O'Brien v. McNeil

85 N.E. 402, 199 Mass. 164, 1908 Mass. LEXIS 804
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedMay 22, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 85 N.E. 402 (O'Brien v. McNeil) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
O'Brien v. McNeil, 85 N.E. 402, 199 Mass. 164, 1908 Mass. LEXIS 804 (Mass. 1908).

Opinion

Hammond, J.

This is a bill for an accounting, and it is before us upon the plaintiff’s appeal from a decree of the Superior Court. The only questions argued before us arise upon the exceptions to the master’s report.

Although there are two defendants, McNeil is the only real defendant in interest, and we shall use the word “ defendant ” to describe him alone.

The first exception raises the question whether the defendant is to be charged with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum upon the $6,000 which was received by him on a mortgage placed by Campbell, acting as his agent, on the St. Botolph Street estate. As to this the master reports as follows: “ Upon the mortgage of $6,000 above mentioned, McNeil has paid interest at the rate of four per cent to October 1, 1906, and at the rate of four and one half per cent since that date; and he is entitled to charge the sums so paid against the plaintiff. The latter contends that he is entitled to receive from McNeil interest on the principal sum at the rate of six per cent. But I have treated this mortgage as a transaction standing by itself, and instead of putting it into the account on the same basis as the other amounts credited as partial payments and allowing interest accordingly, I have treated it as a credit to be deducted at the end of the account, and, in view of the circumstances, I rule that the plaintiff is not entitled to receive any greater interest than that paid by McNeil, and I allow one to offset the other.”

Even if the transaction be treated as a separate matter, we think that the plaintiff is entitled to interest at the rate of six per cent upon this sum. One Wheeler held a first mortgage of $6,500 on the estate; and there was thereon also a second mort[169]*169gage for $2,600, signed by one Burton and belonging to the plaintiff but held by Gately as a part of the collateral security for the indebtedness due him from the plaintiff. The plaintiff was the owner of the estate subject to these two mortgages. At the time when the plaintiff applied to the defendant for assistance in the Gately matter, Wheeler was threatening to foreclose the first mortgage, and McNeil, being apprised of this fact, advised the plaintiff to allow the1 sales to go on, and he promised the plaintiff he .would attend it. The defendant attended the sale with the plaintiff and bid in the property for $8,000, on December 31, 1901, paying $600 at the time of the sale and the balance of $7,400 later. The conveyance was made to Campbell [who took for the defendant] who, on February 5,1902, at McNeil’s direction, and with the plaintiff’s consent, placed a new mortgage of $6,000 on the property.” The defendant received this $6,000 to his own use.

It thus appears that the defendant advanced to the plaintiff $8,000, and shortly afterwards received $6,000, the proceeds of the Campbell mortgage. The master has charged the plaintiff interest at the rate of six per cent upon the $8,000 advanced by the defendant, but has not credited him with any interest upon the $6,000 received by the defendant. It is manifest that, if the plaintiff is to be charged with interest upon the $8,000, he should be credited with interest at the same rate upon the $6,000. But it is to be noted that the interest already paid by the defendant at the rate of four per cent and four and one half per cent has enured to the benefit of the plaintiff, inasmuch as it has been paid to reduce a charge upon the estate on St. Botolph Street, the only property now held by the defendant and which the plaintiff desires to redeem. There must therefore be deducted from the interest upon the $6,000, at the rate of six per cent, the amounts already paid by the defendant as interest, and only the difference is to be credited to the plaintiff. The first exception must be sustained.

The second exception raises the question whether the master has twice charged against the plaintiff the interest upon the note which Gately held against the plaintiff. This was a note dated August 6, 1901, for the sum of $10,989.38, signed by the plaintiff and payable to Thomas F. Reddy, three months after [170]*170date, with interest payable monthly from July 3, 1901, at the rate of eight per cent per annum, and it was indorsed to Gately, who held the same with certain securities as collateral as set forth in the report. Gately was threatening to foreclose some of the mortgages which he thus held as security. Thereupon the plaintiff, about January 1, 1902, applied for financial assistance to the defendant, who lent him the sum of $11,-528.62, by check dated January 16, 1902, and payable to Gately, and it was paid. The Reddy note held by Gately was indorsed without recourse by Gately to the defendant and delivered to him. At the same time the securities held as collateral were properly assigned by Gately to the defendant.

It is not stated how the sum of $11,528.62 due Gately and paid to him by the defendant for the plaintiff was made up. The face of the Reddy note was only $10,989.38, and, even if no interest at all

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Related

Davis v. Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
41 N.E.2d 188 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1942)
Kurland v. Massachusetts Amusement Corp.
29 N.E.2d 749 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1940)
McNeil v. O'Brien
91 N.E. 138 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1910)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 N.E. 402, 199 Mass. 164, 1908 Mass. LEXIS 804, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/obrien-v-mcneil-mass-1908.