Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Dove Creek State Bank

470 P.2d 838, 172 Colo. 90
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedJune 29, 1970
Docket22517
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 470 P.2d 838 (Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Dove Creek State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Dove Creek State Bank, 470 P.2d 838, 172 Colo. 90 (Colo. 1970).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Lee

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This writ of error arises out of the retrial of a controversy the first trial of which was reversed and remanded by this Court in Dove Creek Bank v. Lawrence, 157 Colo. 263, 402 P.2d 369.

We refer to the parties as follows: Lawrence Warehouse Company as “Lawrence”; Dove Creek State Bank as “Dove Creek”; United States Bank of Grand Junction as “United States Bank”; Harold Tanner, Marian Tanner, and Montelores Bean Co. as “Tanner”; and J. W. Lancaster as “Lancaster.”

In the interests of clarity, we incorporate in part this Court’s statement of facts contained in Dove Creek Bank v. Lawrence, supra, as follows:

“Many of the facts underlying this controversy are undisputed. The record discloses that Harold Tanner, together with his wife Marian under the name of the Montelores Bean Company, a partnership, and through two closely held corporations, Tanner Dove Creek, Inc. and Montelores Bean Company, Inc., was engaged in the business of buying and selling dry agricultural commodities — primarily beans. Tanner had two warehouses in the Dove Creek area, one located in Dove Creek and the other in Cahone, and he also conducted operations elsewhere in the state. The nature of the business required rather extensive financing, and in this connection Tanner dealt with the Dove Creek State Bank, and particularly with one Bruce Brandt, executive vice president and cashier thereof at all times material to this case. The Dove Creek State Bank is chartered under the laws of Colorado with a total capital and surplus of $150,000.00. [93]*93“Defendant Lawrence operates a national warehouse system wherein it stores commodities and certifies the reception and storage of these items by the issuance of warehouse receipts. In order to secure bank financing, Tanner leased his two warehouses at Dove Creek and Cahone to Lawrence. Defendant Lancaster was employed as warehouse manager by Lawrence and placed in control of these warehouses. Defendant Buckingham inspected the warehouses as part of his duties as an examiner for Lawrence.

“In 1958, the United States Bank and the Dove Creek State Bank embarked on what later proved to be an unfortunate undertaking with respect to the Tanner enterprises. By agreement initiated by Brandt, acting in his capacity as executive vice president and cashier of Dove Creek State Bank, with one Herbert Bacon, vice president and cashier of the United States Bank, the Dove Creek State Bank endorsed Tanner notes, sent them to the United States Bank and guaranteed their payment. These notes were secured by Lawrence warehouse receipts. The United ¡States Bank, which was a correspondent bank of Dove Creek State Bank, credited the account of the latter with the amounts involved. Under the arrangement the Dove Creek State Bank received 1½% out of 6% interest and 1% out of 5% interest collected on the notes.

“The two banks — and Tanner — pursued this course of conduct for a not inconsiderable period until two Tanner notes in the principal amounts of $60,000.00, one dated July 29, 1959, and the other dated October 30, 1959, were eventually received by the banks. It was the understanding of the United States Bank, because of its dealings and communications with Brandt, that these particular notes were to be secured by Lawrence warehouse receipts, as had been the case with other Tanner notes, and that these notes were to be handled in all respects in a manner similar to previous notes. There were, in fact, no Lawrence warehouse receipts issued to secure these notes [94]*94and when they matured the United States Bank made possession of warehouse receipts a condition for their renewal. Brandt, in turn, made demand upon Tanner, and ultimately forwarded two renewal notes to- the United States Bank accompanied by Lawrence warehouse receipts. Each receipt certified the existence of 900,000 pounds of ‘U.S. No. 1 Pinto Beans’ at the Cahone warehouse.

“When the first of the renewal notes became due and was not paid, demand was made for delivery of the commodities which was refused because the commodities were not in the warehouse as represented in the warehouse receipts. This signaled the beginning of the end of the Tanner financial pyramid. Lawrence denied liability. The Dove Creek State Bank denied liability on the renewal notes. The United States Bank thereafter set off the principal and its share of the interest on the two renewal notes against the account of the Dove Creek State Bank * *

Dove Creek’s complaint against Lawrence, United States Bank, Tanner and Lancaster, asserted eight claims for relief. The judgments of the trial court on all claims were affirmed except as to the third and fourth claims which were reversed by the decision in Dove Creek Bank v. Lawrence, supra, and it is with the retrial of the third and fourth claims with which we are here concerned.

We set forth the analysis of the pleadings as to these claims as found in Dove Creek Bank v. Lawrence, supra: “THIRD AND FOURTH CLAIMS FOR RELIEF: These two claims were identical except that a separate promissory note and a separate warehouse receipt were involved in each. These claims were stated against Lawrence, Lancaster, Montelores Bean Company, Harold and Marian Tanner and the United States Bank.

“The Dove Creek State Bank alleged that the United States Bank had agreed to participate in loans to Tanner; that on January 26, 1960, pursuant to such agreement, Dove Creek State Bank received from Tanner two notes, [95]*95each in the amount of $60,000.00, payable to Dove Creek State Bank and endorsed by Tanner; that these notes were endorsed by Dove Creek State Bank for delivery to United States Bank; that as security for said notes the United States Bank demanded and received from Lawrence the two warehouse receipts; that upon maturity of the notes the United States Bank improperly charged the account of Dove Creek State Bank in the amount of principal, interest and attorney’s fees. Dove Creek State Bank claimed a right to recover said charge from the United States Bank, but if prevented from so doing, it claimed a right to recover from Lawrence for the failure of Lawrence to honor its warehouse receipts. .

“In its answer, Lawrence denied that the United States Bank demanded or received from it the two warehouse receipts and alleged that on or about January 21, 1960, pursuant to a conspiracy to defraud Lawrence, the Dove Creek State Bank received the warehouse receipts issued to the United States Bank and transmitted them to the latter bank.

“The United States Bank filed an answer to the complaint and a cross-claim against Lawrence. In its answer, United States Bank.denied any agreement to participate in loans to Tanner, admitted it purchased two notes from Dove Creek and alleged that pursuant to the endorsements of Dove Creek State Bank thereon it was entitled, on maturity and nonpayment, to charge Dove Creek State Bank’s account.

“In its cross-claim against Lawrence, the United ¡States Bank claimed demand on Lawrence for commodities listed in the two warehouse receipts and alleged a refusal by Lawrence to deliver. The bank alleged that if Dove Creek State Bank recovered from it, United States Bank would be entitled to recover from Lawrence.

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Related

Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. Gill
237 S.E.2d 21 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1977)
Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Dove Creek State Bank
470 P.2d 838 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1970)

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Bluebook (online)
470 P.2d 838, 172 Colo. 90, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawrence-warehouse-co-v-dove-creek-state-bank-colo-1970.