concerning insurance was introduced by the plaintiffs without objection by the defendant. Later on in the trial the defendant objected to evidence'of the same tenor, which objection was overruled.

The testimony further shows that before the bank ’would accept the ring as sufficient collateral for the $500 note, Mr. Wycoff and Dr. Beatty consulted two jewelers, one of whom, a Mr. Hay, stated that the diamond was worth $2,750. Both plaintiffs and Mr. Hay testified that the ring was worth the sum of $2,750.

The testimony further showed that Mr. Wycoff and Dr. Beatty then walked back to the bank. Mr. Wycoff drew a note for . the loan, which contained the following provisions:

“To secure the payment of this note and of any and all other indebtedness which I now owe to said hank, or may owe to it any time before the payment of this note, I having hypothecated the following collateral: One 3% carat diamond mounted in platinum with 6 small stones being the legal owner thereof, and the value of which I represent to be $1,200 if in the judgment! of the holder of this- note said collateral should depreciate in value I agree to deliver when demanded, additional security to the satisfaction of the holder hereof, and in default thereof, or in case of default in the payment of this note or any interest thereon, I hereby authorize the said bank to sell said collateral or any part thereof, at public or private sale said bank may become a purchaser of said collateral or any part thereof without any right or equity of redemption therefrom. All dividends and coupons on the above-mentioned collateral shall be paid to the holder of this note until it shall have been fully paid. Said bank is hereby authorized at its option, to apply to the payment of any obligation or liability of the maker hereof, whether now existing or hereafter contracted, and whether or not then due, and whether now held or hereafter acquired by said bank any money in its hands, on deposit or otherwise, to thé credit of or belonging to the undersigned.”

Then a receipt was given by the bank to Dr. Beatty as follows:

“Received from-One 3% carat diamond ring set in platinum same held as collateral for a $500 note of this date.”

The testimony shows that Dr. Beatty asked the cashier, Mr. Wycoff, why the $1,-200 figure was inserted. Mr. Wycoff told him it was for the benefit of the bank examiner. Dr. Beatty signed the note and left the ring. Thereafter, two or three times, Dr. Beatty paid a part of the note and renewed the balance, Mrs. Beatty sign *49 ing with. him. The renewal notes all contained the clause quoted above.

The testimony further shows that on the 25th of April, 1930, the bank was robbed, at which time the diamond ring disappeared; officers of the bank testified that the ring was lost in this robbery. The evidence further shows that, soon after the robbery, plaintiffs 'tendered the amount due on the note and demanded the return of the ring, which the bank was unable to deliver.

The testimony shows, with reference to the robbery, that armed robbers came into the bank on the day stated above and at the point of guns forced all the employees to lie down on the floor, at which time the tills were looted and one employee of the bank forced at the point of a gun to enter the vault, work the combination of the safe and surrender all the money and valuables therein. The employees and customers were then locked in the vault and the robbers disappeared; that .electric alarms were sounded in two or three business houses within six or eight minutes after the robbery. •

Defendant demurred to the evidence of the plaintiffs and the demurrer was overruled.

“Demurrer to the testimony admits all the facts which the testimony in the slightest degree tends to prove and all the inferences which may be reasonably drawn from such testimony.” Cline v. Butts, 167 Okla. 378, 29 P. (2d) 777.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs and assessed the amount of recovery in the sum of $2,356.85. This was a general verdict, the jury not stating on what theory it found for the plaintiffs. Under the court’s instructions, one of the questions submitted to the jury was that of negligence.

“Where there is evidence on the question of negligence on which reasonable men might differ as to the facts established and from the inference to be drawn therefrom, the question is one for the jury.” City of Enid v. Smith, 167 Okla. 381, 29 P. (2d) 765.
“Where there is evidence tending to show negligence by the defendant, it is error to sustain a demurrer to the testimony.” Cline v. Butts, 167 Okla. 378, 29 P. (2d) 777.
“The liabilities of a bailee for negligence shall not exceed the amount which he is informed by the bailor or has reason to suppose, the thing bailed is worth.” C. O. S. 1921, sec. 5200.

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Bluebook (online)
1935 OK 486, 45 P.2d 158, 172 Okla. 47, 1935 Okla. LEXIS 361, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-nat-bank-v-beatty-okla-1935.