Lonier v. Ann Arbor Savings Bank

116 N.W. 1088, 153 Mich. 253, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 1018
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 27, 1908
DocketDocket No. 88
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 116 N.W. 1088 (Lonier v. Ann Arbor Savings Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lonier v. Ann Arbor Savings Bank, 116 N.W. 1088, 153 Mich. 253, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 1018 (Mich. 1908).

Opinion

Moore, J.

This suit was commenced by declaration containing a special count for moneys had and received and a count in trover for conversion of a note. The defendant pleaded the general issue. At the close of the testimony, the attorneys of each of the parties contended the judge should direct a verdict one way or the other. The trial judge directed a verdict in favor of defendant, and plaintiffs appeal, and assign error upon the direction of a verdict for defendant and the refusal of the court to direct a verdict for plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs are millers at Manchester, and defendant is a banking corporation at Ann Arbor. Mr. Heusel is a baker at Ann Arbor and was a customer of plaintiffs, who had in their employ as a traveling salesman one Donaldson, whose duty was to sell their goods. He was authorized by plaintiffs to settle accounts and receipt therefor. It is claimed by plaintiffs he had no authority to indorse, * negotiate, or discount commercial paper given on settlement of an account with a customer of plaintiffs, but was directed to send such commercial paper home to plaintiffs, and, when cash was paid to him in settlement of an account, he was instructed to go to a bank, buy a draft, and mail the same to plaintiffs. It is claimed by plaintiffs that on April 4, 1906, Mr. Heusel was indebted to them in the sum of $367.29 for flour, and that on that date he settled this account, through Donaldson, by giving his [255]*255note, payable to the order of Lonier & Hoffer, for the above amount, and Donaldson receipted the bill by marking it “ Paid,” and took the note and discounted it and embezzled the funds. On the part of defendant, it is claimed that, instead of discounting the note for Mr. Donaldson, they loaned the money to Mr. Heusel, and that, if Mr. Donaldson did anything wrong in indorsing the note, it is a matter between the plaintiffs and Mr. Heusel. The testimony of the plaintiffs was to the effect that, while Mr. Donaldson was authorized to make collections and to receipt therefor, he was not authorized to indorse and discount notes given him in settlement of accounts.

Mr. Heusel was a witness. The material parts of his testimony are as follows:

I knew one Donaldson, who was a traveling salesman or drummer for plaintiffs. About April 4, 1906, I was owing Lonier & Hoffer for some flour they had shipped from Manchester to me. I was owing them $367.29. I paid that account by giving my note. * * * I signed the note and delivered it to Mr. Donaldson, and when I delivered the note to him he receipted my bill. He marked my bill ‘ Paid,’ and I considered that had closed the account. At the time that I delivered the note to Donaldson, he receipted the bill of Lonier & Hoffer, that this note was given for, and he took this note and went away. The note was made out at the Ann Arbor Savings Bank. I was down with him at that time.’ I never saw the note again, until I paid it. * * * You [Mr. Freeman] had been to see me, and had a talk with me about Donaldson, but I don’t remember whether or not you told me not to pay that note to anybody except Lonier & Hoffer. * * * You told me that Donaldson had absconded. I heard that before you told me. When I paid the note, it was down at the bank, as much as I know. I cannot remember the date that I paid it. I cannot state whether or not Mr. Hoffer was over to see me about the time that I paid the note. I had been buying goods from Lonier & Hoffer for a number of years. Mr. Donaldson sold me the goods.”

Cross-examination:

“Q. Had you ever paid this man before?
[256]*256“A. I did. * * *
“Q. How many times ?
“A. That I don’t know. I simply bought flour whenever I needed it, and paid for it whenever I had the money. I had been doing that for a number of years, five or six years at least. While I was with my brother we bought flour from this same man and paid him right along.
“Q. Did you ever pay anybody else for flour received from this agent up to that time ?
“A. Since I have been alone I always settled with Donaldson, when he was here; but, when I was with my brother, he always attended to that. Since I have been alone, I have always attended to it.
“ Q. Did you ever settle any accounts with the plaintiffs or either of them during the time Donaldson worked for them ?
“A. I always settled with Donaldson.
“Q. How did you settle with him ? Give him money ?
“A. I gave him a note once or twice, and the last time I gave him checks.
“Q. And he took them to the bank and got the money, did he ?
“A. That is the time, I those two last notes.
Q. Can you remember the execution of a note of January 4, 1906, to Lonier & Hoffer for $590 ?
“A. I think so. I think it was due in four months. I was down to the bank with him. I think Mr. Fritz made out the note, and I signed the note, and he signed the note and got the money.
“Q. Then a few months after that, on April 4, 1906, or three months, April 4th, Mr. Donaldson came again, didn’t he, and at that time you went to the bank, and you gave a small note to take up a portion of the $590 note, and a new note for $367.29 ?
“A. Yes.
Q. You signed the notes ?
“A. Yes.
“Q. And Mr. Donaldson signed the notes?
"A. Yes.
“Q. And the money was laid over there on the table or desk right where Mr. Fritz sits, and he took the money and went away, did he not? That $367.29 ?
[257]*257“■A. Of course, I have not seen that he took the money. At least I cannot remember it. I did not get it.
“Q. So that if Mr. Fritz paid any money there, or anybody got any money, Donaldson got it ?
“A. Donaldson got it; yes, sir.
“Q. On that date you gave two notes, you paid $400 in cash on the $590 note that reduced it to $190 ?
“A. Yes, and I gave a new note for that.
“Q. And you also borrowed enough money from Mr. Fritz to pay up this $367.29?
“A. Yes, sir. * * *
“Q. I show you paper marked ‘Exhibit D 1,’ and ask you whether that is the discount slip that Mr. Fritz made out at the time you obtained that loan ?
“A. Yes. (Exhibit D 1 is as follows: ‘Discount by Ann Arbor Savings Bank 4 — 4—1906. For Sam Heusel, 6 per cent., $367.29, 6 percent., $190.’)
“Q. When this note for $367.29 came due, you paid it, did you, or about that time ?
“A. Yes, in the course of business I paid it to the Ann Arbor Savings Bank.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
116 N.W. 1088, 153 Mich. 253, 1908 Mich. LEXIS 1018, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lonier-v-ann-arbor-savings-bank-mich-1908.