Gregg v. Oklahoma State Bank of Ada

1919 OK 40, 179 P. 613, 72 Okla. 193, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 342
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 4, 1919
Docket8615
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1919 OK 40 (Gregg v. Oklahoma State Bank of Ada) 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
Gregg v. Oklahoma State Bank of Ada, 1919 OK 40, 179 P. 613, 72 Okla. 193, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 342 (Okla. 1919).

Opinion

PITOHPORD, J.

This action was commenced in the county court of Pontotoc-county, on the 18th day of May, 1915, by-defendant in error filing its petition against the plaintiff in error, alleging that on June-1, 1911, plaintiff in error, together with R. S. Tobin, made, executed, and delivered! his promissory note in writing. Service summons was had, and in due time plaintiff in error filed1 his answer, acknowledging the due execution of the note sued on, but stating that he was surety for one R. S. To'bin, which fact was well known to the defendant in error. Various motions were filed and disposed of, and on the 5th day of February, 1916, the cause coming on to be heard on the demurrer of the defendant in error to the third amended answer of - the plaintiff in error, the demurrer was sustained in, toto. After sustaining the demurrer, and on the same day, the court, over the objection of plaintiff in error, adjudged plaintiff in error in default, and rendered judgment for the amount of the note and interest, heard evidence on the amount of attorney’s fees, and rendered judgment thereon. • No jury was impaneled. The plaintiff in error duly excepted to the action of the court in sustaining the demurrer and declaring plaintiff in error in default and in taking evidence as to attorney’s fees. Motion for new trial was in due time filed, overruled, and exceptions noted. While the plaintiff in error in his motion for a new trial complains cf various errors, we deem it necessary to refer only to the fifth assignment, which is as follows:

“Per error of the court in sustaining a demurrer to the defendant’s third amended answer.”

The answer alleges that after the maturity of the note payment was at various times extended without the consent and over the protest of plaintiff in error; that the defendant in error requested the plaintiff in error to execute a new note extending the time of payment; that he refused, and again demanded that proceedings be instituted against the principal; that -the defendant in error failed to proceed against the-principal, and again extended time of payment over the protest of the plaintiff in *194 error; that the plaintiff in error orally requested that the defendant in error proceed against the principal, and was informed that it was not necessary to sue; that property and moneys belonging to the principal would be under the control and 'in the possession of the defendant in error, and that sufficient thereof would be applied toward the payment of the note, that funds in excess of the amount due on the note were so received; that at the date of the promise the principal was possessed cf sufficient property within the jurisdiction of the court; that when the plaintiff in error learned that the defendant in error had failed to apply the funds as promised, the plaintiff in error again called attention of the' officers of the bank to the fact that the principal still had sufficient property in Pontotoc county out of which collection could be made.

The question for this court to decide is: Did the answer filed by the plaintiff in error present any fact which would constitute a defense to the petition of the defendant in error? If it did, then error was committed in sustaining, the demurrer. The law in this jurisdiction seems to be well settled that the payee of a note is not required to proceed against the principal upon an oral request of the surety. In the case of the National Bank of Poteau v. Lowrey, 57 Okla. 304, 157 Pac. 103, this principle appears to be thoroughly settled, where it is stated that a surety, by verbal demand upon his creditor, cannot compel such creditor to proceed against the principal under section 1058, Rev. Laws 1910, making, it optional with plaintiff as to which one of the parties to a promissory note he will sue; quoting Palmer v. Noe, 48 Okla. 450, 150 Pac. 462.

; The answer acknowledges the execution pf the note sued on, together with all the terms and provisions of the same. The note contains ’ this provision:

. “And all the several names, sureties, and •indorsers thereof hereby waive appraisement, notice of extension, nonpayment, and protest, and agree that any extension of time made hereon, or renewal hereof, shall not affect their liabi ity. whether they have notice of such extension or renewal or not.”

• Plaintiff in error claims that he was discharged from liability by reason of the note being extended by the bank at various times over his protest, and calls our attention to the case of Kremke v. Radamaker et al., 60 Okla. 138, 159 Pac. 475. The provision in-the note therein was .something like the provision in the note in the instant case, being as follows:

“The makers, indorsers, and guarantors waive presentment, notice of nonpayment, protest and notice of protest, diligence in bringing suit against any party thereto, and consent that the time of payment be extended without notice thereof."

In the opinion delivered by Hooker, O., the following language is used:

“Prom these authorities above quoted, we are of the opinion that the law is conclusively established that,, although by the provisions of the note an extension of time may be waived, or more than one extension may be authorized, yet it must clearly appear from the instrument itself that such was the case. By an examination of the note in question it is apparent that the language used was intended to apply only to one extension of the time of payment and no more. Hence, if more than one extension of time were given, then the plaintiff in error would be entitled to be discharged unless he consented thereto. Upon this question of consent the lowe.r court made no finding of facts, but expressly held that it was unnecessary for plaintiff in error to have had any notice of such extension. The court finds from this evidence that the plaintiff in error was the surety of Marth. That being true, the plaintiff in error must have consented to an extension of time beyond that expressed in ihe note, and, if he had no notice thereof, he is released from obligation. * * *”

Under the authorities on this question, we do not think that we would be justified in extending the rule further than has been done in the case of Kremke v. Radmaker, supra. In that case, by an examination of the record, we find the note was to mature two years from the date thereof. The parties resided in different states. The Commissioner, in delivering his opinion, was careful to state that “by an examination of the note in question it is apparent that the language used was intended to apply to only one extension of the time of payment and no more.” It will be observed that the provision as to the extension of payment of the note in the case at bar is that the parties liable thereon agree that any extension of time made thereon shall not affect their liability, whether they have notice of such extension or not.

The case of Pioneer Const. Co. et al. v. The First State Bank. 60 Okla. 123, 158 Pac. 894, construes the following provision contained in the note therein sued on:

“The indorsers, guarantors, and assignors severally waive presentment for payment, protest, and notice of protest for nonpayment of this note, and all defense on the ground of any extension of time of its payment that may be given by the holder or *195

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Bluebook (online)
1919 OK 40, 179 P. 613, 72 Okla. 193, 1919 Okla. LEXIS 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gregg-v-oklahoma-state-bank-of-ada-okla-1919.