Kimball v. Farmers & Mechanics Bank

97 P. 748, 50 Wash. 610, 1908 Wash. LEXIS 794
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1908
DocketNo. 7165
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 97 P. 748 (Kimball v. Farmers & Mechanics Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kimball v. Farmers & Mechanics Bank, 97 P. 748, 50 Wash. 610, 1908 Wash. LEXIS 794 (Wash. 1908).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

On the 20th day of April, 1905, E. W. Swanson, A. J. Swanson, M. F. Setters, and O. B. Setters, met in a room adjoining the banking house of the defendant bank, for the purpose of organizing and incorporating the State Bank of Washington. Articles of incorporation were executed in triplicate, and in payment of the three-fifths of the capital stock, required by law to be paid in, E. W. Swanson and A. J. Swanson each drew his check on the defendant bank in the sum of $5,000, payable to the State Bank of Washington; O. B. Setters drew his check on the defendant hank for the sum of $2,500, payable to the State Bank of Washington, and M. F. Setters drew his check on the defendant bank for the sum of $1,500, and a check on the Fidelity National Bank of Spokane for the sum of $1,000, each pay.able to the State Bank of Washington. These several checks [612]*612were presented to the cashier of the defendant bank, and the incorporators thereupon made affidavit that three-fifths of the capital stock had been paid in as required by law. About, a month thereafter the State Bank of Washington opened its doors for business, and about one year thereafter became insolvent.

The plaintiff in this action ivas appointed receiver for the insolvent bank by the superior court of Spokane county, and this action was instituted by the receiver to recover from the defendant bank the $14,000 represented by the Swanson and Setters checks issued against it, and certain other small items not deemed material here. The court below gave judgment against the defendant for the $10,000 represented by the checks of the two Swansons, with legal interest, and from that judgment the present appeal is prosecuted.

The principal questions presented by the appeal are questions of fact. They are, (1) did the president and cashier of the appellant bank agree to accept the two Swanson checks as cash, and credit the State Bank of Washington with the amount thereof; (2) if so, were they authorized so to do-by the appellant bank; and (3) were the checks charged back against the State Bank of Washington by its authority or' with its consent. The findings of the court on these issues-were as follows: [613]*613necessary for such purpose, they being without sufficient means therefor.

[612]*612“That prior to said April 20th, 1905, E. W. Swanson, who was then secretary of said Farmers’ Grain & Supply Company, suggested to Donald Urquhart, the president of' the defendant bank, that it would be for the interest of said bank to have a bank established in the city of Spokane, on the south side of the Spokane river, said defendant bank being' upon the north side of said river, to operate in connection with said defendant bank and to aid in financing said Farmers Grain & Supply Company; and it was arranged between said' parties, prior to said April 20th, 1905, that the said E. W. Swanson, A. J. Swanson, brother of said E. W. Swanson, and their associates, should organize a corporation for the purpose of establishing such bank, and should establish the same; and that the defendant bank should advance them the moneys.
[613]*613“That on the 20th day of April, 1905, said E. W. Swanson, A. J. Swanson, M. E. Setters and O. B. Setters, duly executed in triplicate articles of incorporation for the State Bank of Washington; it being provided, among other things, that one of the objects of said corporation was to carry on and conduct a banking business, and that the capital stock of said corporation should be twenty-five thousand dollars, to be divided into two hundred and fifty shares of the par value of one hundred dollars each; and that at said time the said parties duly subscribed for all of the capital stock of said corporation. That said articles of incorporation were acknowledged before J. H. Claney, who was a notary public of the state of Washington, and was then and there the cashier of the defendant bank.
“That at the time of the execution of said articles of incorporation, the said E. W. Swanson and A. J. Swanson each drew a check upon the said Farmers and Mechanics Bank, payable to the State Bank of Washington, for the sum of five thousand dollars; the said O. B. Setters drew a check upon the said Farmers & Mechanics Bank, payable to the State Bank of Washington for the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars; and the said M. F. Setters drew a check upon the said Farmers and Mechanics Bank, payable to the State Bank of Washington, for the sum of fifteen hundred dollars; and drew a check upon the Fidelity National Bank of Spokane, payable to the State Bank of Washington, for the sum of one thousand dollars. That said checks were so drawn for the purpose of paying for sixty per cent of the capital stock of said corporation so subscribed for by said parties. That immediately upon the making of said checks the same were exhibited to the said J. H. Claney, cashier of said defendant bank, who was then and there asked if the same were good; and that the said Claney then and there stated to the said parties that said checks were good, and would be paid; and said checks were then and there delivered to the said cashier of defendant bank. That immediately the said parties signed and swore to the following affidavit before the said Claney:
“ ‘State of Washington, County of Spokane — ss.
“ ‘M. F. Setters, Albert J. Swanson, O. B. Setters and Edward W. Swanson and - being first duly [614]*614sworn, each for himself and not for the other, upon his oath say, that he is one of the board of directors of “The State Bank of Washington” of Spokane, articles of incorporation of which said bank are herewith filed and that three-fifths (3-5) of the capital stock of said bank has actually been paid in. M. F. Setters, Albert J. Swanson, O. B. Setters, Edward W. Swanson.
‘Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of April, A. D. 1905. (Notarial Seal.) J. H. Claney, Notary Public for the State of Washington, residing at Spokane.’ ”
“That at the time of drawing said checks and making said affidavit, the said E. W. Swanson did not have on deposit in said Farmers and Mechanics Bank, in excess of fourteen hundred dollars ; the said A. J. Swanson’s account in said bank was overdrawn to the amount of about five dollars; the said O. B. Setters was not a depositor in said Farmers and Mechanics Bank, and had no money on deposit therein; that the said M. F. Setters had on deposit therein and subject to his check, although such deposit was standing in the name of said E. W. Swanson, as trustee, about fifteen hundred dollars; and said M. F. Setters had on deposit in the Fidelity National Bank in Spokane, subject to his check, one thousand dollars or more, and the said check drawn on said Fidelity National Bank was good.
“That the said O. B. Setters and M. F. Setters were without knowledge as to the deposits of the said A. J. Swanson and E. W. Swanson in said Farmers and Mechanics Bank; and had no knowledge as to whether the checks drawn by the said Swansons were good, save and except as they were informed by the said Claney, cashier of said Farmers and Mechanics Bank.

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Bluebook (online)
97 P. 748, 50 Wash. 610, 1908 Wash. LEXIS 794, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kimball-v-farmers-mechanics-bank-wash-1908.