Harding v. Broadway National Bank

200 N.E. 386, 294 Mass. 13, 1936 Mass. LEXIS 1041
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedFebruary 28, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 200 N.E. 386 (Harding v. Broadway National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harding v. Broadway National Bank, 200 N.E. 386, 294 Mass. 13, 1936 Mass. LEXIS 1041 (Mass. 1936).

Opinion

Pierce, J.

This is an action of contract brought by the plaintiff, as the receiver for the Francis & Badger Motor Co., against the defendant bank for an alleged breach of contract with respect to a credit balance of the motor [14]*14company. The answer was a general denial and payment. The case was tried in the Superior Court without a jury. The trial judge found for the plaintiff and assessed damages in the sum of $1,960.73.

The questions of law raised by the exceptions relate to certain requests for rulings by the plaintiff granted by the judge, and to certain requests for rulings by the defendant which the judge denied. The material facts shown by the record are in substance as follows: The Francis & Badger Motor Co., a Massachusetts corporation, was engaged in distributing automobiles. In 1921 the motor company (hereinafter referred to as the depositor) desired to open a commercial account in the defendant bank, for the purpose of depositing items to its credit to be drawn against, and also to establish credit with the defendant so that the depositor might borrow money from time to time as agreed on. The depositor’s treasurer informed the president of the defendant bank of the relationship it desired to establish. The bank thereupon issued to the depositor a paper, popularly known as a credit statement, the blanks on which were to be filled out by the depositor. After the credit statement was filled out, signed and delivered by the depositor through its treasurer to the defendant, the account was opened.

From 1921 to 1932 the defendant made loans to the depositor, receiving the latter’s promissory notes as evidence thereof, discounted its notes receivable, furnished it with money to take up and pay drafts for the price of automobiles purchased, and in general furnished financial accommodation to the depositor as needed.

Among such loans was one made on January 16, 1930, of $3,000 for which the bank received the borrower’s promissory note, indorsed personally by Badger, its treasurer, and by Francis, its president. This loan was reduced and new notes given for the reduced amounts from time to time, the last renewal being on June 8, 1932, when, at the request of Francis, then treasurer, it was renewed for $2,400 by note of that date, payable to the order of the defendant in one month.

[15]*15New credit statements were furnished by the depositor to the defendant, at the latter’s request, from time to time, during the period in which they did business. The last of such statements which the defendant says it has received is dated August 17, 1931, and purports to disclose the financial condition of the depositor on July 31, 1931. At the top of each statement signed by the depositor there was printed the following: “For the purpose of procuring and establishing credit from time to time with the above Bank, the undersigned submits the following as * his being a true and correct statement of ^ -r financial condition on the 31st day of July, 1931. agree that if any change occurs that materially reduces the assets or ability of the undersigned to pay all claims or demands against ug the undersigned will immediately and without delay notify the said Bank,, and unless the Bank is so notified it may continue to rely upon the statement herein given as a true and accurate statement of the financial condition of the undersigned: In consideration of the granting of any credit by said Bank, the undersigned agree that in case of failure or insolvency on the part of the undersigned, or in the event of it appearing at any time that any of the following representations are untrue, or in case of .the occurrence of such change as aforesaid or of failure to notify such change as above agreed, all or any of the claims or demands against the -undersigned held by said Bank shall at the option thereof immediately become due and payable. Further, that the exercise of, or omission to exercise such option in any instance, shall not waive or affect any other or subsequent right to exercise the same.”

All loans made by defendant and all loans and notes renewed, including the renewal note of June 8, 1932, for $2,400 were in reliance on the contents of the latest credit statement which the defendant had at the time received, but there is no direct evidence that the defendant so informed the depositor.

[16]*16For a considerable period of time prior to June 8, 1932, the depositor was in financial straits. Taxes on real estate were unpaid, mortgage interest had accumulated, and the business was being carried on at a loss. In May, 1932, Francis, who at that time was treasurer as well as president, found a purchaser for the business, and a scheme was evolved whereby the purchaser was to obtain the business after the corporation had gone through bankruptcy. On June 3, 1932, unsuccessful attempts were made to induce certain employees of the corporation, to whom the latter was indebted for wages, to become petitioning creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. On June 11, 1932, the defendant through one of those employees, learned of the financial condition of the depositor and of the proposed bankruptcy. On the same day the defendant communicated with Francis, who admitted the bad financial condition of the company and said he had not mentioned it three days earlier, when the note of June 8 had been given,' because he was ashamed to do so. Tierney, acting for the defendant, then pointed out the acceleration provision in the credit statement, and stated that the defendant was calling the note immediately. On June 11, 1932, therefore, the defendant, pending Francis’s attempts to raise money, charged the depositor’s account with the amount of the balance which was $1,673.64, and placed the sum in the form of a cashier’s draft. Payment on the depositor’s checks presented that day was refused by the bank. On June 15, 1932, the defendant received $25.50 in settlement of a collection item held for the depositor, and that amount after being credited to the depositor’s account was similarly charged off. On June 23, 1932, Francis not being able to satisfy the bank in his attempts to raise money, the defendant indorsed, as credits on the note, the amounts of the cashier’s drafts and cancelled the drafts.

On and after June 8,1932, the only unsecured indebtedness of the depositor to the defendant was on said $2,400 note, no part of which has been paid, except by the appropriation of the sums of $1,673.64 and $25.50, as aforesaid.

The depositor’s petition for dissolution was filed June [17]*1721, 1932. An order of notice issued, returnable on July-20, 1932. On September 23, 1932, the Superior Court entered an order of dissolution under G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 155, § 50, and appointed the plaintiff receiver. The defendant had no notice of the dissolution proceedings until it received a letter from the receiver requesting information. On March 1, 1933, the defendant filed in the receivership proceedings a proof of claim in the amount of $693.23, alleged to be the balance due with interest on the note of June 8, 1932.

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Bluebook (online)
200 N.E. 386, 294 Mass. 13, 1936 Mass. LEXIS 1041, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harding-v-broadway-national-bank-mass-1936.