Florida Bank & Trust Co. of West Palm Beach v. Union Indemnity Co.

55 F.2d 640, 83 A.L.R. 1102, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3778
Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit·Decided February 2, 1932·No. 6245·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

WALKER, Circuit Judge.

Each of the appellees was the surety on a bond given by the First American Bank & Trust Company, a Florida banking corporation, which, pursuant to statute (11 USCA § 101), was designated by the court below as a depository for the money of bankrupt estates; those bonds, pursuant to that statute, naming the United States as payee, and being given to secure deposits in that bank of funds of bankrupt estates. That bank became insolvent and a receiver was appointed to liquidate its assets for the benefit of creditors, the appellant being the successor' of such receiver. Prior to its failure the bank received on deposit funds of the bankrupt estates of sundry individuals and private corporations, which were deposited to the credit of the several trustees or receivers of such estates. Upon the payment by the three sureties of the amounts of such deposits owing by the bank at the time of the appointment of a liquidating receiver, the referee in bankruptcy and the trustees and receivers of the several bankrupt estates executed an instrument acknowledging full and complete satisfaction of the liability of the sureties on the bonds mentioned, and assigning, transferring, and setting over to the sureties, the appellees, as their interests may appear, “all of their right, title and interest which they may have as Referee, Trustees and Receivers, respectively, and which they may hold as representatives, officers or officials of the United States of America and the said Referee in Bankruptcy and the said Trustees and Receivers in Bankruptcy, respectively, as aforesaid against First American Bank; & Trust Company, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and against W. H. Tunnicliffe, Receiver of said First American Bank & Trust Company, to the full extent that, but to no greater extent *641 than, said Referee, Trustees and Receivers have right and authority in law to transfer and set over said claims.” By three separate suits, which were consolidated, the appellees, the sureties on the bonds, asserted the claims that for the amounts paid by them in discharge of their liability on the bonds they acquired claims entitled to preference or priority against the liquidator of the failed bank or the assets thereof. The court adjudged that the claims of the appellees in stated amounts “be, and they are each, respectively, hereby allowed and established as claims against the Florida Bank & Trust Company, as Liquidator of First American Bank & Trust Company, with the same priority and preference as though the said claims, and each of them, were debts due to the United States of America, and pri- or to all other claims against the said Liquidator. That said claims are each on a parity with the other.”

The following statutory provisions are relied on to support the claims of priority asserted and allowed:

“Whenever any person indebted to the United States is insolvent, or whenever the estate of any deceased debtor, in the hands of the executors or administrators, is insufficient to pay all the debts duo from the deceased, the debts due to the United States shall he first satisfied; and the priority established shall extend as well to eases in which a debt- or, not having sufficient property to pay all his debts, makes a voluntary assignment thereof, or in which the estate and effects of an absconding, concealed, or absent debtor are attached by process of law, as to eases in which an act of bankruptcy is committed.” 31 USCA § 191.

“Whenever the principal in any bond given to the United States is insolvent, or whenever, such principal being deceased, his estate and effects which come to the hands of his executor, administrator, or assignee, are insufficient for the payment of his debts, and, in either of such eases, any surety on the bond, or the executor, administrator, or assignee of such surety pays to the United States the money due upon such bond, such surety, his executor, administrator, or assignee, shall have the like priority for the recovery and receipt of the moneys out of the estate and effects of such insolvent or deceased principal as is secured to the United States; and may bring and maintain a suit upon the bond, in law or equity, in his own name, for the recovery of all moneys paid thereon.” 31 USCA § 193.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Florida Bank & Trust Co. of West Palm Beach v. Union Indemnity Co., 55 F.2d 640, 83 A.L.R. 1102, 1932 U.S. App. LEXIS 3778 (5th Cir. 1932).

55 F.2d 640 (Florida Bank & Trust Co. of West Palm Beach v. Union Indemnity Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Maryland Casualty Co. v. Central Trust Co.
271 A.D.2d 651 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1947)
Irving Trust Co. v. United States
83 F.2d 20 (Sixth Circuit, 1936)
Phelps v. Citizens Union Nat. Bank
13 F. Supp. 623 (W.D. Kentucky, 1936)
Frank v. Salm
75 F.2d 747 (Seventh Circuit, 1935)
Lamb v. Townshend
71 F.2d 590 (Fourth Circuit, 1934)
Eckhout v. Guardian National Bank of Commerce
6 F. Supp. 376 (E.D. Michigan, 1934)
In Re Battani
6 F. Supp. 376 (E.D. Michigan, 1934)
In Re: Loan Savings Bank
170 S.E. 474 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1933)
Wilson v. Lyon County Bank
4 F. Supp. 608 (D. Nevada, 1933)