Gregson v. the Peoples Exchange Company

162 S.W.2d 485, 204 Ark. 315, 1942 Ark. LEXIS 64
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 18, 1942
Docket4-6760
StatusPublished

This text of 162 S.W.2d 485 (Gregson v. the Peoples Exchange Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gregson v. the Peoples Exchange Company, 162 S.W.2d 485, 204 Ark. 315, 1942 Ark. LEXIS 64 (Ark. 1942).

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

On November 18, 1941, one of the appellees, W. H. Smith, brought suit in the chancery court of Craighead county, western district, -against appellants on $1,000 note and against appellant, B. F. G-regson, for the balance due upon a $5,815 note. It was alleged in the first count of the complaint that on May 9, 1939, appellants executed their note to the Citizens Bank of Jonesboro, Arkansas, for $1,000 due December 1, 1939, with interest from maturity at 10 per cent, per annum until paid; that said note was assigned to appellees and is unpaid; that appellants executed on the same date a second mortgage on certain lots in Bono, Arkansas, which was their homestead and a first mortgage on their automobile to secure said note and prayed for a judgment against them on the note and a foreclosure on the mortgage to pay same.

And he alleged in the second count of his complaint that appellant, B. F. Gregson, executed another note for $5,815 to the Citizens Bank of Jonesboro, Arkansas, payable on demand, or if no demand be made, on the 15th day of October, 1939, with interest from maturity until paid at 6 per cent, per annum; that, with the exception of certain credits, the note is unpaid and that appellee, W. H. Smith, is the owner of same; and he prayed judgment against B. F. Gregson for $4,577.25, with interest. There was a prayer for costs and all other proper relief, and for consideration of the two others in the complaint as one suit.

On December 4, 1940, appellants answered the complaint denying all the material allegations thereof, and alleged that appellee, W. H. Smith, was not the owner of the note and mortgage set out in count one; that said instruments never became operative, that they were not supported by consideration; that there was a failure of consideration therefor and they incorporated in their answer the allegations of the cross-complaint hereinafter set out. The answer further alleged that appellee, W. H. Smith, was not the owner of the'note described in count two of the complaint, incorporated therein the allegations of the cross-complaint hereafter set out, and averred that the note was intended to express, the correct amount of an overdraft due by appellant, B. F. Gregson, to Peoples Exchange Company, Bono, Arkansas; that the said note was illegal; that said note had been paid by 1939 and 1940 operations of a gin known as the Caraway Gin by H. H. Smith and by other payments. There was a prayer for judgment and costs in the answer.

For counter claim against appellee, W. H. Smith, and cross-complaint against Peoples Exchange Company, H. H. Smith, Teresa J. Smith, his wife, and S. Y. McKinney, as cross-defendants, the appellants alleged:

1. That Peoples Bank Company of Bono, Arkansas, had no power to loan money; that its corporate name was changed on June 6,1939, to Peoples Exchange Company ; that H. H. Smith was president and Ray L. Stevens secretary of said banking company.

2. That H. H. Smith is the son of W. H. Smith and Teresa J. Smith the wife of PI. H. Smith, joined because of possible dower interest in property involved.

3. That J. L. Craft contracted in writing to sell a certain described cotton gin, referred to as the Caraway Gin Co., to B. F. Gregson, in 1938, subject to the $5,000 deed of trust to Buckeye Cotton Oil Company, for a total purchase price of $10,000 ($5,000 thereof by assumption of said deed of trust, and balance of $5,000 to be paid to Craft), payments to be made as bales were ginned at said gin at rate of $2.50 per bale, deed of trust to be paid before Craft was to receive any payment.

4. That Gregson paid about $1,400 during 1938 on said deed of trust; that the original contract of purchase by Gregson had been lost; that Gregson spent several hundreds of dollars repairing the said Caraway Gin; that Gregson had, by permission of Peoples Bank Company of Bono, Arkansas, created during the 1938 ginning season an overdraft of around $4,000; that said bank had no power to loan its deposits; that Gregson had never been returned his checks or statements and did not know the exact amount of the overdraft. Demand that original records be produced by said bank.

5. That about May 9, 1939, H. H. Smith, president, and Bay Stevens, secretary, demanded that Gregson pay at least $1,000 on his overdraft; that said parties went to Citizens Bank of Jonesboro and applied for a $1,000 loan; that S. V., McKinney, vice-president of Citizens Bank, advised that loan papers be executed and he would try to get the said bank’s loan committee to approve such a loan; that the notes and mortgage were made and delivered to Citizens Bank; that Citizens Bank did not make the loan; that no consideration was paid for the note and there was a complete failure of consideration.

6. That later H. H. Smith presented to Gregson a printed note form and asked him to sign it, stating .that he was going to fill it in for the exact amount of the overdraft to keep the bank examiners from getting on him; that it was filled in by Smith for an incorrect amount; demand that cross-defendants .produce original records to establish correct amount;, that note was illegal.

7. That, in the spring of 1939, H. IT. Smith, as president, and Ray L. Stevens, as secretary of Peoples Bank Company, asked Gregson in presence of J. L. Craft to turn over the Caraway Gin to be operated by H. H. Smith for the said bank, all profits to be applied to overdraft until it was paid, and then the gin to be returned to Greg-son; Gregson agreed with consent of Craft, his vendor; that H. H. Smith took charge of the said gin, operating it during 1939 and 1940, making during 1939 about $4,000, and during 1940, about $5,000; that no profits were applied to the said overdraft, but were instead wrongfully converted to his own use by H. H. Smith in violation of his agency.

8. That before July 3, 1939, but after the foregoing agreement, J. L. Craft'traded to S. V. McKinney the balance due upon the purchase price by Gregson, McKinney thereby becoming the owner of the said balance.

9. That Craft and wife made a deed of the gin to H. H. Smith, without Gregson’s knowledge, on July 3, 1939, making correction deed to same on January 2,1940. Smith made notes to McKinney totaling $12,000 for McKinney’s advances of money to pay Buckeye Cotton Oil Company debt, new improvements and assumption of purchase money debt assigned by Craft to McKinney with 6 per cent, interest per annum, H. H. Smith and wife, Teresa J. Smith, making mortgage to secure said notes on July 3, 1939, and correction mortgage on January 13, 1940; that all of this was done without Gregson’s knowledge.

10. That W. H. Smith, under certain parol agreement, paid off deposit claims of Peoples Exchange Company and assumed control of assets of Peoples Exchange Company.

11. That the $1,000 note in suit never became an asset of said bank; that H. H. Smith, as agent for "W. H. Smith, told S. Y. McKinney in August or September, 1940, that the note belonged to his father, and McKinney, in reliance thereon, indorsed it without recourse; that W. H. Smith was not a holder in due course and there was complete failure of consideration.

12. That the correct amount of the overdraft, if it is held recoverable, should be ascertained by the court; that Peoples Exchange Company, W. H. Smith and H. H.

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Bluebook (online)
162 S.W.2d 485, 204 Ark. 315, 1942 Ark. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gregson-v-the-peoples-exchange-company-ark-1942.