Lewis v. Graham

4 Abb. Pr. 106
CourtNew York Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJanuary 15, 1857
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 4 Abb. Pr. 106 (Lewis v. Graham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lewis v. Graham, 4 Abb. Pr. 106 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1857).

Opinion

Ingraham, F. J.

—The plaintiff has brought this action against the defendants, who are members of a limited partnership, to obtain an account; claiming a right to redeem certain securities left by Nathaniel J. Brown, the assignor of the plaintiff, with the defendants, to secure the payment of two notes of Brown, held by the defendants.

In August, 1844, the defendants were in partnership, Varnum being the special partner, and the other defendants general partners. At that time, one Brown of Illinois, for a good consider[107]*107ation, gave to the defendants’ firm his two promissory notes for $2,736.37, payable in twelve months after date.

Brown delivered at the same time, as collateral security for the said two notes, sundry certificates of Illinois State indebtedness, some drawing interest, and some without any interest specified therein, amounting to $8,500.

Afterwards, in 1846, Brown delivered to the defendants, as further security for the said notes, eight other certificates of Illinois indebtedness, each for $132.50, payable with interest at a future day.

The agreement under which these notes were given, with the securities, was in writing. By it Brown agreed that if the notes were not paid at the expiration of twelve months, the securities or collaterals were to be under the control of the defendants’ firm, and said firm was authorized to dispose of and sell said securities after sixty days from the maturity of the notes, and apply the proceeds thereof to the credit of Brown.

The collaterals were to be sold at the highest market value in New-York; and the firm was only authorized to sell so much of the collaterals as would pay off and discharge the indebtedness of Brown. Brown’s notes remained unpaid at maturity, excepting as to $200, which was paid on one of the notes when it fell due. The defendants’ firm repeatedly demanded payment of Brown, prior to January 18, 1848, by letters through the mail, which were received by Brown, and on February 18, 1848, they sent Brown a letter, which was received by him in Illinois, demanding payment, and inclosing a notice that all the securities held by them as collateral, and delivered when the notes were passed to Brown, would be sold on February 21, to pay the indebtedness of Brown on his notes to them. This notice did not include the eight certificates delivered in 1846, as they were not mentioned therein. An answer was received to this letter, dated February 21, acknowledging that such letter came to hand that day, suggesting modes of settlement, and asking for a further delay of sixty days.

On February 21, the securities were all sold at auction, including those delivered in 1846, for a sum less than the amount due to the defendants, and were purchased by the special partner, Varnum, on his own account.

On February 22, 1848, the defendants wrote Brown a letter, [108]*108informing him of the sale, and inclosing an account showing a balance due from Brown of $1,261, the payment of which was claimed by them. In January, 1854, Brown offered to the defendant Varnum, in writing, to pay off the amount of the notes and interest, and demanded the delivery to him of the collaterals held by him, and credit for the money paid on them, which was refused.

On January 21,1854, Brown assigned his claims to the plaintiff for all the securities so pledged by him, in trust, to collect the same, and out of the proceeds to pay the expenses and two and a half per cent, commissions; then to pay to Haynes and Hyer certain indebtedness of Brown to them; and, lastly, to pay over the proceeds to Brown or his legal representatives.

This action was commenced by the assignee on February 18, 1854.

An objection is taken by the defence that sufficient parties are not before the court, because the cestui que trusts, under the assignment of Brown, are not named as plaintiffs. Before the Code there was no necessity for joining them in such an action. The assignee had full power to collect such claims in his own name. By section 11 of the Code of Procedure every action is to be brought in the name of the real party in interest; but by section 113 an exception is made in favor of a trustee of an express trust, and in some other cases, in which an action may be maintained by the trustee without joining with him the persons for whose benefit the action is prosecuted.

The subsequent clause of 1851 was not intended to limit the meaning of the term trustee of an express trust to the case therein mentioned, but to extend it so that it should include a person with whom a contract is made for the benefit of another. I think there can be no doubt as to the right of the plaintiff to maintain the action in his own name, without joining cestui que trusts as parties.

Even if it were necessary, however, the defendants cannot now make the objection. By section 144, defect of parties may be objected to by the demurrer, and by section 147, by the answer in certain cases. If no such objection is taken either by demurrer or answer, the defendant is deemed to have waived the same. As no such objection is properly made in the answer, it cannot now be made available by the defendants.

[109]*109The first question which arises in an examination of this case upon the merits is, whether the agreement by which these securities were placed in the defendants’ possession is to be regarded as a mortgage, or merely pledging the property by way of security. The counsel claims that this agreement is, in fact, a mortgage, and that as such the holders had a right to sell the securities forthwith on forfeiture by non-payment.

The distinction stated in Brownell v. Hawkins (4 Barb., 491) is urged in the defendants’ favor. A mortgage is a sale of goods, with a condition that if the mortgagor pays, it shall be void. A pledge contains no words of sale, but an authority, if the debt is not paid, to sell the pledge for that purpose. In the one case, the title passes to the mortgagees ; in the other, the title remains in the pledgor, although possession is given to the pledgee. Recognizing this distinction as correct, still there is nothing in this agreement that will warrant the conclusion that the assignor intended, at the time of execution, to convey to the defendants’ firm his title to the property pledged. On the contrary, the whole tenor of the instrument shows, I think conclusively, that his intent was merely to pledge the property as security.

He says therein:—“ As security for the payment of the notes, I have deposited with them the securities, &c.” The defendants’ control over the securities was only to be, in case of failure, to pay the notes for which they were pledged, and then they were only to be sold at the highest market price, and in any event the defendants could only sell enough of the securities to pay the debt of Brown. These provisions are entirely inconsistent with the requisites of a mortgage, in which it is necessary that the title should pass at the time of execution of the mortgage, and by which, if failure to pay at maturity happens, the right of redemption ceases, and the title becomes absolute, subject to relief in a court of equity (Brown v. Bement, 8 Johns., 96; Ackley v. Finch, 7 Cow., 299; Brownell v. Hawkins, 4 Barb., 491).

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Bluebook (online)
4 Abb. Pr. 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lewis-v-graham-nyctcompl-1857.