Maupin v. Mobridge State Bank

161 N.W. 332, 38 S.D. 331, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 21
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 16, 1917
DocketFile No. 4005
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 161 N.W. 332 (Maupin v. Mobridge State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Maupin v. Mobridge State Bank, 161 N.W. 332, 38 S.D. 331, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 21 (S.D. 1917).

Opinion

WHITING, J.

Action on time certificate of deposit alleged to' have been issued by defendant to plaintiffs intestate. Verdict w&s for plaintiff. From the judgment thereon and an order denying a new: trial, -defendant appeals..

: Respondent alleged the d’epos-it by his intestate, one William Ducheneaux, of $1,000 in 'appellant- bank, in July; 1911, and the issuance of -a certificate of ¡deposit therefor payable- to said William Ducheneaux or order; that the certificate .was. in the wrongful possession of appellant; that plaintiff as the -administrator of the estate of said William Ducheneaux was the lawful owner and-[335]*335entitled to the possession of such certificate; and that no' part of saidt $1,000 had been paid. Appellant entered a g-eneral denial.

It is the contention of respondent, and, in order to1 justify its' verdict, the jury must have found: That respondent’s' intestate did deposit such sum of money; that a certificate was issued payable to him; that, at the time of the 'deposit, a proper entry was made in appellant’s certificate of 'deposit register, which entry showed that the deposit was made by respondent’s intestate and certificate issued payable to him; that such entry was afterwards changed so as to show the certificate to have been issued payable to Jennie Duc'heneaux; that on July 7, 1913, this certificate, payable to William D'ucheneaux, was in appellant’s bank, marked paid, and with the name of Jennie Duoheneaux indorsed thereon; that appellant afterwards substituted another certificate in place of the above certificate, which substituted 'certificate was drawn payable to Jennie Duc'heneaux and, when brought into court, bore the indorsement of said Jennie D'ucheneaux.

It was the contention of appellant: That the deposit was made by respondent’s intestate for the benefit of his wife, Jennie Duoheneaux; that the record thereof in the bank books was properly made and never altered; that the certificate was drawn payable to' said wife; that it was such certificate that was in appellant bank on July 7, 1913; that the bank never issued a certificate for said deposit payable to respondent’s intestate; that the certificate it did issue was indorsed by the payee therein named, presented to the hank, and paid in full.

The evidence on behalf of respondent, upon his direct case tended to prove the following facts: Respondent and his attorney, one Burns, visited appellant bank on July 7, 1913, and, finding the cashier in charge, advised such cashier that respondent was the administrator of the .estate of William Duoheneaux, 'deceased; that they were looking for information regarding a certain certificate of deposit issued by the hank and delivered to deceased in July or August; and that a certificate had been issued to deceased shortly prior to his death. The cashier looked at his records, produced a certificate, and said it was the one “issued and delivered” to deceased1 shortly prior to his 'death. The number of the certificate was 2022. The attorney read the certificate and was able to substantially give its contents. A demand wa's made [336]*336to produce the said certificate at the trial. It was not produced, but a certificate, Exhibit A, was produced, and the president of the bank testified that no such certificate as claimed' by respondent was ever issued by the bank. Exhibit A was not the exhibit shown by the cashier. Later the attorney went to appellant bank and asked -to see the certificate again, advising' the president of the bank that the county judge wanted some disposition made of the matter. The president of the bank refused to show such certificate. The bank’s register of certificates 'disclosed upon its face .that tire name “Jennie Ducheneaux,” written thereon as the pa3*ee of certificate No. 2022, was written in different ink from the remainder of the record relating to such certificate. The bank bought its blank certificates in blocks; the certificates came numbered in- consecutive order; and certificates 2020-2023, as well as some others, came in one block. Exhibit A, produced by appellant and claimed by it to be the certificate .issued to deceased, disclosed upon its face that the figures “2“ in the number “2022” were different from the figures “’2” in Nos. “2020,” “2021-,” and “2023.”

[1] Appellant contends that the trial court erred in admitting evidence ¡of what the cashier said to respondent and his attorney in relation to the certificate. It contends that such statements of the cashier were- in the nature of admissions not binding upor appellant, because within the rule prohibiting hearsay evidence Appellant cites Plymouth County Bank v. Gilman, 3 S. D. 170, 52 N. W. 869, 44 Am. St. Rep. 782, and Eirst National Bank of Canton v. North, 6 Dak. 136, 41 N. W. 736, 50 N. W. 621. An examination of these authorities clearly discloses that they are not in point. In both, the officer of the bank made statements touching the nature of, or the motive that influenceed, the conduct of the ¡bank. If appellant’s cashier had made a statement that the bank had1 wrongfully paid this certificate to- Jennie Ducheneaux, such authorities would have been in point. The evidence was clearly admissible. The cashier was the executive officer of the bank in charge of its business. Moreover, appellant’s officers testified to the deposit ¡being- made by William Duoheneaux and to the issuance and delivery of the certificate to him. Even if evidence of the statement of the cashier to> respondent and his attorne)'- was improperly admitted. — which it was not — the error [337]*337would have 'been cured by the testimony of a-ppellanit’s officers. It is undisputed that the cashier did produce a certificate. The only 'dispute as to what took place there at the bank at that time is as to whether -the certificate shown was a certificate payable to William D'ucheneaux or was Exhibit A, which was payable to Jennie Ducheneaux.

[2] Secondary evidence of the contents of the alleged certificate was admitted over appellant’s objection -that • no proper foundation had 'been laid for its reception. It was properly admitted. Appellant had been notified to produce such certificate. It denied that such a certificate ever existed and produced one which its president testified was the one issued and delivered to William Ducheneaux. Certainly no better foundation for receipt of secondary evidence could have been laid.

[3] As a part of respondent’s direct case, Burns testified as to the contents of the certificate which he stated appellant’s cashier showed on- July 7, T913. He testified that he could give its contents “substantially,” and then purported to state such contents; a part being as follows: “Mr. William Ducheneaux has deposited in this bank one thousand dollars payable to the order of William Ducheneaux.” Appellant introduced testimony tending to show that it was the custom of the bank, when issuing a certificate of deposit payable to- the part)' who made the deposit; to write such certificate payable to “himself.” Burns, being recalled upon rebuttal, testified -that, when he was at the bank;, from the certificate itself he made a memorandum- of the contents of such- certificate, that the memorandum was a Correct statement of the things taken from the certificate, and that he had no independent recollection of the exact wording of' the certificate. He -then testified that “the certificate was' payable to the order of ‘■himself.’ ”■ Respondent then offered the memorandum in evidence. Such memorandum was in words and figures- as follows:

“No. 2022.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
161 N.W. 332, 38 S.D. 331, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 21, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maupin-v-mobridge-state-bank-sd-1917.