Marsh v. Arkansas National Bank

227 S.W. 30, 147 Ark. 53, 1921 Ark. LEXIS 131
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided January 10, 1921·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

On May 29, 1918, appellant, Ludie Marsh, instituted suit against appellees P. C. DeMoss, J. F. Joplin and R. A. Jones, in the Garland Circuit Court, on three notes of $100 each, dated August 3, 1914, and due, respectively, in thirty, sixty and ninety days after date; three notes of $100 each, dated November 2, 1914, and due, respectively, in thirty, sixty and ninety days after date; and one note for $1,470, dated November 2, 1914, and due ninety days after date. The Arkansas National Bank, also an appellee, was made a 'party defendant in the suit on the ground that it was .the holder of the notes as collateral to secure an indebtedness of $3,000 which Ludie Marsh, the appellant, owed it, and that, although notified to do so, it had refused to institute suit upon the notes so held as collateral.

It is alleged in the complaint that P. C. DeMoss was the maker of the notes, T. T. Marsh & Company, the payee therein, J. F. Joplin and R. A. Jones indorsers thereon, and Ludie Marsh owner thereof by transfer, indorsement and delivery of said notes to her by T. T. Marsh & Company for a valuable consideration.

The Arkansas National Bank filed answer, admitting that it held the notes as collateral to secure a note of $3,000 executed by appellant to it and prayed that, in the' event appellant should recover upon the notes, the amount, or so much thereof as might be necessary, be paid to it upon the $3,000 note aforesaid.

P. C. DeMoss filed answer, pleading acquittance under a bankrupt adjudication of date the 28th day of February, 1915.

Appellees J. F. Joplin and R. A. Jones filed answer, interposing the defense that they had indorsed the notes for T. T. Marsh & Company, the payee therein, and not for the maker, P. C. DeMoss, and that when the notes became due, T. T. Marsh & Company paid the notes, thereby releasing them on their indorsement; that whatever interest Ludie Marsh and the bank acquired in the notes was subsequent to maturity and subject to any equities existing between T. T. Marsh & Company and appellees, J. F. Joplin and R. A. Jones.

The cause was transferred to the chancery court and submitted upon the pleadings, exhibits thereto and the depositions of the witnesses, which resulted in a decree on June 17, 1920, dismissing the complaint of appellant for the want of equity. From the decree of dismissal,'an appeal has been prosecuted to this court, and the cause is before us for trial de novo.

The record is voluminous, and a summary of the evidence of each witness would extend an opinion to unusual length. We shall, therefore, only attempt a short statement of the case and record the result reached after very careful investigation and consideration of the case. T. T. Marsh transacted business in the name of several companies, among them, T. T. Marsh & Company. This company was incorporated. Appellant owned most of its capital stock. It was engaged in the feed business. P. C. DeMoss, the maker of the notes, was engaged in the dairy business, and R. A. Jones, with H. M. Steel, indorsers on the notes, was engaged in the pasteurized milk business. DeMoss purchased feed from T. T. Marsh & Company on credit, and, in payment therefor, executed notes to it, which were discounted by the Arkansas National Bank and the proceeds credited to T. T. Marsh & Company, and these notes were renewed from time to time in the same form. P. C. DeMoss furnished Jones and Steel a large part of the output of his dairy for use in their pasteurized milk business. In addition to paying DeMoss cash for his milk, both R. M. Jones and H. M. Steel frequently indorsed his notes during their business relationship to enable DeMoss to. continue the dairy business and furnish them milk. ■ J. F. Joplin .was a brother-in-law to Mrs. Files, with whom DeMoss had transacted a great deal of business, and he had indorsed DeMoss ’ note on several occasions at the request of Mrs. Files. The notes forming the basis of the suit were given to retire seven notes, ranging in amounts from $100 to $1,000, which had theretofore 'been executed by DeMoss to T. T. Marsh & Company and by it indorsed to said bank. Two of said notes had been indorsed by R. A. Jones, and four by J. F. Joplin. When the notes sued upon became due, they were paid by T. T. Marsh & Company, without request or demand on J. F. Joplin and R. A. Jones to pay any part thereof, and either returned to it or placed in an envelope and left in the bank. In fact, no demand was made by T. T. Marsh & Company on Jones and Joplin for payment at any time, nor was any demand made by Ludie Marsh on them for payment of the notes until the institution of this suit, on or about May 29, 1918. Subsequent to the maturity of the notes and payment of them by T. T. Marsh & Cornu any, Ludie Marsh paid the existing indebtedness against T. T. Marsh & Company and took over its assets — among them, the notes sued upon. Appellant then borrowed $3,000 from the bank upon these notes and other collateral. R. A. Jones and J. F. Joplin testified that they were accommodation indorsers for T. T. Marsh & Company; that they indorsed the notes at the instance and request and for the benefit of T. T. Marsh & Company, and not at the instance and request of P. C. DeMoss and for his benefit. T. T. Marsh and P. C. DeMoss testified that J. P. Joplin and R. A. Jones indorsed the notes at the instance and request and for the benefit of P. C. DeMoss.

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Marsh v. Arkansas National Bank, 227 S.W. 30, 147 Ark. 53, 1921 Ark. LEXIS 131 (Ark. 1921).

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