First National Bank of Mexia v. Anderson

352 S.W.2d 851, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2103
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 14, 1961
DocketNo. 3952
StatusPublished

This text of 352 S.W.2d 851 (First National Bank of Mexia v. Anderson) 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
First National Bank of Mexia v. Anderson, 352 S.W.2d 851, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2103 (Tex. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

This action involves the Negotiable Instruments Act, particularly Article 5934, Sections 30 and 49, and was tried without the aid of a jury. It does not yield to a simple statement, but since the Court, on request, filed findings of fact and conclusions of law, we will state the pertinent parts of these findings. On April 4, 1960, K. A. Anderson, dba K-Way Builders Supply Company, entered into a written contract with Bill Moore (and accepted by Mrs. Opal Richardson, a feme sole) for the building and construction of a house (contract price $7180.50) on certain property belonging to Mrs. Richardson, fully described in the contract. Anderson, under [852]*852the contract, furnished the material to the owner in the amount of $5600.02 of material and labor; that construction was begun under a written contract and the house was completed with extras at the reasonable cost of $300.00, and at the time of the trial Mrs. Richardson had paid Moore, the builder, the sum of $4916.50, on the contract price, no part of which was paid to Anderson. On May 3, 1960, Mrs. Richardson gave to Moore a Mechanic’s and Material-man’s Lien Contract covering certain lands and premises in Freestone County, Texas, including the property on which the house was being built and this instrument was signed by Moore and Mrs. Richardson and acknowledged on May 5, 1960, and the instrument was filed with the Clerk of Freestone County, Texas, and recorded in Vol. 9, Page 503, in the records of said county. The lien was given to secure a note in the sum of $7100.50, payable to Moore, or order, and it was secured by a Mechanic’s and Ma-terialman’s Lien. This lien of May 3, 1960, was given for the building of the same house to be constructed for Mrs. Richardson, which was evidenced by contract of April 4, 1960. This note and contract was delivered to Moore by Richardson, and at the time Mrs. Richardson signed the note and contract, she knew what she was signing and the nature and consequence of her acts in the signing.

“Moore, sometime after May 5, 1960, and prior to July 30, 1960, left said note for $7100.50 and the lien securing it, with defendant Bank as collateral security; and at which time, Moore executed to said Bank a new note for the sum of $5500.00. When this note and lien were left with Bank as collateral security for indebtedness then owing said Bank by Moore, and for new note of $5500.00, Moore neither transferred nor assigned said note and lien, or either of them, to said Bank, but merely left same with said Bank as collateral security.
“About five days prior to July 30, I960, Hugh D. Reed, Jr., an attorney of Fairfield, Texas was employed by Anderson to collect the money due him under said contract of April 4, 1960, being the sum of $5600.02; that on July 30, 1960, and between the hours of eight o’clock A.M., and nine o’clock A.M. at approximately 8:30 A.M., Reed called Bank seeking to locate note and lien of date May 3, 1960, he having discovered same of record, and having been informed by Moore that the Bank had said instruments, at this time, Reed informed Bank that he was employed by Anderson to collect his money; that Richardson had already paid Moore, at least, $4300.00 on the contract, and that Anderson had furnished material and supplies for the building of said house to the extent of $5500.00, for which he had been paid nothing. After Bank received this call from Reed, it began trying to locate Moore, and did locate him — and at some time between 12:30 P.M., and 1:05 P.M., approximately 1 o’clock P.M., of said July 30, 1960, Moore came to the Bank and transferred said note to said Bank by written transfer on the back thereof, and transferred said note and lien to said Bank by written transfer, which transfer and assignment was filed for record with the County Clerk of Freestone County, Texas, on August 1, 1960, at eight o’clock A.M. Anderson filed this suit in the 87th District Court of Freestone County, Texas, on August 1, 1960.”
“CONCLUSIONS OF LAW:
“I conclude as a matter of law that said Bank was not a holder in due course of said note and lien left with it by Moore as collateral security, but took said note and lien subject to whatever equities then existed against its transferror Moore. The note being payable to Moore, or order, is negotiated only by the endorsement of Moore and the delivery thereof. Moore did not endorse this note until about 10 o’clock P.M., on July 30, 1960, at [853]*853-which time the Bank had been given notice by Reed of the outstanding ■equities existing against Moore in connection therewith. Moore having been paid for all services rendered by him in the building of said house by Richardson, he had no further claim against her; and Anderson having been paid nothing for material and supplies furnished, was entitled to any unpaid balance due by Richardson, which was found to be $2664.00. (See Article 5934 VACS, sections 30 and 49. First State Bank of Three Rivers v. Petrucha [Tex.Civ.App.], 38 S.W.2d 138. Gibbs v. Wheeler [Tex.Civ.App.], 306 S.W.2d 929; 6 Texas Jurisprudence, page 670, section 67.)”

The court decreed that Anderson recover of defendants, Bill Moore and Mrs. Richardson, jointly and severally, $2664.00, being the unpaid balance on the original contract for the sum of $7180.50 for the construction of the residence built upon the land and premises of Mrs. Richardson, together with interest at the rate of 6% per annum from date. It further decreed that Anderson have judgment against defendant, Moore, individually, for the further sum of $2936.02, being the amount due Anderson •over and above the sum of $2664.00 on the •contract executed by Anderson and defend.ant, Bill Moore, and accepted by Mrs. Richardson, with interest at the rate of 6% •per annum from date until paid. The court ■decreed that the First National Bank of Mexia be denied any recovery against Mrs. Richardson for any sum and denied a foreclosure of any asserted mechanic’s and ma-terialman’s lien against Mrs. Richardson. The court further awarded judgment in favor of the First National Bank of Mexia against Bill Moore for the sum of $7100.50 for its debt and for the further sum of -$710.00 attorney’s fees, together with interest at 6% per annum from date of this judgment. The court further decreed that the mechanic’s and materialman’s lien con-tract executed by defendant, Mrs. Richard--son, to defendant Bill Moore, dated May 3, 1960, recorded in Vol. 9, Page 503 of the mechanic’s and materialman’s lien records of Freestone County, Texas, be cancelled and held for naught and that the cloud cast on Mrs. Richardson’s title be removed. The judgment sets out a detailed description of the land involved. The judgment assessed all the costs against Mrs. Richardson and Bill Moore jointly and severally. The First National Bank of Mexia duly excepted to the judgment and gave notice of appeal to this court and has seasonably perfected its appeal (none of the other parties appealed).

The bank assails the decree on what it designates as 5 Points. Points 1, 2 and 3 are to the effect that under the undisputed factual situation here before the court, the bank was the holder of the note of Mrs. Richardson in due course. Point 4, that the court erred in holding that Mrs.

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Related

Gibbs v. Wheeler
306 S.W.2d 929 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1957)
Tyree v. Cox
267 S.W.2d 233 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1954)
Cont'nal Natl. Bk. of Ft. Worth v. Conner
214 S.W.2d 928 (Texas Supreme Court, 1948)
First State Bank of Three Rivers v. Petrucha
38 S.W.2d 138 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1931)

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Bluebook (online)
352 S.W.2d 851, 1961 Tex. App. LEXIS 2103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-national-bank-of-mexia-v-anderson-texapp-1961.