Noah v. German-American Building Ass'n

68 N.E. 615, 31 Ind. App. 504, 1903 Ind. App. LEXIS 163
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 27, 1903
DocketNo. 4,738
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 68 N.E. 615 (Noah v. German-American Building Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noah v. German-American Building Ass'n, 68 N.E. 615, 31 Ind. App. 504, 1903 Ind. App. LEXIS 163 (Ind. Ct. App. 1903).

Opinion

Henley, J.

This action was to foreclose a mortgage given by George W. Noah, then unmarried, to the German-American Building Association of Indiana. The mortgage was upon a lot in the town of Jonesboro, which lot the said Noah afterward, and before the commencement of this action, conveyed to the appellant Emma Stradley.

A full and complete statement of appellee’s cause of action is, we think, necessary for the proper discussion of the question presented by this appeal. Appellee’s complaint, omitting the caption, the mortgage, and prayer for relief, was as follows: “The plaintiff, the German-American Building Association of Indiana, complains of the defendant, and says: that on the 26th day of May, 1892, George W. Noah, being a member of the plaintiff association, procured an advancement to him as a loan in the sum of $400 upon four shares of the capital stock of plaintiff, with agreement on his part that he would pay monthly [506]*506dues on such shares at the rate of eighty cents per month on each share, together with a premium of six per cent, per annum, and interest on said loan at the rate of six per cent, per annum, all payable on or before the 25th day of each month, until such shares should mature; also to pay all fines and assessments on such shares, all of such payments to be made without relief from valuation and appraisement laws, and with ton per cent, attorney’s fees; that said agreement was in writing, and a copy thereof is attached hereto, filed herewith, made a part hereof, and for certainty is 'marked exhibit A. And the plaintiff further says that on the 26th day of May, 1892, to secure the payment of the moneys provided for in said agreement, that said Noah, as an unmarried man, executed a mortgage to this plaintiff upon the following described real estate situated in the county of Grant, in the State of Indiana, to wit, lot number sixteen in Love’s addition to the town of Jonesboro; that said mortgage was recorded on the 31st day of May, 1892, in mortgage record No. 11, at pages 203 and 204, in the recorder’s office of said county; a copy of said mortgage, together with the indorsements of the recorder thereon, being filed herewith, attached hereto, hereof made a part, and for certainty is marked exhibit B; that by the provisions of said bond said obligor therein named is to pay the moneys provided by such bond until such shares shall mature according to the by-laws of plaintiff; that all the by-laws of plaintiff relating to such subject are sections twenty-four, twenty-five and thirty, as follows: ‘Section 24 — Instalment stock shall be paid for in monthly instalments of eighty cents, not exceeding ninety-six of which shall be required, all instalments being due and payable on or before the 25th day of each month, beginning with the month in which the certificate is dated. Any member may transfer, at any time, from either plan to the other, and shall receive credit on the new certificates for the amount of the full with[507]*507drawal value of the old, at the time of the transfer. Section 25 — Every stockholder shall receive a certificate of stock signed hy the president and secretary. Shares shall mature as soon as the monthly assessment of dues, with the earnings thereon, shall amount to $100.’ That said obligor is to pay all the fees and assessments on such shares as provided for in said by-laws, and that all of the provisions relating thereto in' such by-laws are as follows: ‘Section 30 — If monthly payments of dues, or of interest and premium, are not made when due, a fine of ten cents per share shall be imposed for each month such payments may be in arrears.’

“Plaintiff further says that since the execution of said mortgage the said defendant George W. Noah conveyed said real estate to his codefendant, Emma Stradley, who is now the owner in fee simple thereof; that said defendants and each of them have failed to pay the instalments provided for in said bond and mortgage, so that there were on January 28, 1899, twelve months’ delinquent interest and premium due on said mortgage indebtedness, and twelve months’ fines were then due thereon, and that the same have continued delinquent to this time, together with all the months since elapsed, and that there is duo plaintiff, on account of such indebtedness, the sum of $166.47, to which should be added accruing premium, interest, and fines, that have accrued and shall accrue since January 28, 1899, up to the. time of any decree entered herein, and, also, premium paid by plaintiff for insurance on improvements to protect its lien, which premium defendants failed to pay, and to which should also be added ten per cent, attorney’s fees.” Exhibit A. “Know all men by these presents that George W. Noah, unmarried, of Eulton county, of the state of Illinois, is held and firmly bound unto the German-American Building Association of Indiana, in the sum of $400, which well and truly to be) paid he binds himself, his heirs, executors, and adminis[508]*508trators firmly by these presents. Sealed with his seal and dated this 26th day of May, 1892. The conditions of this obligation are such, whereas the above bounden obligor has subscribed for four shares of stock at $100 each in said association, for which shares of stock he received from said association the sum of $400 as a loan, which shares of stock are hereby transferred as collateral security for the payment of this bond, with agreement on his part that he will continue to pay monthly dues on said shares of stock at the rate of eighty cents per month on each share of stock, together with a premium of six per cent, per annum on each share of stock, and interest on said loan at the rate of six per cent, per annum, all payable on or before the 25th day of each month, until such shares shall mature as provided by the by-laws of said association; also, pay all fines and assessments on such shares as provided for in said by-laws. All payments of money hereunder shall be made at the offices of the association, in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Now, if the above bounden obligor shall well and truly keep- and perform said bond in every part, then the above bounden obligation to be void and of no effect; but if default be made in any part thereof, then the above bounden obligor to forfeit all the premiums, fines, assessments, and interest so paid into said association, and pay back said loan less all such dues credited thereon. All payments of money hereby secured shall be made without relief from valuation or appraisement laws, and with ten per cent, attorney’s fees. (Signed) George W. Noah.”

Appellant Emma Stradley answered in six paragraphs, as follows: (1) Payment; (2) set-off in the amount paid by appellant as a borrowing stockholder, which, with the added earnings, amounted to $642.80; (3) set-off in the amount of $642.80, being seventy-two consecutive monthly payments of $1.20 each, with the earnings thereof added —the earnings being alleged to be $124.40; (4) that the [509]*509stock certificate provides for only seventy-two monthly pay-= ments, and that such payments were made before the commencement of this action; (5)' that appellee’s agent, by printed circular used and oral representations made in negotiating the loan, represented that the seventy-two payments would mature the stock and pay the debt, and that appellee was thereby estopped; (6) that the value of the appellant’s stock exceeds and more than pays the debt and interest; and that appellee had exceeded the powers and rights given it by the statute under which it was organized.

The trial, court sustained appellee’s demurrer to the second, third, and sixth paragraphs of answer.

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Bluebook (online)
68 N.E. 615, 31 Ind. App. 504, 1903 Ind. App. LEXIS 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noah-v-german-american-building-assn-indctapp-1903.