National Surety Co. v. Williams

77 So. 212, 74 Fla. 446
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedDecember 8, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 77 So. 212 (National Surety Co. v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Surety Co. v. Williams, 77 So. 212, 74 Fla. 446 (Fla. 1917).

Opinion

West, J.

After stating the facts.

Numerous errors are assigned and árgued, and while we may not take them up seriatim, we shall consider the several questions presented by them.

It is first contended that the court below erred in [469]*469overruling the demurrer of the defendant company to the first-count-of the plaintiff’s declaration, and in support of this contention it is urged that - it is not distinctly averred -in this count that the plaintiff had suffered or sustained pecuniary loss under the terms of the bond sued on.

The declaration contains this ayerment: “the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, while in the employ of the said Sopchoppy State Bank, at its banking house, or office, in the said town of Sopchoppy in Wakulla County, Florida' and while the said bond, or writing obligatory, under seal, was in full force and effect, and none of the conditions precedent to recovery had been in any ' way violated, ignored, or evaded, was guilty of fraud and dishonesty, including larceny or embezzlément and misappropriation of funds, as is inore particularly' shown by the itemized statement of the loss of said Sopchoppy State Bank furnished as the proof of such loss to the said defendant, National Surety Company, under and in accordance with the terms of said bond, or writing obligatory, under seal, and within the time therein and thereby required (a copy of which proof of loss, and itemized statement of the loss of said Sopchoppy State Bank in the manner and by the means- so sustained as aforesaid, being hereto attached, marked exhibit ‘B’ and prayed to be taken as part hereof by reference). That the said property and funds so taken, embezzled or misappropriated. by the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, within the time hereinbefore stated, to-wit: Between the 1st day of April, 1912, at twelve-o’clock noon, and the 29th day of July, A. D. 1912; was the property of the said Sopchoppy State Bank by means whereof the said defendant, National Surety Company, became, was and [470]*470is liable to pay to the said Sopchoppy State Bank and is indebted to the said Sopchoppy State Bank for the full sum of its said bond, namely, $10,000.00, and the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, by reason of his wrongful acts in the premises set forth, became, was and is liable to pay the said Sopchoppy State Bank, and is indebted to the said Sopchoppy .State Bank for the full sum lost by the said bank by reason of his said wrongful acts.”

An exhibit may by apt words be made a part of a declaration ex contractu or ex delicto, and where both parties as well as the court below, have treated such an exhibit as, a part of the declaration which can be reached by demurrer, this court will follow the example of the parties and the trial court and likewise so regard it when the case comes here on writ of error. Woodbury v. Tampa Water Works Co., 57 Fla. 243, text 249, 49 South. Rep. 556; State v. Seaboard Air Line Ry., 56 Fla. 670, 47 South. Rep. 986.

It. is true that the count of the declaration under consideration may not standing alone, and without the aid of the exhibit expressly and clearly set out the specific acts of the defendant Wilder which amounted to and constituted “fraud and dishonesty, including larceny or embezzlement, forgery and misappropriation of funds” within the meaning of these terms as they are employed in the bond, but if the exhibit which is made a part of this count ,taken in conection with its allegations, show acts and transactions of Wilder which come fairly within the definition of either of these terms and by such acts or transactions it appears that the plaintiff suffered pecuniary loss, then the alleged omission is supplied and the count is rendered good.

[471]*471From the hill of particulars, which is made a part of this count, it appears, among other items, that during the time that Wilder was cashier of said hank he loaned to himself without authority, large amounts of the hank’s funds aggregating a sum equal to one-third of the hank’s capital stock; and it also appears from said hill of particulars that there was a shortage in the hills receivable, the bills receivable account showing one amount whereas an inventory of the bills receivable themselves showed a considerable less amount.

The declaration also contains the following averment: “That by reason of the fraud and dishonesty, including larceny ,or embezzlement, or the misappropriation of funds, as hereinbefore set forth, by the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, became indebted to the said Sopchoppy State Bank for such sum, or sums, and the said defendant, National Surety Company, became liable to the said Sopchoppy State Bank for such wrongful acts aforesaid of the said defendant, Alonzo D. Wilder, to the extent and in the amount of not exceeding $10,000.00, and the interest thereon from the date of such acts of fraud, dishonesty, including larceny, or embezzlement ,or misappropriation of funds, on the part of the said Wilder, but the said defendants have not, nor have either of them, paid the said sum, or any part therof to the said Sopchoppy State Bank ,or the plaintiff herein, though often requested so to do, but has neglected and refused, and still does neglect and refuse to pay the same to the great daamge of the plaintiff.”

The expression “as hereinbefore set forth” in the last quoted paragraph relates to the averment of fraud and dishonesty including larceny or embezzlement, or the [472]*472misappropriation - of -funds of - said. Wilder to which averment the bill- of particulars as attached and ..made a part, and we think Such- averments are prima- facie sufñdient to-show a:misappropriation-of .funds-and pecuniary loss to the bank under the terms of the bond. Field v. Howry, 132 Mich. 687, 94 N. W. Rep. 213.

In the case of Standard Phosphate Co. v. Lunn, 66 Fla. 220, 63 South Rep. 429, in considering the question of the sufficiency of a declaration, this court said: “a court may not be held in error for overruling a demurrer to - an ambiguous- pleading where such a pleading does not put the opposing party at a disadvantage and when under the allegations. or averments of the pleading. a cause of-action or a-defense may fairly be shown, by proper evidence. In such cases the administration of justice- may be facilitated by a trial on. the, facts, the party whose pleading is assailed being then advised of its asserted defects, so as- to- furnish the requisite proofs to fully sustain the action or defense, and the costs following the event of the litigation.”

While we do not wish'to be understood as approving this form of pleading, we are of the opinion that under the allegations of this count of the declaration a cánse of action was stated, and that no reversible error was committed by the Circuit Judge in overruling the demurrer. Standard Phosphate Co. v. Lunn, supra; Tampa & J. R. Co. v. Crawford, 67 Fla. 77, 64 South. Rep. 437.

It is also urged that the court below erred in Permitting the plaintiff to offer in evidence and in denying defendant’s motion to strike from the evidence the minutes of the meeting-of the promoters and organizer of tie Sopchoppy State Bank, held on February 1st, 1912, [473]*473at which meeting by laws for the conduct of the affairs ot.said bank were adopted, and appear as a part of the minutes of the meeting.

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Bluebook (online)
77 So. 212, 74 Fla. 446, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-surety-co-v-williams-fla-1917.