Holt v. Hopkins

63 Misc. 537, 117 N.Y.S. 177
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 63 Misc. 537 (Holt v. Hopkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holt v. Hopkins, 63 Misc. 537, 117 N.Y.S. 177 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1909).

Opinion

Giegerich, J.

The action is for an accounting of all transactions had by the firm of Hopkins Brothers, of which the defendant is the surviving member, for the account or in the name of the plaintiff, and for any stocks, bonds or other property belonging to the plaintiff, and particularly of all moneys received or paid out in her name or for her account. The complaint also asks that the defendant be decreed to pay over to her any sum found due her on the accounting. There is no dispute as to the facts in this case. .The defendant did not offer any evidence, but relies entirely upon the facts proved by the plaintiff to establish certain defenses pleaded and hereinafter mentioned. In 1898 the plaintiff received several legacies from England. With this money, on the advice of her husband and several friends, she purchased ten $1,000 bonds of various railroads, and also ten shares of the preferred stock of the H. B. Claflin Co. and ten shares of Western Union stock. These securities she intrusted to her husband to be put in the safe of the company where her husband was employed for safe keeping. Later, on the advice of her husband, she determined to sell the Olaflin and Western Union stocks and invest the proceeds in the bonds of the Erie Telephone & Telegraph Company. For this purpose she indorsed the two certificates of stock [539]*539and gave them to her husband to sell. He took them to the firm of Hopkins Brothers, stock-brokers, and opened up an account in his wife’s name. He told them that the stock belonged to his wife, and he wanted it sold and credited to her account, and at the same time he delivered to Hopkins Brothers the subscription to two Erie Telegraph & Telephone Company bonds, which they were to take up, that is, pay for these two bonds and charge the cost thereof to Mrs. Holt’s account. Previous to this, for some time, the plaintiff’s husband, W. T. Holt, had been speculating in various stocks through Hopkins Brothers, and had an account there in his own name. Soon after the sale of these shares Holt commenced to speculate with the account standing in his wife’s name, entirely without her knowledge or consent. His speculations were evidently not successful, for in May, 1899, in response to a request from Hopkins Brothers for more margin for this account, he delivered to them a $1,000 bond of the Western Gas Company of Milwaukee, telling them that it was his wife’s property. Needless to say, this delivery was made entirely without her knowledge. In the latter part of 1899, at Holt’s order, the account standing in his wife’s name was transferred to and absorbed in his own account. Meanwhile Holt’s speculations in connection with the account standing in his own name had also been unsuccessful, and during the years 1898, 1899 and 1900, in order to keep up the margin thereon, from time to time he delivered to Hopkins Brothers the remaining securities of his wife which were in his possession. These were all coupon bonds, payable to bearer, and there was nothing in connection therewith which should have led Hopkins Brothers to believe they were not his property. Finally, in November, 1900, his account was closed, and a balance of about $100 was paid him. The plaintiff had no knowledge of her husband’s speculation with her securities until July or August, 1900, when he told her that he had lost them all in speculation through Hopkins Brothers. As he puts it, he then “ made a clean breast of it.” The plaintiff did nothing until March, 1908, when she brought this suit. As to the coupon bonds payable to bearer which the plaintiff’s husband delivered to the defendant’s [540]*540firm, it is clear that the plaintiff cannot recover for them, either in law or in equity. They were negotiable securities for which Hopkins Brothers paid value, without knowing or having any reason to believe that any of these bonds belonged .to the plaintiff. Therefore, in the absence of circumstances imposing upon them some duty of inquiry, they were under no liability to the plaintiff in the matter. Welch v. Sage, 47 N. Y. 143; Manhattan Sav. Inst. v. N. Y. Nat. Ex. Bank, 170 id. 58; Murray v. Lardner, 2 Wall. 110. As to the other securities the defendant insists that the plaintiff’s claim has been barred by the Statute of Limitations, which he has set up among other defenses. He claims that the six-year limitation, provided for by section 382 of the Code of Civil Procedure, applies to this, action, while the plaintiff contends that because this is an action in equity the ten-year limitation prescribed by section 388 of the Code of Civil Procedure governs. It seem to be settled, however, that the ten-year provision applies only to -actions of which equity has exclusive jurisdiction, and that where the remedy in equity is merely concurrent with one at law the statute limiting the time for the commencement of the action at law is also applicable to the equitable remedy. Matter of Accounting of Neilley, 95 N. Y. 382; Butler v. Johnson, 111 id. 204; Zurigle v. Hohman, 75 Hun, 377; Ray v. Ray, 24 Misc. Rep. 155. In Matter of Neilley, supra the court (at p. 390), says: “ When the complainant has a concurrent remedy in a court of equity and in a court of common law, time is as absolute a bar in equity as it is in law (citing cases). And in such cases the limitation as to actions at law applies” (citing authorities). In Butler v. Johnson, supra (at p. 214), the opinion of the court contains a quotation from one of Chancellor Kent’s decisions which is particularly applicable to the present case: “ Chancellor Kent said * * * that if the party had a legal title and a legal right of action, and instead of proceeding at law resorted to equity, instead of bringing his account or detinue or case for money had and received at law he files his bill for an account, the same period of time that would bar him at law would bar him in equity” (citing authority). The court, in Zurigle [541]*541v. Hohman, supra, says (at p. 380), in reference to section 388 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which prescribes the ten-year limitation: “ That provision is applied only to cases exclusively within equity jurisdiction, and in which there is no concurrent remedy at law” (citing Butler v. Johnson, 111 N. Y. 204). In Ray v. Ray, supra, Mr. Justice Edward said (at p. 156) : “ The ten-year Statute of Limitations (§ 388, Code Civ. Pro.) applies to cases exclusively within equity jurisdiction.” In this case the relief which the plaintiff could have secured by an action at law in trover, for money had and received, for damages or upon an account, was in no sense imperfect, and was just as adequate as that sought to be obtained in the equitable action. In an action at law, therefore, there would have been no difficulty in ascertaining the amount the plaintiff was entitled to recover, and the accounting asked for in equity is entirely unnecessary as an aid thereto. Marvin v. Brooks, 94 N. Y. 71, 80; Kenefick v. Co-operative Bldg. Bank, 62 Misc. Rep. 519, 521. The jurisdiction of equity, even if an account be necessary to determine the amount due, is nevertheless only concurrent, not exclusive, and the legal period of limitation governs, in this case six years (Code Civ. Pro., § 382, subds. 1, 3), and the action is barred. In Mills v. Mills, 115 N. Y. 80, the plaintiff’s intestate deeded lands to the defendant and assigned to him a mortgage as security for an indebtedness with the understanding that the .defendant might sell the lands, collect the mortgage and reimburse himself and the defendant, who agreed that he would reconvey on payment of the debt and expenses and all subsequent losses. The defendant sold the lands and received the proceeds.

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Mack v. Mendels
223 A.D. 713 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1928)
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72 Misc. 232 (New York Supreme Court, 1911)
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121 N.Y.S. 1136 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1910)

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Bluebook (online)
63 Misc. 537, 117 N.Y.S. 177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holt-v-hopkins-nysupct-1909.