Moister v. Citizens Trust Bank (In re Truitt)

11 B.R. 15, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 532, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3988
CourtDistrict Court, D. Georgia
DecidedApril 3, 1981
DocketBankruptcy No. 80-00359A; Adv. No. 80-0393A
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 11 B.R. 15 (Moister v. Citizens Trust Bank (In re Truitt)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moister v. Citizens Trust Bank (In re Truitt), 11 B.R. 15, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 532, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3988 (gad 1981).

Opinion

HUGH ROBINSON, Bankruptcy Judge.

ORDER

The instant adversary proceeding was commenced by the filing of a “Complaint to Determine the Validity, Priority and Extent of Lien” filed by the trustee in bankruptcy on May 2, 1980. This matter came on regularly to be heard before this Court on September 4, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia. Having considered the documentary and [17]*17testimonial evidence adduced at trial, the arguments and briefs of the parties and the pleadings on file, the Court makes the following decision.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. William Joseph Truitt, (“Truitt”), was formerly the owner of the Passport Restaurant and Lounge, (“Passport”).

2. Truitt and the Passport shared a bank account in the Citizens Trust Bank, (“Defendant”).

3. From 1969 to 1971 Truitt obtained several loans from Defendant. Truitt’s present loan indebtedness to Defendant is $22,638.75.

4. On February 13, 1970 Defendant loaned Truitt the sum of $10,620.00. This loan is evidenced by promissory note # 16,-375.

5. A deed to secure debt was executed by Truitt on February 12, 1970 to secure note # 16,375 as well as all other past and future indebtedness owed by Truitt to Defendant.

6. The debt represented by note # 16,-375 has been paid.

7. On several occasions Truitt wrote overdrafts on his account with Defendant. These overdrafts were paid by Defendant, and Truitt’s account was subsequently debited for the amounts so paid. The following overdrafts were paid by Defendant:

(a) Check from Truitt to Passport dated August 12, 1969 for the amount of $2,500.00.
(b) Check from Passport to Atlanta Grocery Company dated August 19, 1969 for the sum of $598.29.
(c) Check from Passport to Glover/Phillips, Inc. dated September 8, 1969 for the sum of $1,225.22.
(d) Check from Passport to Iowa Beef Purveyors, Inc. dated August 20,1969 for the sum of $720.94.
(e) Check from Passport to Atlas Neon Sign Company dated August 29, 1969 for the sum of $1,330.43.
(f) Check from Passport to American Fruits dated September 3, 1969 for the sum of $382.77.
(g) Check from Passport to Citizens Trust Company dated August 22, 1969 for the sum of $1,635.00.
(h) Check from Passport to The Citizens & Southern National Bank dated September 2, 1969 for the sum of $2,067.10.

The amounts of these overdrafts total $10,-459.75.

8. Truitt filed a petition under Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code on February 5, 1980.

9. On May 2,1980 Roger W. Moister, Jr., (“Plaintiff”), the trustee in bankruptcy, filed a complaint to determine the validity, priority and extent of Defendant’s lien. This matter was heard before the Court on September 4, 1980.

APPLICABLE LAW VALIDITY OF LIEN

It is argued by Plaintiff that the security deed held by Defendant is unenforceable for the reason that the note evidencing the underlying obligation was not produced by Defendant at the hearing. Plaintiff relies heavily on the case of Weems v. Coker, 70 Ga. 746 (1883). In that case the Georgia Supreme Court held that a creditor could not foreclose a mortgage which secured a note unless the note was produced or its absence accounted for. Plaintiff would have the Court interpret this case to hold that unless the actual note evidencing an obligation is produced, a creditor may not foreclose on collateral securing that note. However the holding of Weems is not so stern. It was said by the court:

“When attention was called to the fact that the note had not been introduced, and the motion [for nonsuit] in question was made, if the note had been present, or if it had been in the custody, or under the control of the plaintiff, and absent for any cause, or if it had been lost or destroyed, an announcement of either of these facts would have satisfied the defendant’s objection and have let in other [18]*18proof of its existence, or have furnished ground for such a disposition of the case as would have protected the rights of the parties.”

70 Ga. at 748.

Under the ruling of Weems the existence and terms of a lost note may be proved. Generally where a party bases a right upon an instrument which has been lost or destroyed, he may prove the contents of the instrument by secondary evidence. Borenstein v. Blumenfeld, 151 Ga.App. 420, 260 S.E.2d 377 (1979); Trice v. Adams, 33 Ga.App. 257, 125 S.E. 878 (1924); Horne & Ponder v. O.B. & E.J. Evans, 31 Ga.App. 370, 120 S.E. 787 (1923); Continental Fertilizer Company v. Pass, 7 Ga.App. 721, 67 S.E. 1052 (1910).

Mr. Edward A. Wood, Vice President of Defendant, testified that after a diligent search he was unable to locate note # 16,375 which evidences the loan transaction alleged to be consideration for the security deed. Since the note has been paid it is quite possible that the instrument was returned to Truitt. Regardless of what actually happened to the note, the Court determines that Defendant’s failure to produce it at the hearing has been satisfactorily explained by Mr. Wood’s testimony. Under these circumstances secondary evidence is permissible to prove the existence and terms of note # 16,375.

In accordance with the foregoing the Court concludes that the deed to secure debt held by Defendant is not unenforceable due to Defendant’s failure to produce the note representing the underlying obligation.

Plaintiff contends that the subject deed to secure debt is invalid for the reason that it was executed for no present consideration.

Ga.Code Ann. § 29-101 provides:

“A deed to lands must be in writing, signed by the maker, attested by at least two witnesses, and delivered to the purchaser, or someone for him, and be made on a valuable or good consideration. The consideration of a deed may always be inquired into when the principles of justice require it.”

Therefore, to be valid, a deed must be made on valuable or good consideration.

Plaintiff points out that the security deed recites as consideration the sum of $1,000.00. On the second page of the security deed, where as space has been provided for the recording of the amount of the debt secured, no amount has been filled in. There is no evidence in the record that a loan in the amount of $1,000.00 was ever made by Defendant to Truitt. For this reason Plaintiff argues that no present consideration was given to Truitt in exchange for the execution of the security deed.

It is not necessary for a deed to secure debt to specify the amount of the debt secured. Troup Company v. Speer, 23 Ga.App. 750, 99 S.E. 541 (1919); In re American Ventures, Inc., 340 F.Supp. 279 (N.D.Ga.1971) affirmed 457 F.2d 974 (5th Cir. 1972). Therefore the possibility that the stated consideration inaccurately reflects the amount of consideration actually given by Defendant has no bearing on the validity of the security deed.

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11 B.R. 15, 5 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d 532, 1981 Bankr. LEXIS 3988, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moister-v-citizens-trust-bank-in-re-truitt-gad-1981.