Jenkins v. Beeler

239 N.W. 574, 213 Iowa 501
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedNovember 24, 1931
DocketNo. 40365.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 239 N.W. 574 (Jenkins v. Beeler) 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
Jenkins v. Beeler, 239 N.W. 574, 213 Iowa 501 (iowa 1931).

Opinion

Grimm, J.

The pleadings in these two cases are very much *502 involved. For the sake of brovily, we will refer to tlie action in equity as the “Jenkins Case” and the action at law as the “Hadley Case.”

In the Jenkins ease, the petition was filed in May, 1928. The plaintiff sought to recover from the Beelers on a certain promissory note dated October 10, 1925, which note was one of several executed by the Beelers to Ray and Ralph Mills. The note in suit in the Jenkins case was transferred by the Mills to C. R. Hadley and thereafter certain credits were endorsed thereon. It was afterwards transferred to Jenkins. The payment of these notes was secured by a chattel mortgage on shop and office equipments, accessories, tires, tubes and other garage property. The mortgage was duly recorded.

On October 12, 1925, the Mills, payees in the notes, by written assignment, transferred their one-half interest in said mortgage to C. R. Hadley and in May, 1928, Hadley assigned his one-half interest in said mortgage to Jenkins,.plaintiff. The plaintiff claimed $975.00, with interest, as the amount due on the note owned by him, and the foreclosure of the mortgage, alleging that certain parties defendant were making certain claims, but that they were all junior and inferior to the claim of the plaintiff, Jenkins.

It appears that in September, 1928, the Lacona Auto Company filed an answer in this cause which, in some respects, is in the nature of a cross-petition. It appears that this auto company is a co-partnership, composed of W. K. Scott and Lyd Adler. It is alleged that Scott, by authority of the firm, had already brought a suit entitled ‘ ‘ Scott v. Hadley, ’ ’ which is the law action involved herein. It is alleged that the auto company bought of C. IT. Beeler, by exchange of property, the shop and equipment described in the mortgage attached to the plaintiff’s petition, and that the said Beeler, in writing, agreed to furnish a clear bill of sale of said stock and tools.

The auto company alleges that on the 13th day of November, 1926, Hadley, defendant in the law action, was the owner of the note and mortgage sued on in plaintiff’s petition and that Hadley continued to own the same until the assignment to the plaintiff, Jenkins; that while Hadley was the owner of said note and mortgage, Hadley became indebted to the auto company as specified in said law action; that on July 10, 1927, the *503 auto company sold to Hadley twelve head of horses, for which Hadley was to pay $900.00, by assigning to the auto company the note of one Boy Shupe, secured by a second mortgage, which note was to be guaranteed by Hadley. It is alleged that a demand has been made upon Hadley for the delivery of the note so guaranteed, but without results. Wherefore, there is due, as it is claimed, to the auto company from Hadley the sum of $900.00, with interest.

The auto company alleges it is the owner of a note of $500.00, secured by a mortgage on what is known as the “Higdon stock.” It is claimed that Hadley attended to the taking of the mortgage, and without authority, took the same in his own name. Demand for transfer has been refused, wherefore the claim is made for $547.00, and interest.

• It is also claimed that Hadley and the auto company employed one Byers as their agent for the exchange of some property, whereby Hadley owes the auto company $250.00, being one-half of' said commission.

It is claimed that Hadley, upon all of these items, is indebted to the auto company in the sum of $1,750.00, and that the same is a valid offset to any claim on the part of the said B. D. Jenkins under said mortgage, as against the auto company.

" It is further claimed that by the terms of the contract under which the auto company acquired the garage equipment, the defendant C. H. Beeler agreed to transfer same to the auto company free of all encumbrance, and that any judgment' or claim that Jenkins should obtain against the auto company, by reason of said chattel mortgage, should be paid by the defendant Beeler, and the auto company should be entitled to judgment- as against the said Beeler.

It is then alleged that in order that final and complete settlement of the matters involved in the suit and in the law action be accomplished, Hadley should be made a party defendant and the said two causes should be tried together.

It is further alleged that the purpose which the said C. B. Hadley had in assigning said notes and the mortgage securing the same was to defeat the auto company in the collection of its claim against Hadley.'

On November 8th, the auto company filed an amendment, *504 after withdrawing paragraph. 9 of the original amendment, as follows:

. “This defendant alleges that C.’R. Hadley is the real owner of the note sued on, that the assignment of said note and mortgage by Hadley to the plaintiff was not a good-faith assignment and was made to defeat this defendant in his claim against the said C. R. Hadley. That, the plaintiff took said note and mortgage with knowledge of such fact and is not a good-faith purchaser. ’ ’

On September 18th, C. H. Beeler filed an answer in the equity cause. It contains, among other things, the following:

“C.omes now defendant C. H. Beeler and for his separate answer herein to so much of the answer of the defendant Lacona Auto Co’, as is of the nature of a cross-petition against this defendant as alleged in Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 7,” etc.

In the answer, Beeler admits he entered into the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 of the answer of the auto company. He admits that Exhibit A, attached to the answer of the- auto company is a correct copy of the contract. Further answering, the said Beeler alleges that Adler and Scott failed and neglected .to comply with the covenants of said contract and that said failure released him from carrying out his part of the agreement and that other parties are estopped from setting up said contract as a basis of affirmative relief as against him. Later, this-answer of'said C.;IL Beelér’s'was amended. He alleges that the defendant failed or neglected to deliver the eighty acres.'of land which was referred to in the contract and alleges that at the time of the execution of said contract, there was a mortgage on said land uncancelled of record for the sum of $2000.00. . -

On September 14th, W. K. Scott and Lyd , Adler filed an answer to the plaintiff Jenkins’ petition which, generally speak-in'g, is in the nature- of a general denial. -

On September 18th, Jenkins, the plaintiff, filed a reply to the answer of the auto company which for the purposes of this opinion may be stated to be in general terms a general denial of affirmative allegations in said answer.

On May 3, 1928, W. K. Scott filed in the law action a peti *505 tion alleging, in substance, that on July 10, 1927, Scott sold to Hadley twelve head of horses for which the defendant-was to pay $900.00 by assigning to Scott the note of one Roy- Shupe, secured by a second mortgage, which said note was to- be guaranteed by the defendant Hadley. On this item] he-demands judgment for $900.00, with interest.

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239 N.W. 574, 213 Iowa 501, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jenkins-v-beeler-iowa-1931.