Home Savings Bank v. Hosie

77 N.W. 625, 119 Mich. 116, 1898 Mich. LEXIS 63
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 28, 1898
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 77 N.W. 625 (Home Savings Bank v. Hosie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Home Savings Bank v. Hosie, 77 N.W. 625, 119 Mich. 116, 1898 Mich. LEXIS 63 (Mich. 1898).

Opinion

Long, J.

This is an appeal from the action of the commissioners on claims in the estate of J. Huff Jones. The claims were allowed by the commissioners; and on appeal to the circuit court the claimant bank had judgment for $36,490.72; $30,600.81 on the first claim, and $5,889.91 on the second claim. The cause was heard before the court without a jury, and findings of fact and law made by the trial court.

It appears from the findings that the Detroit Motor Company is a corporation organized under the laws of this State; that, during the period covered by the transactions in controversy, J. Huff Jones and five others were stockholders and directors of the company; that, from the organization of the company until his death, J. Huff Jones was a stockholder, director, and vice-president of the company; that prior to September 13, 1890, the company was a borrower at the Home Savings Bank upon notes of the company, indorsed by the directors, and that, for the-purpose of facilitating the business and avoiding getting each note and renewal thereof indorsed by the directors, upon a resolution offered by Mr. Jones, a bond was given to the bank, with certain of the directors as sureties (among whom was J. Huff Jones), under which the secretary was authorized to negotiate and discount paper at the Home Savings Bank for the company to the [118]*118amount of $30,000 during the ensuing year; that on May 32, 1891. the amount of the bond was increased fro $30,000. At the expiration of the first bond a second one was given for like purpose on September 13, 1891. A third one was given September 13, 1892. This last bond is in like form as the others, for $30,000, and, among other things, recites:

“ Whereas, for the successful and more advantageous management of the trade and business of the said corporation, it is necessary, from time to time, to borrow money to an amount not exceeding $30,000; and
Whereas, for that purpose, Francis A. Blades, the secretary of said corporation, has, by resolution of the board of directors thereof, been, and is hereby, duly authorized and directed to make or indorse negotiable paper of or for such corporation for such loans, from time to time, during the next ensuing 12 months, as he may find necessary to carry on the business of said corporation, not exceeding in the aggregate the amount of $30,000, upon the promissory notes of said corporation, or such commercial or business paper as said Francis A. Blades may discount at said Home Savings Bank upon the indorsement of said corporation or otherwise; and
Whereas, the above-bounden obligors have consented, and do hereby consent, to become security, jointly and severally, for the payment of such indebtedness in accordance with the terms of the negotiable paper issued or to be issued and discounted as aforesaid, and that this, their bond, shall stand as security therefor in the hands of the obligee above named, for the benefit of the holders of any such paper:
“Noiv, therefore, the condition of this obligation is such that, if the Detroit Motor Company shall well and truly pay or cause to be paid and discharged all the indebtedness to be evidenced by the commercial paper which has been or may hereafter be issued and discounted, as above provided, then this obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.”

This bond was signed by the directors of the company, including J. Huff Jones. After its execution and delivery, the Home Savings Bank renewed certain notes given under the former bonds, and discounted for the Detroit [119]*119Motor Company certain promissory notes which were secured by this last bond.

J. Huff Jones died December 16, 1892. At this time the discounts amounted to 130,000. After his death, and after the bank had knowledge of it, a large part of the paper so held by the bank was renewed by it. The notes for which the renewals were taken were in each case surrendered by the bank at the time of the renewals; but no paper was renewed by the bank after September 13, 1893, the date at which the said bond was to expire according to its terms. None of these notes or the renewal notes have been paid, and they amount in the aggregate to $30,600.81.

The court found further as follows:

“I specially find that J. Huff Jones and the other sureties on said bonds were the principal stockholders, officers, and directors of the Detroit Motor Company at the time said bonds were given; that it was the intention that the bank should loan to said Detroit Motor Company the amount of money named in said last bond, not for the ordinary short time of banking paper, but for such indefinite period as might be required in the company’s business, and that the same was intended as a permanent loan during the life of said bond; that the said bank had already so loaned large amounts during the two previous years under the first two bonds; that a large part of the indebtedness under the last bond — the one in question — had been incurred under the former bonds; that said former bonds had been for one year each, like the one in question in this case. Also that all the parties, the Home Savings Bank, the Detroit Motor Company, and the sureties on the last bond, — the one in question, — contemplated that, although the loan of money by the bank would be, in form, upon the comparatively short-time paper customary to a bank, yet, in effect, the Detroit Motor Company and the sureties on the bond were bound for such renewals or extensions as might be required by the company’s business during the term of said bond.
That the Home Savings Bank never, in terms, agreed that it would loan to the Detroit Motor Company the amount of $30,000, mentioned in the last bond set forth in finding 1, nor any other sum, and never, in terms, agreed [120]*120that it would continue any of its loans beyond the period specified in the notes taken upon said loans, and made no agreement respecting said loans except that' implied by the acceptance of the bond in question, and by the course of business under the previous bonds and the one in question,' and gave no consideration for said bond other than that shown by the facts hereinbefore found.
“Based upon the foregoing, I find as conclusions of law:
“1. That J. Huff Jones could not revoke his liability on said bond during his lifetime; that at the time of his death, on December 16, 1892, he was liable under said bond to the full amount thereof.
“2. That the death of said J. Huff Jones did not operate as a revocation of his liability under said bond during the year for which the same was given.
“3, That the taking of renewal paper by the Home Savings Bank after the death of J. Huff Jones, and notice thereof, and before the expiration of said bond on September 13, 1893, was not in law such a payment as released his estate from liability thereon under the terms and conditions of the bond, and the purpose the parties had in view in giving and renewing the bond. I also hold as a matter of law that it was not contemplated by the sureties that each renewal of the notes should constitute a fresh indebtedness, but, on the contrary, it was the intention of all the parties to continue the indebtedness indefinitely, which was not extinguished because of any change in the commercial paper held by the bank by the renewal or extension of notes.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
77 N.W. 625, 119 Mich. 116, 1898 Mich. LEXIS 63, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/home-savings-bank-v-hosie-mich-1898.