Molsons Bank v. Berman

195 N.W. 75, 224 Mich. 606, 35 A.L.R. 1289, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 970
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 1, 1923
DocketDocket No. 77
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 195 N.W. 75 (Molsons Bank v. Berman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Molsons Bank v. Berman, 195 N.W. 75, 224 Mich. 606, 35 A.L.R. 1289, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 970 (Mich. 1923).

Opinion

Steere, J.

Plaintiff brought this action in the Wayne county circuit court to recover from defendant the amount of the following promissory note:

“Due Sep. 13th, 1920.
“The Molsons Bank,
Windsor, Ontario.
“Prin. $1,600.00 “Int. $ 10.85
$1,610.85
[607]*607“Windsor, Qnt., 9th August, 1920. “One month after date I promise to pay to the Order
of Fisher-Wilkie, Limited...........at the Office of
The Molsons Bank here the sum of..........Sixteen
hundred......no/100 Dollars for value received with
interest at 7% per annum both before and after maturity until paid.
(L. B. D.) (Signed) “Frank Berman,
(1791 ) 579 Virginia,
“Detroit, Mich.
(Indorsed on Back)
“Fisher-Wilkie Limited.
“Roy R. Fisher,
Pres.”

This note is the fourth renewal of a note for $2,000 taken by plaintiff from the payee, Fisher-Wilkie, Limited, on April 8th, and falling due April 30, 1920. At each renewal defendant reduced the indebtedness $100. All the notes were of like form varying only in dates, and amounts as reduced by payments. The indebtedness these notes represented was for stock purchased by defendant in March from the Fisher-Wilkie, Limited, a company doing a foundry and machine shop business in Sandwich, Ontario. It was sold to him in Detroit by Roy R. Fisher, president of the company, without having secured from the Michigan securities commission authority to sell stock of his company in this State as required by the so-called “blue sky law.” At the close of the testimony both parties requested a directed verdict. The trial court directed a verdict in favor of plaintiff for the amount of the note and entered judgment thereon.

In essential features the circumstances of this controversy are kindred to those in The Molsons Bank v. Wolf, ante, 526. There, as here, the original note was given to the Fisher-Wilkie, Ltd., for its stock sold to the payor of the note in Detroit and discounted by it at plaintiff bank in Windsor, Canada, with the [608]*608payor’s knowledge, and renewed by him when due, the action being for recovery on a renewal note. In both cases the original note was amongst those listed' in the “Assignment of contracts, notes or bills to The Molsons Bank” quoted in that opinion. It also appears in this case that when the original note was given and discounted at plaintiff’s bank neither the payor nor payee nor plaintiff knew that the sale of the stock was in violation of the blue sky law. The manager of the bank testified that the note was taken in due course of banking business, in good faith with no circumstances to raise doubts as to its validity; the original note and renewals were dated in Windsor, he did not know defendant, had no knowledge that the note was made in Detroit, or of the Michigan blue sky law, but admits that he learned of it about the middle of July, 1920, which was before the date of the renewal note sued on, both in this and the Wolf Case. Defendant knew that his note would be discounted by the payee at plaintiff’s bank, but had no personal interview on the subject with any officer of the bank, as did Wolf.

In the Wolf Case a verdict was directed for defendant by the trial court. On review this court held that the bank was a bona fide holder in good faith and entitled under the cases cited to a verdict for the full amount of the note. In the application of those principles we find no distinguishing features in the facts of this case. Our uniform negotiable instruments act provides (2 Comp. Laws 1915, § 6097):

“To constitute notice of an infirmity in the instrument, or defect in the title of the person negotiating the same, the person to whom it is negotiated must have had actual knowledge of the infirmity or defect, or such knowledge of such facts that his action in taking the instrument amounted to bad faith.”

[609]*609Vide Hakes v. Thayer, 165 Mich. 476; Van Slyke v. Rooks, 181 Mich. 88.

It is to be noted, however, that in this case defendant’s counsel most strenuously urges and argues the proposition that this court is committed to the doctrine that renewal is payment, and the bank having taken the renewal note sued on with prior notice of its claimed infirmity by reason of the blue sky law cannot recover. In other words when defendant gave the renewal note plaintiff knew of the blue sky law which might, if known to it, have been a defense to the original note under which the credit wasi given and indebtedness. incurred.

In support of the doctrine that surrender of the original note and acceptance of a renewal note constitutes a payment of the former, defendant’s counsel especially cites Childs v. Pellett, 102 Mich. 558, and Citizens’ Commercial Bank v. Platt, 135 Mich. 267, where that doctrine appears to be quite plainly stated; but in the Pellett Case the court was dealing with a situation where the renewal was by other parties than those to the original note, and the vital question involved was whether a non-renewing maker or indorser was released by a renewal note bearing the signature of different parties. In the Platt Case, which cites the Pellett Case as authority for the statement that receipt and acceptance of each renewal note constitutes a payment of the former, the original note was payable to Houran & Whitehead, who discounted it at the bank, and renewal notes made payable at the bank were given, bearing the indorsement of the firm. Houran defended on the ground that Whitehead had no authority to sign the firm name to the renewals. Plaintiff recovered judgment on the renewal note, which was affirmed on appeal, this court holding Whitehead had such authority, on the assumption [610]*610“that when the first renewal note was given they were still liable on the first note.” If the statement that renewal was payment had any application in that connection it was to the effect that while renewal constituted a payment of the former note, in the sense that it had served its purpose as live evidence of the debt, it did not extinguish the debt and recovery could still be had on the renewal.

In Preston Nat. Bank v. Pierson, 112 Mich. 435, a note for $10,000 had been given. Thirty days after it became due $1,000 was paid and renewal notes given for the balance, which was followed by another payment of $1,000 and new renewal notes upon which judgment was obtained after they fell due, followed by a bill in aid of execution. Defendant contended that the $10,000 note was paid by giving new notes in renewal and complainant was remediless, citing and relying upon the Pellett Case. Of this contention the court said: .

“That case is not in point.

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Bluebook (online)
195 N.W. 75, 224 Mich. 606, 35 A.L.R. 1289, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 970, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/molsons-bank-v-berman-mich-1923.