McCall v. First National Bank

277 P. 562, 47 Idaho 519, 1929 Ida. LEXIS 159
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 23, 1929
DocketNo. 5117.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 277 P. 562 (McCall v. First National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCall v. First National Bank, 277 P. 562, 47 Idaho 519, 1929 Ida. LEXIS 159 (Idaho 1929).

Opinion

VARIAN, J.

Action against an attachment plaintiff and the sheriff in conversion for the sale of mortgaged property. Respondent bank commenced an action in the probate court on February 14, 1924, against Hugh Poling, his wife, Harley Poling, and Margaret R. Poling to recover $198.25, alleged balance due on a promissory note. Plaintiff had judgment against Hugh Poling and wife for the amount claimed, interest, $40’ attorney fees, and costs. On appeal to the district court the cause was tried anew to a jury, resulting in a verdict and judgment against said defendants for $198.25. On appeal to this court the judgment was in effect affirmed as to Hugh Poling, and reversed as to his wife. (First National Bank of Pocatello v. Poling, 42 Ida. 636, 248 Pac. 19.) A writ of attachment issued in the probate court February 14, 1924, which was levied on said day upon certain restaurant fixtures and appliances situate in the city of Pocatello, the sheriff placing the owner of the building in which they were situate in charge thereof as keeper.

After appeal to the district court, defendants Hugh Poling and wife moved to vacate the attachment upon several grounds to the effect that the attachment was irregularly and improperly issued. The district court decided against defendants’ contentions, and they appealed from his action in that regard. That appeal was dismissed by this court *522 because there had been no formal record made of the court’s order, either in the minutes of the clerk or by signed order filed with the clerk. (First National Bank of Pocatello v. Poling, supra.) After the coming down of the remittitur in said case, the trial court entered an order on March 23, 1927, denying said motion to vacate the attachment.

The present action, .commenced October 29, 1926, sets up a chattel mortgage securing the payment of a promissory note of even date therewith, executed on February 15, 1924, filed for record February 16, 1924, covering the identical restaurant fixtures and equipment levied upon by the sheriff in said attachment suit. After alleging the execution and filing of the chattel mortgage and its nonpayment, appellant alleges the amount due thereon, and that while so unpaid and unsatisfied the defendants, against the will and without permission of appellant, removed said property from the possession of the mortgagors and converted the same to their own use, to plaintiff’s damage, etc. The amended complaint then alleges the value of the property at the time of the alleged conversion, with interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum from February 15, 1924; that plaintiff does not know where the property is now located, and that the defendants do not have the same in their possession; that plaintiff’s security has been rendered valueless.

Answering, respondents admitted the formal allegations of the amended complaint and the record of the chattel mortgage, and denied all the other allegations, and by way of affirmative defense set up that the property mentioned in the chattel mortgage was subject to a pledge of the Citizens Bank of Pocatello for the sum of $235, and certain conditional sale contracts upon which there was a balance due of $150, and plead the lien of its attachment in the suit against Poling et al., and that all of said liens were superior to the lien of the said chattel mortgage. The answer then sets up all of the proceedings had in the attachment suit, including the order denying the motion to vacate the attachment, and judgment entered after the coming down of the *523 remittitur from this court. It is also alleged that respondent has paid off the lien of said Citizens Bank and the balance due on the conditional sale contracts; that the interest of Poling in the mortgage property was sold under execution and bought in by respondent for $25, the value of his interest therein.

The cause was tried to a jury. Plaintiff introduced his note and mortgage, showed there was no other security for the note. Hugh Poling testified for plaintiff that he executed the note and mortgage; that the property was sold by the sheriff; that it was sold without his consent; that he had been running a restaurant and owed the Citizens Bank for rent; that he had been closed up for some time before the sale; that he had a key and the bank had another, and that he turned over his key to the,, bank, whose officers thought they might have a chance to rent the room occupied as a restaurant. He was very indefinite in his recollection of matters that had transpired more than three years before, which is to be expected. Said he left the property in the building with the intention of opening up again in the spring. Respondents by stipulation introduced the record in the case of First National Bank of Pocatello v. Poling, and rested. Appellant moved for judgment on the pleadings, which was denied, and then moved for an instructed verdict for the sum prayed for in his complaint. Thereupon, respondents also moved for an instructed verdict. Appellant did not withdraw his motion, point out any fact for determination by the jury, or request any instruction, and the court directed the jury to find a verdict for the defendants, which was done.

The first contention is that the court erred in not granting appellant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings. The answer recites the entry of a judgment in the attachment case in accordance with the terms of the remittitur of this court, “which judgment was a judgment of dismissal as to the defendant Zetta Poling, and judgment was entered” on the same date against Hugh Poling. The remittitur in the Poling case stated:

*524 “The cause is remanded with directions to vacate the judgment, to dismiss the action as to the defendant Zetta Poling and to enter judgment against the defendant Hugh Poling; as so modified the judgment will be affirmed, with costs to respondent in the sum of $26.50.”

A careful reading of the opinion in the First National Bank of Pocatello v. Poling, supra, discloses that the judgment as to Hugh Poling was not in any manner modified or changed. The opinion holds the judgment against the wife, Zetta Poling, unwarranted because she was a married woman and her separate estate was not bound under the pleadings and evidence. The language quoted from the remittitur must be construed to mean that this court affirmed the judgment against Hugh Poling and did not intend to order it vacated. The judgment against Hugh Poling not having been vacated by this court, nor by the district court after the coming down of the remittitur, it follows that the court did not err in denying appellant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings.

Appellant contends that the ease should have been submitted to the jury under the rule announced in Oregon Short Line R. Co. v. Mountain States T. & T. Co., 41 Ida. 4, 237 Pac. 281. In that case the court quoted with approval from Thompson v. Simpson, 128 N. Y. 270, 28 N. E. 627, as follows:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Whelan
651 P.2d 916 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1982)
Monson v. Boyd
348 P.2d 93 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1959)
Terry v. Terry
213 P.2d 906 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1950)
Ford v. Connell
204 P.2d 1019 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1949)
Common School District No. 27 v. Twin Falls National Bank
299 P. 662 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1931)
Goranson v. Brady-Mcgowan Co.
281 P. 370 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1929)
Gibbs v. Christensen
277 P. 814 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1929)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
277 P. 562, 47 Idaho 519, 1929 Ida. LEXIS 159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccall-v-first-national-bank-idaho-1929.