Jensen v. Essex Bank

1985 Mass. App. Div. 58, 1985 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 18
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedMarch 14, 1985
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1985 Mass. App. Div. 58 (Jensen v. Essex Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jensen v. Essex Bank, 1985 Mass. App. Div. 58, 1985 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 18 (Mass. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

Doyle, J.

This is an action in contract in which the plaintiff seeks damages for the defendant’s alleged negligence, breach of contract and violations of G.L.c. 93A arising from the defendant’s payment of two forged checks drawn on the plaintiff-depositor’s account.

The reported evidence discloses that the plaintiff opened a checking account with the defendant-Bank in Peabody, Massachusetts on March 7, 1981. The account was entitled “Kamino Boston.” Said account was opened upon the advice of the plaintiff’s attorney, Allan Ponn, purportedly to facilitate completion of the recent sale of the plaintiff’s business. The plaintiff signed a bank signature card and was the sole signatory to the account.

The plaintiff directed the Bank to mail all account statements to Ponn’s office in Boston. The plaintiff testified that this direction was made at the request of former attorney Ponn, and that Ponn’s control of the account statements was somehow necessary to the payment of outstanding bills from [59]*59the sale of the plaintiffs business. The report also states that “in the course of Ponn’s handling of the checkbook” the plaintiff requested blank checks from Ponn at various times and that Ponn forwarded checks to the plaintiff for the latter’s use. Thus the plaintiff not only delegated the right to inspect account statements to Ponn, but also permitted Ponn to exercise full control over the bank account at issue.

On August 25, 1981, the plaintiff attempted to cash a check at the defendant-Bank and was informed that the account in question was overdrawn. The plaintiffs subsequent efforts to locate Allan Ponn by telephone and at his office proved futile. The plaintiff thereafter endeavored to obtain copies of the account statements and was informed by the Bank that the statements had been mailed to Allan Ponn’s office in accordance with the plaintiff’s instructions.

Allan Ponn was suspended from the practice of law on February 9,1982 and was later disbarred. The plaintiff testified that he was not notified of Ponn’s suspension and did not become aware of the same until so informed by new counsel on July 9,1983.

Thereafter, by letter of his attorney dated July 18, 1983, the plaintiff contacted the defendant concerning the balance and status of the Kamino Boston account. At a conference held on August 9,1983, the defendant-Bank presented copies of two checks dated April 17,1981 and July 1, 1981 in the respective amounts of $5,000.00 and $500.00. These checks were drawn on the account in question, were made payable to Allan Ponn and bore the signature of William R. Jensen. The plaintiff denied the authenticity of these signatures.

On August 29, 1983, the plaintiff forwarded to the defendant a demand letter pursuant to G.L.c. 93A requesting restitution of the $5,500.00 paid out of the plaintiffs account on the basis of the forged checks. The defendant seasonably replied by advancing a one year, statute of limitations, affirmative defense.

The trial court entered extensive subsidiary findings, in favor of the defendant-Bank which included the following:

In March of 1981, Jensen, who was in the freight. forwarding business, went to the Essex Bank with his personal and corporate attorney to open a checking account under the name of Kamino Boston .. . [B]oth the checkbpok and all bank statements were to be sent to the attorney’s office.... The plaintiffs pleadings concede that the statements were sent to the attorney’s office in compliance with the written authorization.
On April 17, 1981, a check for $5,000.00 was drawn on Jensen’s account against the initial deposit of $7,500.00 and on July 1,1981, a further check was drawn on this account for $500.00, both checks payable to the attorney in whose safekeeping the checkbook was entrusted.
On February 9, 1982, the attorney was temporarily suspended from the practice of law. ... On September 28, 1983, the attorney was disbarred.
Jensen became aware of his attorney’s status relative to the practice of law on July 9,1983. However, after inquiring of the bank on August 25, 1981, he learned that the account was overdrawn in the amount of $10.00. There was no evidence that he brought the forgeries to the attention of the bank until July 9, 1983, two years after the forgeries.
The primary defense presented by Essex is G.L.c. 106, § 4-406 [60]*60(4);,. . This section must be read in conjunction with G.L.c. 106, .84-406 (1). .. The reasoning behind G.L.c. 106, § 4-406 (4) is that there can be serious consequences in a failure to notify the bank in that it presents the opportunity to the wrongdoer to repeat his misdeeds.
On the fact situation presented, G.L.c. 106, § 4-406 (4) clearly applies as the attention of the bank was not called to the forgeries until well after the one year.
However, in addition to the preclusionary effect of the above subsection of G.L.c. 106, § 4-406, the conduct of Jensen in entrusting the checkbook to his attorney and also directing the statements to be sent to his attorney constitutes negligence on his part....
The well known legal maxim must indeed apply in view of the Uniform Commercial Code in that where one of two innocent parties must suffer from the acts of a third, he who has enabled such third person to occasion the loss must sustain it.
It is clear that there was a breach of fiduciary trust, but that of the attorney to his client. The bank clearly performed in the manner requested by the plaintiff in sending items and bank statements to the attorney.
The statute clearly exculpates the bank from liability on these forgeries.
I find for the defendant, Essex Bank, on all counts.

Judgment was entered for the defendant on May 15,1984. The plaintiff nov seeks review by this Division of the following disposition made by the trial court of plaintiffs requests for rulings numbers 1 through 11:

1. The evidence requires a finding for the plaintiff.
DENIED, no binding evidence as a matter of law to support this request.
2. Upon the law and weight of the material credible evidence introduced, the Court is required in finding that the plaintiff notified the bank promptly and expeditiously upon learning of the forgery. DENIED, see finding of fact.
3. The Court is required ire-finding that the plaintiff isn’t bound to foresee the intervening act of a third party thief.
ALLOWED, as a true statement of law, Graw v. Prudential Trust, 249 Mass. 325, but see findings of fact as to application of G.L.c. 106, § 4-406 (4).
4. The Court is required in finding that the plaintiff isn’t negligent in having his statements and cancelled checks forwarded to his attorney’s office.
DENIED, see finding of fact, Westport Bank & Trust v. Lodge, 164 Conn. 604 (1973).
5. The Court is required in finding that the defendant’s rights haven’t been prejudiced or impaired by the plaintiffs late notifying the said defendant of the forgery, in excess of one year thereof.
DENIED, as a matter of law.

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Bluebook (online)
1985 Mass. App. Div. 58, 1985 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 18, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jensen-v-essex-bank-massdistctapp-1985.