Hall v. Citizens State Bank

241 N.W. 123, 122 Neb. 636, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 101
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1932
DocketNo. 27977
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 241 N.W. 123 (Hall v. Citizens State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hall v. Citizens State Bank, 241 N.W. 123, 122 Neb. 636, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 101 (Neb. 1932).

Opinion

Chappell, District Judge.

The Citizens State Bank of Superior, Nebraska, was closed by the department of trade and commerce of Nebraska on December 28, 1928, and placed in recéivership on June 28, 1929. The appellee, Margaret Hall, filed her claim for a trust fund payable in full out of the assets of this bank. On November ,7, 1929, the district- court for Nuckolls county, Nebraska, decreed her a trust fund in [637]*637the sum of .$5,630.'.47, entitled to priority, of payment out of the assets of said bank ahead of the claims of depositors and creditors. The decree was silent as to interest. Upon appeal .to the supreme court of Nebraska the decree of the district court was affirmed and mandate handed down:on January 10,-1931. The receiver thereupon paid to the clerk of the district court for Nuckolls county the said sum of $5,630.47 in compliance with, decree and mandate. Thereafter the appellee filed a motion in the district court for Nuckolls county for an order allowing interest on said decree from- November 7, 1929, the date of the rendition, to January 17, 1931, the date ■of payment, in the sum of $470.73. Motion of appellee was sustained and the district court decreed that she have and recover the sum of $470.73 as interest on said judgment and that the same be paid by the receiver as a trust fund out of any assets. of the Citizens State Bank of Superior, Nebraska, and prior to. the claims of depositors.' The receiver excepted to this decree and leave was granted to appeal to this court.

The errors relied upon for reversal are: (1) The decree is contrary to law; and (2) the decree is inequitable.

Appellant contends that the allowance of a claim for. a trust fund is not a decree and judgment for the payment of money, but that it is a judgment for the recovery of property, and as such not within the statute imposing interest upon decrees and judgments, Tor the payment of money; and that if such interest is allowable it is not payable in full from the assets of the bank in preference over the claims of depositors and.creditors. Appellant relies upon. the. case of Gering v. Buerstetta, 118 Neb. 54, and many.. well-reasoned cases from other jurisdictions. After a careful study of the cases cited, this court believes that they are distinguishable from the present case, and not controlling because of our. statute and the former holdings of this court. .In the case of Gering v. Buerstetta, supra, the court passed only upon the question of whether interest was recoverable in that.particular case up to the [638]*638date of the judgment, and not thereafter. In paragraph 2 of the syllabus the court said: “Under the facts in this case, claimants are not entitled to interest on and after December 14, 1926.” In the opinion the court said: “The judgment that was entered in the district court allowed claimants the recovery of interest at 7 per cent, per annum from December 13, 1926. This was error. Claimants are not entitled to interest under the facts in this case in this proceeding.”

In other Nebraska cases, Capital Nat. Bank v. Coldwater Nat. Bank, 49 Neb. 786, Capital Nat. Bank v. Genesee Fruit Co., 49 Neb. 793, Capital Nat. Bank v. Cupples Woodenware Co., 49 Neb. 794, Capital Nat. Bank v. Magoon, 49 Neb. 795, Capital Nat. Bank v. First Nat. Bank of Cadiz, 49 Neb. 795, and Higgins v. Hayden, 53 Neb. 61, this court permitted the recovery of interest upon a trust fund with respect to which the bank had but a single duty to perform, that is, to deliver it to the party thereto entitled, up to the date of the judgment. In Capital Nat. Bank v. Coldwater Nat. Bank, supra, this court said: “The judgment of the district court required the payment of interest on the sum which the receiver was thereby adjudged to pay to the defendant in error. It is argued that as its claim is for specific moneys deposited, the relief must be limited to that sum, and that therefore no interest was allowable. It is probably true that this result would follow, in the absence of a controlling statute, but this we need not consider, for it is provided in chapter 44 of the Compiled Statutes (Comp. St. 1929, sec. 45-104) that interest shall be at the rate of seven dollars for each one hundred dollars, annually, ‘on money received to the use of another and retained without the owner’s consent, express or implied.’ The rate of interest fixed by the district court was conformable to this legislative enactment and was, therefore, proper.”

In Higgins v. Hayden, supra, this court said: “Finally it is contended that the district court erred in allowing interest under the circumstances. In the absence of [639]*639statute this contention would have much force, but the point has heretofore been determined adversely to thé defendant upon a construction of our statute. Comp. St. ch. 44, sec. 4; Capital Nat. Bank v. Coldwater Nat. Bank, 49 Neb. 786.”

•This court has never directly passed upon the question whether a trust fund established by the district court is a decree and judgment for the payment of money coming within the provisions of section 45-103, Comp. St. 1929, which reads: “Interest on all decrees and judgments for the payment of money shall be from the date of the rendition thereof at the rate of seven dollars upon each one hundred dollars annually until the same shall be paid.” However, there are Nebraska cases indicating that the establishment of a trust fund was in the nature of a judgment coming within the provisions of the last above section. Appellee cites and relies upon the cases of State v. Farmers State Bank, 113 Neb. 679, and State v. Nebraska State Bank, 118 Neb. 660. These actions were to establish claims against the guaranty fund. In State v. Nebraska State Bank, supra, this court said:

“One further question remains to be considered, viz.: Is the depositors’ guaranty fund chargeable with interest on the claim at 7 per cent, from the date of its allowance by the district court? In several cases we have held that the allowance of the claim amounted to a judgment and came under the general provision of the statute that judgments shall draw interest at 7 per cent. It is contended by counsel for receiver that these decisions were rendered at a time when the guaranty fund was solvent and able to pay all claims certified to it under the law, but that at the time of the trial there were approximately $7,000,-000 in claims certified for payment and unpaid because there were no funds in the depositors’ guaranty fund to pay the same; and, further, that the maximum assessment authorized by law at'that time in any one year was $1,-650,000. Evidence of these facts appears of record. Attention is also called to the fact that by section 8028, [640]*640Comp.' St. 1922; as amended by section 26, ch. 191, Laws 1923, the maximum assessment for replenishing the fund is one-half of 1 per cent, of the average • daily deposits of banks, whereas prior thereto the assessment permitted was 1 per cent, of the average daily deposits. It is' therefrom argued that, inasmuch- as the delay in payment of the deposits is attributable-to thé law itself, no interest should .be allowed. '

“The argument ah inconvénienti is of considerable force and its rejection' results in leaving the guaranty fund charged with a burden of staggering weight, but we would not be justified in relieving ’it unless Tn' accordance with legal principles applicable. to. the facts of the case.

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241 N.W. 123, 122 Neb. 636, 1932 Neb. LEXIS 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-citizens-state-bank-neb-1932.