Moss v. Bushmaier

43 S.W.2d 1090, 184 Ark. 890, 1931 Ark. LEXIS 306
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedDecember 7, 1931
StatusPublished

This text of 43 S.W.2d 1090 (Moss v. Bushmaier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moss v. Bushmaier, 43 S.W.2d 1090, 184 Ark. 890, 1931 Ark. LEXIS 306 (Ark. 1931).

Opinion

Smith, J.

Appellant recovered a judgment against W. A. Bushmaier, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, and levied upon certain bank stock and a bank deposit as the property of defendant. An intervention was filed by W. A. Bushmaier, Jr., hereinafter referred to as the intervener, who claimed to be the owner of the stock and also of the deposit. Testimony was heard upon the intervention, from which the court found that the intervener was the owner of the bank stock, but not of the deposit, and a decree was rendered accordingly, from which all parties have appealed.

In response to a writ of garnishment which appellant had sued out and caused to be issued, the Citizens’ Bank & Trust Company, of Van Burén, answered that defendant, W. A. Bushmaier, had on deposit in his name in said bank the sum of $507.83, and that he “also owned $500, par value, of the capital stock of this corporation, evidenced by its stock certificate now in the possession of said defendant.” In addition to the levy made upon the stock alleged to be owned by the defendant in the Citizens’ Bank, a levy was also made upon twenty shares of the capital stock of the First & Crawford County Bank, of Van Burén. The ownership of these shares of stock in the two banks and that of the deposit in the Citizens’ Bank is the subject-matter of this litigation.

The following facts were developed in the testimony heard by the court. Intervener is the son of the defendant, and has his father’s full name and is known as W. A. Bushmaier, Jr., and so signs his name. His father— defendant — appears to have been known as W. A. Bushmaier, and did not conduct his business as W. A. Bushmaier, Sr.

The bank deposit represents the proceeds of the sale of certain cotton grown on a farm owned by defendant, the title to which intervener claims. Intervener claims to have advanced the money used by defendant in growing the cotton. But we think the testimony sustains the finding of the chancellor, that the cotton and the proceeds thereof represented by the bank deposit belonged to the defendant, and the decree upon that branch of the case is therefore affirmed.

Intervener claimed to have owned the farm upon which the cotton was grown; but the testimony shows that he had no deed to it, and that defendant was in possession and grew the crop. Intervener appears to have paid • off a mortgage on this farm which his father had given, and to have taken an assignment thereof to himself, but the defendant operated the farm and made in his own name the original, deposit of which the balance herein garnished was a part, and this account was at all times subject to the check of defendant.

Intervener testified that he advanced the money, a thousand dollars, with which the stock in the Citizens’ Bank was purchased, and that he paid two for one for the stock. The stock certificate, however, was issued and delivered to defendant, although intervener testified, and so did the defendant, that, after the stock had been so issued to defendant, it was delivered to the intervener, and that it has since at all times been in intervener’s possession.

Intervener admitted that his father was the original owner of $500 of the capital stock of the Crawford County Bank, but claims to have purchased this stock from his father, and to have paid $1,500 for it. The testimony shows that the Crawford County Bank was consolidated with the First National Bank of Van Burén, and that, on account of the difference in value of the stocks of the consolidated banks, intervener was required to pay, and did pay $137 additional in order to retain $500 of the stock of the consolidated bank. Mr. Izard had been the president of the Crawford County Bank, and became the president of the consolidated bank, known as the First & Crawford County Bank. He testified that the certificate for the $500 of stock in the Crawford County Bank originally owned by defendant was surrendered to the consolidated bank by intervener, and that, in a conversation between defendant and intervener, it was stated that the stock in the new bank was to be issued to the intervener, and that the intervener paid the difference in value by a check upon his own account, and that the stock in the consolidated bank was issued to W. A. Bushmaier. This stock, upon its issuance, was delivered to intervener, and was receipted for by him, and has since at all times been in his possession.

Defendant testified that he subscribed for $500 of the capital stock of the Citizens’ Bank, for which he paid a thousand dollars, and that he had the transaction with Mr. Bryan, the president of that bank, but that he did not tell Mr. Bryan for whom he was purchasing- the stock, and that, while the stock was issued to W. A. Bushmaier, it was paid for by W. A. Bushmaier, Jr., but witness signed the receipt for the certificate, which certificate he gave to his son, who has since been continuously in possession of it.

When asked if he was insolvent, defendant answered: “I expect I would be bankrupt if you pushed me down to bed rock,” and he also stated that intervener liad acquired title to practically all the property he had owned. He also admitted that the checking account of which the deposit with the Citizens’ Bank was apart was kept in his name.

Mr. Izard, the president of the consolidated bank, testified that he had been president of the Crawford County Bank before the consolidation, and that upon the consolidation stockholders of the consolidated bank were allowed to pay the difference in value between the old and the new stock and retain the same amount of stock in the new bank; but, if this was not done, stockholders were issued their pro rata stock in the new bank and were given a participation certificate showing they had an interest in the assets of the old Crawford County Bank. This plan appears to have been adopted because of the impairment of value of the assets of the Crawford County Bank.

Mr. Bryan, the president of the Citizens’ Bank, testified that the account with his bank, of which the deposit garnished is the balance, was made originally by defendant and was carried in his name, and was subject to his check except for the garnishment, and that he sold the stock in his bank to defendant, W. A. Bushmaier, and issued it to him, and that defendant receipted for the stock, and that the subsequent dividends thereon had been paid to defendant. On his cross-examination, Mr. Bryan testified that his impression was that the stock was paid for with a check signed by W. A. Bnshmaier, Jr., sheriff and collector, but all the transaction was with defendant, and that the stock was issued to him.

We are of the opinion, under this testimony, that defendant was the owner of the deposit in the Citizens’ Bank, as found by the court, and was also the owner of the $500 stock in that bank outstanding in his name.

Defendant admits his insolvency, and, while he and his son both testified that intervener paid the value of the stock by assuming and paying certain of defendant’s obligations, the stock in the Citizens’ Bank has been permitted to remain in the name of defendant. Had that bank become insolvent, it is not likely that any stockholder’s liability would have been asserted against intervener, and it is reasonably certain that no such liability could have been enforced.

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Bluebook (online)
43 S.W.2d 1090, 184 Ark. 890, 1931 Ark. LEXIS 306, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moss-v-bushmaier-ark-1931.