Heively v. Matteson

6 N.W. 732, 54 Iowa 505
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 7, 1880
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 6 N.W. 732 (Heively v. Matteson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heively v. Matteson, 6 N.W. 732, 54 Iowa 505 (iowa 1880).

Opinion

Day, J.

i. mortgage : change/in dcbteciness. I. On tbe 4th day of May, 1870, tbe plaintiffs conveyed to Ammon, Greer & Co., a duly incorporated corripany, certain premises known as tbe mill property, In consideration of this conveyance Ammon, Greer & Co. executed to tbe plaintiffs nine prom[506]*506issory notes; two for $2,500 each, payable in one and two years respectively, with interest at the rate of ten j>er cent; six for $2,500 each, payable in three, four, five, six, seven and eight years respectively, with interest at the rate of eight per cent; and one for $2„000, payable in nine years, with interest at eight per cent. The interest on all these notes was payable annually. ■ To secure these notes Ammon, Greer & Co., on the 5th of May, 1870, executed to the plaintiffs a mortgage upon the pi*emises conveyed. Afterward the corporate name of Ammon, Greer & Co. was changed to Ammon, Scott & Co. The notes due in one and two years have been paid. The plaintiffs have possession of the three notes due in seven, eight and nine years. No question is made as to the right of the plaintiffs to the relief demanded as to these notes. The whole controversy arises over the notes due in three, four, five and six years. Across the face of the notes due in five and six years, respectively, was written the following: “The rate of interest on this note to be ten per cent from May 2, 1875, until paid.” All of these four notes are in the possession of the defendant Ammon, Scott & Co.- On the face -of. the note payable in three years is written: “Paid May 3, 1873,” and on the back thereof the following: “ Received payment in full. May 3, 1873. Henry Heively.” On the face of the note payable in four years is written: “Paid May 27, 1874,” andón the back thereof the following: “Received payment May 27, 1874. Henry Heively.” On the face of the note payable in five years is written: “Paid May 1,1876,” and on the back thereof is indorsed the name of “Henry Heively.” The same writing appears upon the face, and indorsement upon the back, of the note payable in six years. The only manner in which these notes were paid was-as follows:

1. The note due in three years was given xq) by plaintiffs, and a note therefor, and for the interest due on the. notes, was executed May 3, 1873, by Ammon, Scott & Co., for $3,860, payable on demand, with interest at ten per cent and attorney’s fees.

[507]*5072. The above note and the note dne in four years were surrendered, canceled and marked paid, and two demand notes were executed to Henry Heively by Ammon, Greer & Go., with interest at ten per cent payable semi-annually, and attorney’s fees. Onbof these notes-was for the sum of $6,000.00, and the other for the sum of $1,555.39.

3. On the 18th day of December, 1874, these two demand notes were surrendered, and a receipt of payment indorsed oh. the back, and for the same Ammon, Scott & Co. executed to Henry Heively a demand note for $6,825.23, with interest at ten per cent payable semi-annually and attorney’s fees.

4. On the 7th of May, 1875, the foregoing demand note, and also the note for $2,500 payable in five years, were surrendered and canceled, and for them Ammon, Scott & Co. executed to Henry Heively their demand note for $6,993.93, with interest at ten per cent payable semi-annually and attorney’s fees.

5. On the 4th of May, 1876, the above demand note, and the note for $2,500 payable in six years were given up and canceled, and in lieu thereof were executed by Ammon, Scott & Co., a note for $1,000, payable to Emma Gaston, one certificate of deposit No. 673, for $4,000.00, one certificate of deposit No. 674, for $2,436.54, and one certificate of deposit No. 675,. for $2,437.54, all payable to Henry Heively, with interest at ten per cent, payable semi-annually. The note to Emma Gaston was subsequently taken up and a certificate of deposit given to her therefor.

6. Certificate of deposit 674 was subsequently surrendered and canceled, and on May 4, 1877, certificate of deposit No. 858, for $4,894.89, with interest at ten per cent, was executed by Ammon, Scott & Co. to Henry Heively therefor.

7. On the 3d of May, 1878, certificates of dej>osit No’s 673, 675 and 858 were surrendered and canceled, and certificates of deposit -No’s 997, 998 and 999, were given therefor. These are the certificates of deposit set out in the plaintiffs’ [508]*508petition, and upon which recovery is sought. They are all alike except as to amount and time of payment.

The following is a copy of No. 997.

“Office of Deooraii Agricultural Works ) and Flouring Mills.
“Ammon, Scott & Co., Proprietors. )
“No. 997. Deooraii, Iowa, May 3, 1878.
“ Henry Heively has deposited in this office $1,114.12, payable to his order, on demand, after date, on return of this certificate, with interest from date, until paid, at the rate of ten per cent per annum.
“Ammon, Scott & Co., per Geo. W. Scott, Secretary.”

On the back of said instrument is the following indorsement, viz:

“ For value veceived we hereby guarantee payment of the within note, and waive demand, notice and protest.
“George W. Scott,
“ John Ammon.”

No. 998 is for the sum of $2,000, payable eighteen months after date. No. 999 is for the sum of $4,728.24, payable thirty months after date. The guarantors of these certificates, George W. Scott is secretary, and John Ammon is juesident, of Ammon, Scott & Company. It thus appears that, although the original indebtedness represented by the notes maturing in three, four, five and six years, has several times changed its form, it has never in fact been paid. One evidence of indebtedness has simply been surrendered and canceled, and another substituted in its place. It does not appear that there was any intention that any of the various evidences of indebtedness should be received in satisfaction of the debt. Henry Heively, one of the plaintiffs, testifies as follows: “The three certificates are the property of myself and my wife. * * * The consideration of them was the mill prop[509]*509erty described in tbe mortgage; they are part of tbe mortgage debt. I have frequently surrendered the original notes, described in the mortgage, and taken new ones in place of them; and did so in these certificates. The consideration in these certificates is the same as in the notes in the original-mortgage. I never loaned Ammon, Scott & Co., or Ammon,Greer & Co., one dollar in my life; I never deposited a dollar with them. * * * These certificates came to be made in this wise: The mortgage interest due, and notes past due, were settled up, time extended, and new notes taken for the amounts due. The notes not due, the interest was-figured and included in the new notes, and they were allowed to stand. In receiving the new notes I gave the old ones up, thinking it was all right, and that it would be the same debt, and would run upon the property all the time. There was no agreement, whatever, made about the mortgage being dis- • charged, or any part of it. Mr. Scott drew the notes as they wanted them, and I took it for granted that they meant that. they were a lien-upon the property under the old mortgage.

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Bluebook (online)
6 N.W. 732, 54 Iowa 505, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heively-v-matteson-iowa-1880.