Marling v. Jones

119 N.W. 931, 138 Wis. 82, 1909 Wisc. LEXIS 69
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 16, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 119 N.W. 931 (Marling v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marling v. Jones, 119 N.W. 931, 138 Wis. 82, 1909 Wisc. LEXIS 69 (Wis. 1909).

Opinion

Timlin, J.

The findings establish that on September 21, 1898, Everett H. Jones executed his promissory note for $2,000 payable two years after date to the order of Henry Herman and bearing interest, and at the same time and as security for the payment of the note executed a mortgage to Henry Herman in due form upon lots 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 in block No. 1, Lindsay’s subdivision in the Seventeenth ward of the city of Milwaukee, which mortgage was recorded on September 22, 1898, in the proper office. Jones executed and delivered this note and mortgage [85]*85to Herman with the understanding that Herman would negotiate the same and raise money thereon, but J ones received no consideration and the note and mortgage were executed by him merely for the accommodation of Henry Herman. June 2, 1901, Jones conveyed the mortgaged premises subject to this mortgage of $2,000 to one Raymond, the confidential agent for Henry Herman, who was acting for the latter in all the transactions herein mentioned. This deed was recorded February 11, 1902, in the proper office. Jones never had or claimed any real interest in or to the mortgaged property. April 2, 1902, Henry Herman assigned to the plaintiff’s assignor, under whom she claims, and after it was past due, the note and mortgage aforesaid, and indorsed the note, and delivered the instruments so assigned and indorsed to plaintiff’s assignor as collateral security to a promissory note of $2,000 then executed for value by Henry Herman to plaintiff’s assignor and bearing even date with said assignment. This assignment was not recorded until April 16, 1903. October 16, 1902, Henry Herman delivered to the defendant Lindsay a warranty deed of the mortgaged premises running from Raymond to Lindsay, containing the statement in the covenant against incumbrances that the mortgaged premises were free and clear of all incumbrances whatever, except one mortgage for the sum of $2,000. This deed was dated and acknowledged February 28, 1902, and recorded in the proper office October 17, 1902. On October 16, 1902, at the time of the delivery of the deed to Lindsay, Herman also delivered to Lindsay a satisfaction piece or release in writing of the mortgage first mentioned, which .release is dated October 16, 1902, and was recorded October 17, 1902, in the proper office. The consideration of this conveyance of land and satisfaction of mortgage to the defendant Lindsay was that Lindsay credited Henry Herman with a payment of $2,475 on a note of $4,500 dated November 27, 1900, belonging to Lindsay upon which Herman was [86]*86liable as indorser. Lindsay took possession of tbe premises-in question immediately after tbe transfer and paid tbe taxes tbereon since said date. Tbe transaction between Herman and Lindsay was at one and tbe same time a purchase of tbe lots from Herman by Lmdsay for $2,475 and a payment of tbe mortgage of $2,000 tbereon by Lindsay, botb incidents, being part of tbe same transaction. Lindsay bad no knowledge or information of any kind of any claim by tbe plaintiff’s assignor to tbe premises. He acted in good faitb and’ relied upon tbe record title to the premises with respect to tbe title as well as to tbe mortgage; but be did not require the production of tbe note and mortgage in question and tbe same were not produced. There is due and owing to tbe plaintiff" upon tbe note in question $2,575, and, except as hereinbefore-stated, no part has ever been paid.

In addition to these findings of fact tbe undisputed evidence showed that tbe lots in question were, at tbe instance- and request of Herman, conveyed by tbe National Eealty Company to Jones immediately prior to tbe execution of tbe note and mortgage in question by Jones and for tbe purpose-of having Jones execute tbe mortgage tbereon as an accommodation to Herman.'

As conclusions of law from tbe foregoing facts tbe court below found that tbe note and mortgage executed by tbe defendant Jones are void for want of consideration, but that tbe defendant Lindsay is estopped to set up this invalidity because Lmdsay purchased tbe mortgaged premises subject to tbe mortgage; that tbe plaintiff’s assignor and tbe defendant Lindsay were negligent in their dealings with Henry Herman in tbe matters herein involved — plaintiff’s assignor-in not recording bis assignment after tbe same was delivered to him, and Lmdsay in not demanding tbe note and mortgage in question at tbe time the release of the mortgage and warranty deed to tbe lots were delivered to bim; that tbe plaintiff' cannot come into equity asking relief because bis negligence-[87]*87was prior to and greater than that of the defendant Lindsay; that the defendants, Jones and Lindsay, are entitled to judgment dismissing the plaintiff’s complaint with costs.

The reasons given in the foregoing conclusions of law do not meet the approval of this court, but we review results, not reasons assigned.

Was the action properly dismissed as to Jones ? No consideration moving to the accommodation maker is necessary to uphold an accommodation note. The very name of the paper suggests this. The consideration in such case which supports the promise of the accommodation maker is that parted with by the person taking the accommodation note and received by the person accommodated. Nor is it any defense by the maker of an accommodation note that the taker other than the person accommodated, whether indorsee or transferee for value, knew before and when he took the note th'at the accommodation -maker received no consideration. This would be merely showing that such taker, indorsee, or transferee knew that it was an accommodation note. If this were sufficient to defeat the note there could be no such thing as accommodation paper, except in cases of ignorance of this fact on the part of the taker, indorsee, or transferee, and this would be contrary to common experience, and avoid many of the daily transactions'in banking and other branches of business. Sec. 1675 — 55, Stats. (Supp. 1906). But the accommodation note in question was transferred by the party accommodated, namely, the payee therein, after it became due. Does this circumstance permit the accommodation maker to avoid the note on the ground that he received no consideration ? If the effect of a transfer after due is merely to leave the transferee subject to notice or knowledge of the time circumstances attending the execution of the note in question, and for this reason subject him to defenses, then, as actual knowledge that the note was accommodation paper would be no defense by the accommodation maker as against the trans[88]*88feree for value from tbe party accommodated, it would seem that it could make uo difference in tbe liability of tbe accommodation maker upon this ground whether tbe note was transferred before or after due. Aside from this imputed notice or knowledge, or actual notice or knowledge, it is not time that tbe taker for value from tbe party accommodated stands in tbe shoes of tbe latter. Tbe difference between them is that one has parted with value for tbe note and tbe other has not. In neither case has the maker received a consideration moving to him.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
119 N.W. 931, 138 Wis. 82, 1909 Wisc. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marling-v-jones-wis-1909.