Klemm v. Weil

194 Iowa 1073
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedNovember 14, 1922
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 194 Iowa 1073 (Klemm v. Weil) 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
Klemm v. Weil, 194 Iowa 1073 (iowa 1922).

Opinion

EvaNS, J.

The note sued on was for $1,279. It was given concededly as a renewal of a previous note for $1,250, the accrued interest being included in the renewal note. The defendant was surety for one Laughlin, both upon the original note and upon the renewal note in suit. The defendant, by his answer, admitted his liability upon the note, as pleaded by the plaintiff, unless he .establish one or more of the affirmative defenses pleaded by him. These affirmative defenses were set forth in five separate divisions. They were all predicated upon alleged false representations to the effect that the plaintiff had falsely represented to the defendant that he would not have to. pay the note, and that he had falsely represented that he would obtain additional sureties.

Though the divisions were five in number, they were all reducible to the two representations here stated. Each of these alleged false representations was made the basis of a separate defense.

The following quotation from the testimony of defendant is the substance of all of it in support of the first defense:

“I have just mentioned it, and he said that the note that he wanted me to sign now was the one, or was the same as the one that Mr. Laughlin had me to sign on that stock note, and he wanted me to sign this so he could put it up as collateral and borrow money on it. and told me I never need pay it. ’ ’

The following quotation from defendant’s evidence is the substance of all of it in support of his second defense:

“He says, ‘I will get them on.’ He says, 'I will.’ I asked him to sign along as surety, and he says, ‘I will.’ He said he would sign it himself. His two sons are John and Ignatius. I asked him to have them sign.along with him. He says, ‘I will get them on.’ After he promised that he was going to have himself and his two sons sign, I signed it.”

These defenses were submitted by the court by Instructions 6 and 7, as follows:

“6. The first defense of the defendant is that, when said note was presented to him for signature, that the plaintiff represented to him that, if the defendant would sign said note, that [1075]*1075be, the defendant, would never have to pay said note, as the plaintiff simply wanted to use the same as collateral. And yon are instructed that the burden of proof is upon the defendant to establish said defense substantially as alleged, by a preponderance of the evidence, and if he has done so, then the defendant will be entitled to a verdict at your hands; but if you fail to so find, then the plaintiff will be entitled to recover against the defendant the full amount of the note, unless the. defendant has established by a preponderance of the evidence his defense as set out in the following instruction.”

“7. The second defense of the defendant to said, note is that, when said note was presented to him for signature, that it was orally ■ agreed between plaintiff and defendant that, if the defendant signed said note, that the plaintiff himself and his two sons, John Klemm and I. Klemm, would also sign said note, as sureties with the defendant. You are instructed that the burden of proof is upon the defendant to establish the above defense substantially as- alleged, by a preponderance of the evidence, and if he has done so, then the defendant will be entitled to a verdict at your hands; but if you fail to so find, then the plaintiff will be entitled to recover against the defendant the full amount of the note, unless the defendant has established by a preponderance of the evidence his defense as set out in the preceding instruction. ’ ’

Though the defendant in terms predicated his defense upon fraudulent representation, no reference was made in the instruction to the fraudulent character thereof.

Taking up the first defense, Was any fraudulent representation proved in support thereof? The evidence has some intimation of an effort to prove that the note was an accommodation note only. But such was not the defense pleaded. It was open to the defendant to have pleaded and proved, if he could,, that the note was without consideration, and was an accommodation note only. This is not such a defense. The note, being concededly a renewal of a previous note, had a full consideration. It could not, therefore, be a mere accommodation note. The alleged false representation to the effect that the defendant need never pay the note was not a representation at all, in a legal sense. It was an oral contemporaneous promise, [1076]*1076and was as contradictory to the written undertaking of the note as it was possible to make it. Lerch v. Sioux City Times Co., 91 Iowa 750; State Bank v. Brown, 142 Iowa 190, 196.

If there were other evidence of fraud, the making of such promise could be considered on the question of fraud; but it does not, of itself, constitute a representation, either fraudulent or otherwise.

Turning to the second defense, the evidence here also discloses a promise only, and not a representation. There were intimations in the record that the defendant had a good defense to the previous note. But no issue was tendered on such question, and no such question was submitted. Putting the two defenses side by side, they are quite incongruous. If the defendant believed himself relieved from all obligation to pay the note, what interest had he in requiring additional sureties? Why should the defendant -expect the plaintiff to sign a note payable to himself as payee! If the payee had a note payable to himself by himself, it was already extinguished. The construction put upon this evidence by appellee’s argument is that the defendant expected the plaintiff to indorse the note. What interest could the defendant signer have in such indorsement?

The argument of appellee before us is predicated upon a more plausible theory than is justified by the pleadings or by the instructions of the court. It is predicated upon Section 3060-al6 of the Negotiable Instrument Act, which is as follows :

“Every contract on a negotiable instrument is incomplete and revocable until delivery of the instrument for the purpose of giving effect thereto. As between immediate parties, and as regards a remote party other than a holder in due course, the delivery, in order to be effectual, must be made either by or under the authority of the party making, drawing, accepting or indorsing, as the case may be; and in such case the delivery may be shown to have been conditional or for a special purpose 'only, and not for the purpose of transferring the property in the instrument. But where the instrument is in the hands of a holder in due course, a valid delivery thereof by all parties prior to him so as to make them liable to him, is conclusively presumed. And where the instrument is no longer in the possession of a party whose signature appears thereon, a [1077]*1077valid and intentional delivery by him is presumed until the contrary is proved.”

The eases relied upon by appellee are those wherein we have applied the above section of the statute.- It will be noted that this section has to do with the question of delivery of an instrument. It permits the maker to show that delivery of the instrument was conditional, or for a special purpose. The cases of Herron v. Brinton, 188 Iowa 60, and Ball v. James, 176 Iowa 647, involved the application of this statute.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Nutrena Mills, Inc. v. Yoder
187 F. Supp. 415 (N.D. Iowa, 1960)
State Bank of Fort Dodge v. Central Flour & Feed Co.
288 N.W. 614 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1939)
Walker v. Todd
280 N.W. 512 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1938)
First National Bank v. Mether
251 N.W. 505 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1933)
Citizens National Bank v. Rowe
243 N.W. 363 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1932)
Versteeg v. Hoeven
239 N.W. 709 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1930)
Farmers Savings Bank of Slater v. Weeks
227 N.W. 508 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1929)
Beed v. Beed
222 N.W. 442 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1928)
Hills Savings Bank v. Hirt
216 N.W. 281 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1927)
McClintock v. Ayers
253 P. 658 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1927)
Davenport v. Mullins
205 N.W. 499 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
Castelline v. Pray
205 N.W. 339 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
International Stock Food Co. v. Beshey
204 N.W. 265 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
Mechanics Savings Bank v. Gish
203 N.W. 687 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
George Parks & Co. v. Howard Hotel Realty Co.
203 N.W. 247 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
Klemm v. Laughlin
202 N.W. 222 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1925)
Kessel v. Murray
197 Iowa 17 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1924)
Smith v. Breeding
196 Iowa 670 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 Iowa 1073, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/klemm-v-weil-iowa-1922.