Fulton v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co.

190 N.E. 459, 128 Ohio St. 226, 128 Ohio St. (N.S.) 226, 93 A.L.R. 933, 1934 Ohio LEXIS 330
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedApril 11, 1934
Docket24209
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 190 N.E. 459 (Fulton v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fulton v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co., 190 N.E. 459, 128 Ohio St. 226, 128 Ohio St. (N.S.) 226, 93 A.L.R. 933, 1934 Ohio LEXIS 330 (Ohio 1934).

Opinion

Allen, J.

This case has already been before this court in Fulton , Supt. of Banks, v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co., 125 Ohio St., 518, 182 N. E., 513, upon the question whether the draft owned by The B. R. Baker-Toledo Company constituted a preferred claim under the provisions of Section 713, General Code, and was entitled to a preference on all the assets of the bank. In that case the court held that the draft in question did constitute a preferred claim, and thereupon the superintendent of banks paid the principal amount of the claim without prejudice. The preferred creditor then amended his petition so as to claim interest, and the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Appeals of Lucas county adjudged that the creditor was entitled to such interest.

The trial court in the instant controversy held that under Section 8305, General Code, the preferred creditor was entitled to interest in priority to payment to general creditors, and the Court of Appeals affirmed that judgment.

Section 8305, General Code, so far as applicable to this case, reads as follows:

“When money becomes due and payable upon any bond, bill, note, or other instrument of writing * * * the creditor shall be entitled to interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, and no more.”

Unless the preferred creditor is entitled to interest under this section, he is not entitled to interest at all *228 under this record, for the statutes relative to preferred claims in the liquidation of banks make no provision whatever with reference to interest.

We differ from the conclusion of the Court of Appeals that interest is allowable here.’ It is true that Section 8305, G-eneral Code, applies to. bonds, bills, notes, or other instruments of writing, and therefore applies to a draft.

But interest is a compensation paid for the use of money. It may be compensation allowed by law or fixed by the parties. 33 Corpus Juris, 178.

When the money is not used by the debtor, there is authority of weight to the effect that compensation cannot be collected. Thus, “Where a company in the hands of a receiver was without power to pay interest on its bonds without order of court for which the creditor never applied, on discharge of the receivership, the enforced delay has not conferred on either party any advantage over the other, and interest cannot be collected on installments of interest coming due during the receivership and not paid until its discharge.” 33 Corpus Juris, 246, Section 156, citing Boston Penny Savings Bank v. Boston & Maine Rd. Co., 244 Mass., 488, 138 N. E., 907.

“Where a debtor is restrained by an injunction from using money in his hands, or from paying the same to his creditor, he will not generally be chargeable with interest thereon while the injunction is in force.” 33 Corpus Juris, 246, Section 157.

Decisions are cited to this effect in 33 Corpus Juris, 246, under note 75, from the United States Supreme Court, and from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and England. See, also, Redfield, Exrx., v. Ystalyfera Iron Co., 110 U. S., 174, 28 L. Ed., *229 109, 3 S. Ct., 570; Anderson’s Law Dictionary, 563; Black’s Law Dictionary, 647.

As defined in 2 Bonvier (Rawle’s 3d Ed.), 1642, interest on debts is “Tbe compensation wbicb is paid by tbe borrower of money to tbe lender for its nse, and, generally, by a debtor to bis creditor in recompense for bis detention of tbe debt.”

Tbe debtor in tbis case did not detain tbe money. Tbe state of Ohio detained it. Moreover, after tbe superintendent of banks, under tbe Code, bas taken over a bank for tbe purposes of liquidation, tbe bank, tbe debtor, bas no use of tbe money. It is true that tbe preferred creditor also bas no use of tbe money, but tbe same thing is true of every general creditor of tbe bank, such as depositors in savings accounts or under time deposits. They are usually paid interest for tbe use of sucb money. They also have no use of their money when tbe bank is insolvent, and they secure no compensation for being deprived of sucb use.

For tbis reason and also since there is no provision in Sections 711, 712, 713 or 714, General Code, for the allowance of interest upon preferred claims, we conclude that tbe Court of Appeals erred in its judgment as to interest.

'The attorney general vigorously contends that tbe ruling of tbis court in tbe case of Fulton, Supt. of Banks, v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co., 125 Ohio St., 518, 182 N. E., 513, establishing a preference in tbe amount of drafts purchased by a depositor in sucb failed bank by sucb depositor issuing and delivering to the-failed bank a check against his own account in sucb failed bank, was erroneous. He asks tbis court now to overrule the decision in that ease.

We proceed to inquire whether tbe construction given to Section 713, General Code, in Fulton, Supt. of Banks, v. B. R. Baker-Toledo Co., 125 Ohio St., 518, 182 N. E., 513, was correct. We start with tbe proposition that statutes in derogation of tbe common *230 law should be strictly construed. Sedgwick on Statutory and Constitutional Construction, 266; 2 Sutherland on Statutory Construction (Lewis’ 2d Ed.), 862, Section 454 ; 25 Euling Case Law, 1056, Section 281; 7 L. R. A. Digest, 8943, Section 268, note a, and cases cited.

It is conceded that the preference created in 125 Ohio St., 518, 182 N. E., 513, does not exist at common law. It is also conceded that Sections 711 to 714, inclusive, General Code, are in derogation of the common law. They therefore should be strictly, and not liberally, construed. Also these sections were enacted at the same time and as a part of the same statute. They deal with the same subject, and therefore are in pari materia, and should be construed together. State, ex rel. Bettman, Atty. Genl., v. Christen, ante, 56, 190 N. E., 233; DeWitt v. State, ex rel. Crabbe, Atty. Genl., 108 Ohio St., 513, 141 N. E. 551.

In their latest form, these sections read as follows:

Section 711. “That when any bank incorporated under the laws of this state or any unincorporated bank transacting business in this state shall have presented to it for collection and payment any check drawn upon it by a depositor in such bank or unincorporated bank, who at the time such check is presented for collection and payment has on deposit an amount equal to such check, if before such check is charged to such depositor’s account, such bank or unincorporated bank shall be closed for business by the superintendent of banks of Ohio or by action of its board of directors or by other proper legal action, the superintendent of banks of Ohio or any one who shall at or after the closing of such bank be legally authorized to take charge of the liquidation thereof, shall upon taking charge of the affairs of such closed bank return such check to the person or banking institution by which it was presented to such closed bank for collection and payment.

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Bluebook (online)
190 N.E. 459, 128 Ohio St. 226, 128 Ohio St. (N.S.) 226, 93 A.L.R. 933, 1934 Ohio LEXIS 330, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fulton-v-b-r-baker-toledo-co-ohio-1934.