James Stewart & Co. v. National Shawmut Bank

291 Mass. 534
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedSeptember 12, 1935
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 291 Mass. 534 (James Stewart & Co. v. National Shawmut 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
James Stewart & Co. v. National Shawmut Bank, 291 Mass. 534 (Mass. 1935).

Opinion

Field, J.

These two suits in equity were heard together in the Superior Court. Both arose out of the operations of trustees doing business under an agreement and declaration of trust as the Washington Central Trust, dated as of June 1, 1925, and executed July 10, 1925, in connection with the purchase of land in Washington, D. C., and the erection of an office building thereon. The trustees were changed from time to time. The National Shawmut Bank of Boston became one of the trustees at some time between July 10, 1925, and April 1, 1926. They are herein referred to as the Washington Central Trust.

The first suit was brought by James Stewart & Company, Incorporated, against the Washington Central Trust, The National Shawmut Bank of Boston, Coffin & Burr, Incorporated, and certain other defendants, including Charles A. Coolidge, Henry R. Shepley, Francis V. Bulfinch, and Lewis B. Abbott, copartners doing business as Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch and Abbott, herein referred to as the architects, to establish a debt of • the defendant Washington Central Trust to the plaintiff and to obtain an order that money in the possession of the defendant The National Shawmut Bank of Boston, as trustee under the first loan agreement, be paid to the plaintiff on account of the debt so established: The defendant architects sought by a cross bill to establish a debt against the defendant Washington Central Trust and to obtain an order that the money referred to in the plaintiff’s bill be paid over to these defendants on account of the debt so established. The Liberty Trust Company was made a party defendant by an interlocutory decree and filed an answer in which it said that its only claim to the money in the possession of The National Shawmut Bank of Boston as trustee under the first loan agreement was as trustee under a second mortgage, given by the Washington Central Trust, and that it was not properly a party defendant in the suit but, without waiving this contention, that the money referred to should be paid to it. And by amendment this defendant pleaded a final decree in a suit in equity in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia as a defence to the claim of the plaintiff [537]*537and the defendant architects to the money in the possession of the defendant The National Shawmut Bank of Boston.

The second suit was brought by the Liberty Trust Company, as trustee under a second mortgage of property of the Washington Central Trust, against The National Shawmut Bank of Boston, as trustee under a first mortgage of such property, to require the defendant to account to it for a surety bond in the sum of $1,200,000 and the proceeds thereof and for money in the possession of The National Shawmut Bank of Boston, as trustee under the first loan agreement.

The trial judge made findings of fact in each case and ordered the entry of final decrees, and such decrees were entered. The decree entered in the first suit established debts of the Washington Central Trust to the plaintiff therein and to the defendant architects as copartners, ordered payments on account thereof by the defendant The National Shawmut Bank of Boston with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum from the date of the decree to the date of payment, and decreed that the Liberty Trust Company had no right or interest in any capacity in the trust fund described in the bill. The decree entered in the second suit dismissed the bill.

The defendants The National Shawmut Bank of Boston and the Liberty Trust Company appealed from the decree in the first suit and the plaintiff Liberty Trust Company appealed from the decree in the second suit. The evidence is reported.

The evidence was documentary including parts of a transcript of the testimony taken in another suit. Facts shown thereby include the following: The plan of financing the project of the Washington Central Trust provided for first mortgage bonds, second mortgage bonds and preferred stock. By a so called “Loan Agreement,” herein referred to as the first loan agreement, dated as of June 1, 1925, executed and delivered July 10, 1925, by Coffin & Burr, Incorporated, herein referred to as the lender under the first loan agreement, the Washington Central Trust and The National Shawmut Bank of Boston as trustee under the [538]*538first mortgage, the lender agreed to lend and the Washington Central Trust agreed to borrow the sum of $2,500,000, to be evidenced by an issue of first mortgage bonds to that amount — the amount to be increased to $3,300,000 if the trust obtained additional land and the lender consented to the increase. The money lent was to be paid to the trustee and by it advanced on written order of the lender to the mortgagor from time to time in accordance with detailed provision of the loan agreement. There were provisions also that amounts advanced should "be used solely for the purpose of completing the acquisition of . . . property, including the discharge of encumbrances . . . and the construction thereon of the . . . office building and otherwise” as provided in the agreement and for the retention of money by the lender until ninety-three days after the completion of the building and until the lender had been furnished with a certificate that the building was completed and free from liens or the final payment would free it from liens. By an instrument, also dated as of June 1, 1925, executed by the Washington Central Trust and The National Shawmut Bank of Boston on July 10, 1925, herein referred to as the first mortgage, the former conveyed to the latter real estate in Washington, D. C., by way of mortgage upon trust to secure the payment of these bonds. By this instrument The National Shawmut Bank of Boston was authorized to act as trustee under ’ the first loan agreement. The parties to this instrument also executed and delivered on April 1, 1926, an instrument, herein referred to as the supplemental indenture to the first mortgage, whereby the trust conveyed additional land to the trustee under the first mortgage as additional security in contemplation of the issue of additional first mortgage bonds. First mortgage bonds to the amount of $3,300,000 were issued.

By a so called "Loan Agreement,” herein referred to as the second loan agreement, dated as of June 1, 1925, executed and delivered July 10, 1925, by the City Central Corporation, herein referred to as the lender under the second loan agreement, the Washington Central Trust and the Liberty Trust Company as trustee under the second [539]*539mortgage, the lender agreed to lend and the Washington Central Trust agreed to borrow the sum of $600,000, to be evidenced by an issue of second mortgage bonds to that amount — this amount in some circumstances to be increased to $800,000. By an instrument, also dated as of June 1, 1925, executed by the Washington Central Trust and the Liberty Trust Company on July 10, 1925, herein referred to as the second mortgage, the former conveyed to the latter real estate, subject to the first mortgage, by way of mortgage to secure the payment of these bonds. By this instrument the Liberty Trust Company was authorized to act as trustee under the second loan agreement. The parties to this instrument also executed on April 1, 1926, an instrument, herein referred to as the supplemental indenture to the second mortgage, whereby the trust conveyed additional land subject to the first mortgage to the trustee under the second mortgage in contemplation of the issue of additional second mortgage bonds. Second mortgage bonds to the amount of $796,500 were issued and were outstanding at the time of the hearing.

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Bluebook (online)
291 Mass. 534, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/james-stewart-co-v-national-shawmut-bank-mass-1935.