Lanza v. United States

22 F. Supp. 716, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2264
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedMarch 10, 1938
DocketNo. 3941
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 F. Supp. 716 (Lanza v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lanza v. United States, 22 F. Supp. 716, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2264 (N.D. Ohio 1938).

Opinion

KLOEB, District Judge.

This is an action at law, submitted to the court upon the pleadings, oral presentation, briefs, stipulations, and waiver of jury.

The facts briefly are these:

Domenico Garisto, an Italian subject, was residing, and working, in the city of Lima, Ohio, at the time of his death on the 3d day of October, 1917.

Prior to this date, and beginning on December 6, 1915, and ending on the 28th day of October, 1916, he had made application for, and had purchased, ten postal savings certificates of the United States Government, at the post office in Lima, Ohio. These were in denominations of $100 each. ,In the application to open a postal savings account, which he executed on the 6th day of December, 1915, and being the Government’s Form P.S. 600, he made [717]*717the following statement: “I, Domenico Garisto, having no Postal Savings deposit at this or any other Post Office, hereby make application to open an account subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by the Postmaster General.”

No administration was had of the estate of Garisto following his decease, and about six months thereafter, i. e., on March 29, 1918, one N. Cerri, as the Royal Italian Consular Agent at Cleveland, Ohio, executed the Post Office Department application Form P.S. 112, and filed it on the same date. His claim was for the sum of $1,036, being the total of the postal savings deposits, plus the accrued interest. The claim was supported by receipted bills, showing the payment of the funeral expenses of the deceased.

On June 4, 1918, the Third Assistant Postmaster General approved Mr. Cerri’s claim for payment.

On August 1, 1918, duplicate postal savings certificates were issued, because the Italian Consular Agent did not have, and apparently could not locate, the original certificates.

On August 8, 1918, the duplicate postal savings certificates were properly endorsed by N. Cerri, and the proceeds were paid to him.

On March 17, 1919, through the Italian official channels, the Italian Royal Procura, of Cantanzaro, Italy, paid the proceeds to Garisto’s widow who, together with a minor daughter who was residing with her, were the only heirs at law of Domenico Garisto.

On January 14, 1931, one Louis R. Lanza, of Cleveland, Ohio, made application in the probate court of Allen county, Ohio, at Lima, for letters of administration Upon the estate of Garisto. It appears that a local bank in Lima had discovered a deposit of $500 made by Garisto in his lifetime, and a safety deposit box, which later was found to contain the ten original postal savings certificates.

Letters of administration were issued to Lanza by the probate court of Allen county, Ohio, and this action was brought by the administrator against the United States of America, asking judgment against .the defendant for the aggregate sum of $1,000, with interest on each of the ten certificates.

The plaintiff, in effect, claims that, regardless of the fact that the Government has paid over the postal deposits to the Royal Italian Consular Agent, who, in turn, paid such funds over to Garisto’s widow, he is entitled to collect again, inasmuch as the fund was not paid to him, or anyone else, as administrator of Garisto’s estate. He claims that section 1283 of the Postal Rules and Regulations required administration of the estate in question under the laws of the State of Ohio; that he, as administrator, was the only party to whom payment could properly be made under the Postal Rules and Regulations; and that payment was made to the wrong party, and did not cancel the defendant’s obligation.

Stipulations.

The following stipulations were entered into by and between the parties to the action :

“1. That on the following dates postal savings certificates in the amounts set forth opposite each date were issued by the. Postmaster at Lima, Ohio, to Domenico Garisto, a citizen of Italy who was temporarily residing in the United States:

“December 6, 1915, $100.00
“January 29, 1916, 100.00
“February 19, 1916, 100.00
“March 4, 1916, 100.00
“April 15, 1916, 100.00
“May 5, 1916, 100.00
“June' 10, 1916, 100.00
“July 15, 1916, 100.00
“August 19, 1916, 100.00
“October 28, 1916, 100.00
“2. That on October 3, 1917, Domenico Garisto died, leaving Rosa Garisto, a resident of Vallelonga, Italy, his widow, and a daughter Rosa Garisto, who at that time was eight years of age, and who resided with her mother in Vallelonga, Italy.
“3. That on March 29, 1918, N. Cerri, as the Royal Italian Consular Agent at Cleveland, Ohio, filed a claim for $1036.00, being the total deposits made by Domenico Garisto, for which such postal savings certificates were issued, plus the accrued interest thereon, and that the claim of the Consular Agent was supported by receipted bills showing the payment of the funeral expenses of the deceased, photostatic copies of which bills are attached hereto.
“4. That on June 4, 1918, the Third Assistant Postmaster General in a letter to the Postmaster at Lima approved the claim of the Royal Italian Consular Agent for payment.
[718]*718“5. That on August 1, 1918, duplicate postal savings certificates were issued inasmuch as the Royal Italian Consular Agent did not have the original certificates in his possession and could not find them.
“6. That on August 7, 1918, the duplicate postal savings certificates were properly endorsed by the said Royal Italian Consular Agent and the face value of such certificates, plus the accrued interest, was paid to him as such Consular Agent.
■ “7. That on August 19, 1918, the Royal Italian Consular Agent transmitted the money paid to him as aforesaid to the Royal Consular General of Italy at Chicago.
“8. That on September 3, 1918, the Royal Consular General of Italy at Chicago transmitted the money and all of the papers pertaining thereto to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“9. That on January 7, 1918, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs transmitted the fund to the ‘Procura Generale’ of the Court of Appeal of Cantanzaro (Cantanzaro being the. Italian province or subdivision in which the widow and child of Domenico Garisto resided at the time).
“10. That on March 17, 1919, the Royal ‘Procura’ of Cantanzaro caused the proceeds of the postal savings certificates to be paid to the widow of Domenico Garisto through the Royal ‘Procura’ of Cantanzaro, Cerri S. Bruno; that at the time of such payment the widow of Domenico Garisto, being illiterate, placed her mark upon a receipt showing the payment of such money; that.such receipt was properly witnessed,' and that on the same date the said Royal ‘Procura’ transmitted the report of delivery, together with such receipt of the widow, to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. That such payment to the widow was made in accordance with the laws of Italy.
“11.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 F. Supp. 716, 1938 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lanza-v-united-states-ohnd-1938.