Hitchcock v. Cosper

73 N.E. 264, 164 Ind. 633, 1905 Ind. LEXIS 70
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 17, 1905
DocketNo. 20,569
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 73 N.E. 264 (Hitchcock v. Cosper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hitchcock v. Cosper, 73 N.E. 264, 164 Ind. 633, 1905 Ind. LEXIS 70 (Ind. 1905).

Opinion

Jordan, J.

This action was prosecuted by appellee to recover $340, with interest thereon. The complaint avers substantially the following facts: The defendant is, and has been since 1884, a son-in-law of the plaintiff. ■ On and prior to November 30, 1892, the relations between plaintiff and defendant were “close and confidential.” During said time the defendant was plaintiff’s confidential adviser in regard to her business affairs. He loaned and collected her money, transacted other business, and was, as averred, “trustee and business agent.” About three weeks prior to said November 30, he received from plaintiff, of her money, the sum of $340. This money, it is alleged, he received in trust, to be replaced and kept at interest by him for plaintiff. He received this money as trustee for the plaintiff, and agreed to loan and keep the same at interest for her. It is alleged that on November 30, 1892, he loaned said sum of $340 to William Donat, and accepted a note, with Allen Donat as surety, for that amount, bearing interest at seven per cent, and due in eleven months. This note, it appears, at the instance of the defendant, was made payable to him. No part of the note has ever been paid, and the same is now due. On November 30, 1892, at the time said loan was made, William and Allen Donat, the makers of the note, were wholly insolvent, and had no property subject to execution. At the time the note in question was executed, the defendant had knowledge of the insolvency of said makers, and in making the loan to them he failed to exercise any care or diligence whatever, and since making the loan he has at no time taken any steps or instituted any proceedings for the collection of said note. It is further charged that within a month after the note was executed the husband of plaintiff died, and that on frequent occasions since the execution of the note the plaintiff has demanded of the defendant that he proceed to collect it. This he has promised to do, stating to plaintiff each time that William Donat was honest and [635]*635•would pay the note. Plaintiff, relying upon his promises as aforesaid, made no effort to collect said note, and made no demand upon the defendant for the money, or for an accounting concerning the same, until September, 1901, when she demanded of him that he account to her for and with respect to said $340, and that he pay over to her such an amount as, upon a fair and equitable accounting and settlement, should be found to be due, with interest thereon. The prayer of the complaint asks for an accounting, and a judgment -is demanded for the sum of $600. A demurrer to the complaint was overruled, and appellant thereafter filed an answer in two paragraphs: (1) A general denial; (2) six-year statute of limitations. Appellee’s demurrer to the second paragraph of the answer was overruled. Upon the issues joined there was a trial by the court, and upon request a special finding of facts was made, with conclusions of law thereon in favor of appellee. Judgment was accordingly rendered in favor of appellee for $541. Appellant appeals, and assigns that the court erred in overruling the demurrer to the complaint, and in each of its conclusions of law.

The facts embraced in the special finding to an extent follow the averments of the complaint, and are substantially .as follows: Appellant is, and has been since 1884, a son-in-law of appellee. The husband of the latter died in 1893, and appellant’s connection with appellee’s business affairs commenced in the year 1890. In the latter year, upon appellant’s suggestion, appellee purchased through him, as her agent, mortgage notes to the amount of $1,000. These notes were assigned or transferred to her, but remained in appellant’s hands until some time in the spring of 1891, and it appears he collected the same and paid the proceeds thereof over to appellee. Her entire estate consisted of $1,600. In November, 1892, it appears that appellee, upon the suggestion of appellant, placed in his hands $600, which, “as agreed between them at the time he received it as her [636]*636agent, was to be by him placed at interest for her.” Appellee demanded no receipt of appellant, and none was given. He, it appears, deposited the $600 in the bank to his own credit. Of the amount so deposited he loaned to John Eree $200, and to William Donat he loaned $340, which is the transaction in controversy in this suit. The remainder —$60—he kept in his hands until a settlement was had between him and the appellee in 1901. The court finds that from the time appellant received said $600, “continuously until the time of said settlement, defendant acted as plaintiff’s adviser in her business affairs and as her agent; that the relationship which existed during said period between plaintiff and the defendant with reference to plaintiff’s money and her business affairs was one of continuing trust and confidence on the part of the plaintiff in the defendant with reference to said matters. After the death of plaintiff’s husband in 1893, and up to the time of such settlement, plaintiff depended upon defendant entirely in connection with her business affairs, and he transacted her business for her generally, collected her money for her, tended to the payment of her taxes, and made her returns to the assessor for taxation.” Ho agreement between appellant and appellee was made in respect to the compensation that he was to receive for his services. While so acting for appellee appellant collected and paid over to her various sums of interest, and also, it appears, collected for her notes for the following amounts: ,One for $480, one for $223, and another for $250. All of these were collected by him prior to 1896, except parts of the last-mentioned note which were paid in the years 1897 and 1898. All of the money so collected for appellee remained in appellant’s hands and subject to his use, with the consent of appellee, until the settlement which was had between the parties in 1901. In August, 1900, at appellee’s request, an accounting was had in respect to the money belonging to her then in appellant’s hands, which amounted to $1,013, and some time in the winter of 1901 [637]*637appellant executed to appellee a note for $900 in settlement therefor. No interest was charged against appellant for the money that had been in his hands. The $340 which he loaned to Donat was not included in the settlement made in August, 1900. Acting as appellee’s agent, appellant made the loan to William Donat of $340, and accepted as evidence thereof a note bearing date of November 30, 1892, due in eleven months after date, with interest at seven per cent. This note "was signed by William Donat and his son Allen, and was made payable to appellant in his individual name. When appellant accepted this note he knew appellee would depend upon him to collect it, and he had the note made payable to him, with the intention of collecting it and transacting all the business in connection with the loan and its collection. It is found that appellant has never taken any steps to collect the note in question, aside from soliciting payment from the maker. Within a day or two after the note was executed, appellant, without indorsement, delivered it to appellee, who accepted the same without any objection, and has ever since had control and possession thereof, except when she would give it to appellant at different times for the purpose of collecting it. At the time the defendant delivered the note to the plaintiff as above stated, her husband, it appears, was present, and he said in her presence to appellant that he did not believe the note was collectible.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hunter v. Hunter
283 N.E.2d 775 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1972)
Hamrick v. Indianapolis Humane Society
273 F.2d 7 (Seventh Circuit, 1959)
Hamrick v. Indianapolis Humane Society, Inc.
273 F.2d 7 (Seventh Circuit, 1959)
Hamrick v. Indianapolis Humane Society, Inc.
174 F. Supp. 403 (S.D. Indiana, 1959)
Erwin v. Erwin
41 N.E.2d 644 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1942)
Dean v. Iowa-Des Moines National Bank & Trust Co.
281 N.W. 714 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1938)
Cooper v. Cooper
193 N.E. 722 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1935)
Rickes v. Rickes
141 N.E. 486 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1923)
Colwell v. Colwell
179 P. 916 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1919)
Buckel v. Auer
120 N.E. 437 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1918)
Taber v. Zehner
93 N.E. 1035 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1911)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
73 N.E. 264, 164 Ind. 633, 1905 Ind. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hitchcock-v-cosper-ind-1905.