Fletcher v. Waring

36 N.E. 896, 137 Ind. 159, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 201
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 27, 1894
DocketNo. 15,425
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 36 N.E. 896 (Fletcher v. Waring) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fletcher v. Waring, 36 N.E. 896, 137 Ind. 159, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 201 (Ind. 1894).

Opinion

Howard, C. J.

It will be convenient to refer to ap[161]*161pellants as Fletcher & Co., and to appellees as Waring Brothers.

The Illinois Midland Railway was a corporation formed by a consolidation of the Peoria, Atlanta and Decatur, the Paris and Decatur, and the Paris and Terre Haute Railroads. Proceedings to foreclose mortgages and liens on the Illinois Midland, and the roads of which it was composed, were begun in the circuit court of Edgar county, Illinois, in 1875, and a receiver was appointed. These proceedings were, in 1878, removed to the United States Circuit Court for the southern district of Illinois, and there consolidated with other cases involving the same subject-matter. In December, 1878, L. Genis was appointed receiver of these roads.

On June 29, 1881, receiver Genis petitioned for leave to issue receiver’s certificates to pay for necessary betterments then already made. The court, by order entered the same day, authorized the receiver to issue such certificates to the amount of $63,037.98. On the same day, the receiver also petitioned for leave to issue certificates to make future betterments, necessary to the preservation and maintenance of the property. The court authorized the issue of $80,000 in certificates for this purpose. The receiver sold to Fletcher & Co., of Indianapolis, the certificates issued under the first order* just mentioned, and $58,275 of the certificates authorized under the second order. By an order entered August 16, 1881, the court approved these sales of certificates.

The Illinois Midland and the roads of which it was composed were sold in 1886, under said foreclosure proceedings in the United States Circuit Court, and the proceeds distributed to the creditors by the commissioner appointed for that purpose. The share of these proceeds [162]*162paid to Fletcher & Co., on account of their certificates, was less than the amount due on the same.

At the time Fletcher & Co. purchased the certificates from the receiver, the Waring Brothers, of London, England, held large amounts of the stock and bonds of, also large claims against, the Midland Railway and the roads of which it was composed, and were greatly interested in the successful maintenance, management and operation of these roads. Mr. Genis, the receiver, was also the local agent of Waring Brothers.

Fletcher & Co. filed their complaint in the court below, in seven paragraphs, to recover from Waring Brothers the balance left due on their certificates after the distribution of the assets of the Midland. The first and third paragraphs of the complaint were afterwards withdrawn, and the court sustained a demurrer to the seventh paragraph, to which ruling exception was made. Waring Brothers answered the remaining paragraphs of the complaint by general denials and by pleas of non est factum. The fifth paragraph of answer averred that Fletcher & Co. had full knowledge of certain facts alleged in the complaint to have been misrepresented. Fletcher & Co. replied in general denial, and also by special plea to the fifth paragraph of the answer.

Upon the issues so formed, the cause was tried without a jury, and upon the evidence the court found for Fletcher & Co. upon the sixth paragraph of the complaint, and for Waring Brothers upon the remaining paragraphs.

The reason given in the complaint for holding Waring Brothers liable for the unpaid balance due them was that at the time Fletcher & Co. purchased from the receiver the certificates in question, certain representations were made to them by Genis as agent of Waring Brothers on the faith of which representations such purchase was made. These representations have reference to two spe[163]*163cies of property connected with, the Midland Railway, which properties were then held by Waring Brothers:

First. Certain receiver’s certificates issued to Waring Brothers prior to June, 1881, for cars and other like property furnished to the railway by Waring Brothers, and which certificates it was agreed should be postponed to the certificates which were to be purchased by Fletcher & Co., and

Second. Certain claims for right of way held by or for Waring Brothers, which it was also agreed should be postponed to the certificates to be purchased by Fletcher & Co.

The agreement as to the certificates was as follows:

“The parties of the first part to said contract (Waring Brothers) hereby agree that the certificates owned by them and specified in Exhibit A, attached and made a part of said contract, shall be and the same are hereby postponed and subordinated to said certificates so to be issued by said L. Genis, as receiver, in said decree of June 29, 1881, and to be sold by said receiver to the parties of the second part (Fletcher & Co.).”

Waring Brothers contend that this agreement means that, in the event of the sale of the Midland Railway by order of the United States Court, and in case the assets should not be sufficient to pay all the certificates, the certificates of Fletcher & Co. should be paid first, and those of Waring Brothers afterwards.

Fletcher & Co., on the other hand, contend that, under this agreement, Waring Brothers “pledged the certificates as security for our debt”; that the certificates represented the purchase-price of certain rolling stock," and that, by the agreement, such rolling stock was to be sold with the road, and the proceeds go to add to the fund for final distribution.

We think the evidence in the record shows that [164]*164Fletcher & Co., could not, at the time of the purchase of their certificates, have understood that the Waring Brothers’ certificates or rolling stock were in any manner pledged to them. There was no transfer of anything to Fletcher & Co.

The record shows that the rolling stock sold to the receiver, and for which Waring Brothers held their certificates, was sold only on condition of payment at certain specified times; and that, in case such payment should not be made, the rolling stock should be returned to Waring Brothers, and a rental therefor should be paid them, and that the cost of repairs should be a debt to them from the road. The cars were, by the agreement, to be conspicuously marked “The property of Waring Brothers.”

The record further shows that on January 29, 1881, Waring Brothers filed, in the United States court aforesaid, their petition, in which it was averred that default had been made in the payment of certificates held by them for such rolling stock, and asking for its return to them under the terms of sale. The court made an order for such return, and the leasing of the rolling stock by the receiver. On an accounting by a master of the court, all certificates of purchase held by Waring Brothers were to be returned and canceled, except such as should represent depreciation in value of such rolling stock. The certificates postponed to those sold to Fletcher & Co. represented only the said depreciation in value. At the time Fletcher & Go. purchased their certificates, said order and proceedings of the court were upon record and unchanged. Moreover, before such purchase was made, an attorney representing Fletcher & Co. made personal examination of such court record. In answer to a question, in the court below, said attorney replied: “It is [165]

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Bluebook (online)
36 N.E. 896, 137 Ind. 159, 1894 Ind. LEXIS 201, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fletcher-v-waring-ind-1894.