Litchfield National Bank v. McBride

7 N.E.2d 348, 289 Ill. App. 420, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 616
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 15, 1937
DocketGen. No. 9,015
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 7 N.E.2d 348 (Litchfield National Bank v. McBride) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Litchfield National Bank v. McBride, 7 N.E.2d 348, 289 Ill. App. 420, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 616 (Ill. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Davis

delivered the opinion of the court.

On March 9, 1935, plaintiff appellant recovered a judgment by confession in the city court of the city of Litchfield against appellee on two judgment notes, in the sum of $5,878.37, including principal and attorney’s fees. One of the notes was in the principal sum of $2,662.46 and the other in the principal sum of $3,000.

On April 24,1935, defendant appellee filed his motion to vacate said judgment, and for leave to plead to the merits, and on April 27,1935, the court ordered a part of said judgment, amounting to the sum of $2,593.32, to stand, together with costs, and that execution issue, and that the balance of said judgment be suspended but stand as security and all proceeding's therein be stayed until the further order of the court, and leave was given defendant to answer by May 4, 1935. The defendant having paid the amount due on the note for $2,662.46, the litigation concerns only the note for $3,000. The jury found for the defendant upon the trial of said cause, and the court entered judgment on the verdict and this appeal is from said judgment.

Defendant answered, admitting the execution of the $3,000 note and the power of attorney to confess judgment, but denied that he was then or ever was indebted to the plaintiff on account of said note, and claimed the note was given for the accommodation of the plaintiff and without consideration. Plaintiff replied to the answer of defendant and denied that the note was an accommodation note and that it was without consideration.

It is insisted by appellant that the court erred in not directing a verdict for the plaintiff at the conclusion of the defendant’s case and, again, at the close of all of the evidence; in refusing to admit competent evidence offered by plaintiff; in improperly giving to the jury defendant’s instruction No. 4, and in refusing plaintiff’s offered instructions, Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

It is first contended by appellee, in his argument, that the instructions given and refused, including the motions for peremptory instructions, the verdict of the jury and the motion for a new trial are not properly before the court because appellant failed to comply with the rule of this court, which required that such motion must be preserved by a report of the proceedings at the trial.

This same alleged defect in the record in this case was heretofore brought to our attention by a motion to dismiss the appeal, which motion was denied by the court. The fact that parts of the record are not incorporated in the report of proceedings and are therefore not properly certified cannot be taken advantage of by a motion to dismiss the appeal.

This is made clear by sec. 74 (2) of the Civil Practice Act (Ill. State Bar Stats. 1935, ch. 110, if 202 (2); Jones Ill. Stats. Ann. 104.074; Smith-Hurd Ann. St., ch. 110, sec. 198 (2) ) which is in part as follows:

“All distinctions between the common law record, the bill of exception and the certificate of evidence, for the purpose of determining what is properly before the reviewing court, are hereby abolished. . . . All matters in the trial court record actually before the court on appeal may be considered by the court for all purposes, but if not properly authenticated the court may order such further authentication as it may deem advisable.”

An appeal cannot be dismissed, but the court may order such further authentication as it may deem advisable, when such defect is properly brought to the attention of the court.

Subdivision 4 of Bule 1 of the Buies of Practice of this court provides:

“A claim that any matter in the trial court record actually before the court on appeal is not properly authenticated may be raised only by motion filed by the appellant or appellee before or at the time of filing his brief. Such motions shall be subject to the provisions of Bule 12, and each motion shall be supported by affidavit showing, -not only that the matter complained of is not properly authenticated, but that it is in fact incorrect, and that injury will result to the objecting party because of its inclusion. Unless a motion is made in the manner required by this rule, the record shall be deemed to be correct. ’ ’

Appellee not having' made a motion supported by affidavit, as required by subdivision 4 of Buie 1, before or at the time of filing of his brief, it follows that the record is deemed to be correct, and this court may consider the instructions given and refused, including the motions for peremptory instructions, the verdict of the jury and the motion for new trial.

It appears from the evidence that the bank was closed in March, 1933, by an executive order of the President at the time of the Bank Moratorium. The comptroller of the currency and the National" Bank Examiner refused to permit plaintiff’s bank to open unless it raised $10,000 in cash, or collateral notes. L. W. Cline was executive vice president and Mr. Herrick was president of the bank. An effort was being made by them to get the notes or cash so the bank could reopen for business.

Appellee testified that he was in the grocery business in March, 1933, and recalled the occasion when the bank was closed by an executive order called the Bank Moratorium. At that time he had dealings with the Litchfield National Bank. He had a checking account in the amount of about $40 and owed the bank in notes in about the sum of $2,200; He was not a stockholder at that time, nor an official or employee of the bank. The note signed by him was a renewal of the first note given to reopen the bank. This note was given in November, 1934. He had three conversations with Mr. Herrick. Mr. Herrick said: We are still closed and we need help. I offered to pay what I owed the bank, but he said that would not help. Two days later he said to me, Have you thought any more about giving us some help? I said, Yes, I thought a good deal about it, and my opinion is you cannot get any help from me. The next conversation took place in Staunton. Mr. Herrick said: “If we don’t get some help, we can’t open the bank.’’ And I said, “How much do you need?” He replied, We have it all raised except $3,000.00. I told him I had already stated my position and was not interested, and was not placing myself liable for going on any notes. Mr. Herrick then said that, in consideration of my signing a note, the bank wonld make no effort to collect it, that it was merely an accommodation, and there was no interest on the note. He said: There is no consideration, you don’t become liable for anything, you get no benefit and would be ruled out. I said, — I am not going’ to sign it. He said: “You have nothing to lose in signing the note.” I said I didn’t care to sign it, and he said, A note put in the bank without interest would not be collectible and I would not be assuming any risk in signing. Herrick also wanted appellee to get his sister to put up some Building & Loan certificates, which she owned, as collateral for the note. Appellee tallied with his sister and told her what Herrick wanted, and that the note would not carry any interest, and that he promised appellee that he would not have to pay the note, and this was the only show of opening the bank. Appellee gave the note and certificates to Herrick. The name of the payee was the Litchfield National Bank.

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Bluebook (online)
7 N.E.2d 348, 289 Ill. App. 420, 1937 Ill. App. LEXIS 616, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/litchfield-national-bank-v-mcbride-illappct-1937.