Oklahoma State Bank of Davis v. First Nat. Bank of Muskogee

1930 OK 56, 285 P. 117, 142 Okla. 50, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 62
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 28, 1930
Docket18856
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1930 OK 56 (Oklahoma State Bank of Davis v. First Nat. Bank of Muskogee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oklahoma State Bank of Davis v. First Nat. Bank of Muskogee, 1930 OK 56, 285 P. 117, 142 Okla. 50, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 62 (Okla. 1930).

Opinion

JEFFREY, O.

The Oklahoma State Bank of Davis, as plaintiff, began this action in the district court of Muskogee county, Okla., against the First National Bank of Muskogee and the First State Bank of Vanoss, as defendants, for an accounting of certain funds alleged to have been received by the defendant from the sale of certain mortgaged chattels. Plaintiff alleged that on April 26, 1921, one James Hastings executed and delivered to M. R. Chileutt three promissory notes, one for- $3,000, one for 2,000 and one for $2,416.65; and that said notes were secured by a chattel mortgage on 172 steers located in Union county, N. M. The first note above described was by Chileutt indorsed and sold to plaintiff, the second was sold to the defendant First State Bank of Vanoss, and the third to defendant the First National Bank of Muskogee; but that the mortgage securing said notes, while duly filed for record in Union county, N. M., was not assigned to the assignees of the notes qr any of them. It is then alleged that the said Hastings thereafter sold the steers, covered by the mortgage, to three 'separate purchasers and took promissory notes, secured by chattel mortgages, direct to M. R. Chileutt, who, in turn, indorsed and delivered them to the defendants as security for other obligations. The petition further alleges that thereafter, the parties who purchased the steers from Hastings paid their notes to M. R. Chileutt, and that he, in turn, de *51 livered such payments to the two defendant banks in satisfaction of the Hastings notes, or the notes which had been given in the place of the Hastings notes; but that no part of the proceeds from the sale of the steers was ever paid to plaintiff. Plaintiff alleges that it is entitled to its pro rata part of the proceeds received by the defendants from the sale of the steers, and prayed that defendants be retjuired to account for the moneys so received, and for a judgment for its pro rata part of such proceeds so received. The defendants denied plaintiff’s allegations. Upon the trial, a jury was impaneled to make findings on issues of fact, but the court sustained defendants’ demurrers to plaintiffs evidence, and rendered judgment for the defendants. Plaintiff has appealed, and the defendant First State Bank of Vanoss has filed a cross-petition in error1 challenging the correctness of certain orders made on the pleadings and process prior to the trial.

The defendants have incorporated in their separate briefs motions to dismiss plaintiff’s appeal for failure to comply with Rule No. 2G of this court in the preparation of its brief. Prom an examination of the brief, we are of the opinion that the same substantially, although not strictly, complies with said rule, and the motion to dismiss is overruled.

As we understand plaintiff’s contention, it is that both plaintiff and defendants had an interest in the common chattel mortgage given to secure all of the notes held l>y them; that they were each entitled to a pro rata part of the security, or the proceeds from the sale thereof; and that when the two defendants received the proceeds from the sale of tlie steers, they held the same as trustees for all of the 'holders of the notes, secured by the common chattel mortgage, and are required to account for plaintiff’s proportionate part thereof. A part of the foregoing proposition appears to be sound, but we cannot subscribe to the proposition as a whole, as applied to this ease.

Plaintiff’s evidence is to the effect that M. R. Ohileutt sold 172 steers to James Hastings, and received therefor the three promissory notes, secured by a chattel mortgage on the steers. The notes were then assigned, one to each of the parties to this action. Thereafter, Hasting, apparently without the knowledge or consent of any of the holders of the notes, sold a part of the steers to J. R. Williams, a part to O. D. Wiggins, and the balance to one Garrison. The sale price for all of them, less a few which had died, was less than the amount of plaintiff’s and defendants’ notes. The new purchasers each executed a note, payab.e to M. R. Ohileutt, for the amount of the purchase price, and gave a mortgage on the steers to secure the payment of the notes. These transactions were all had with Hastings and Chilcutt’s brother in New Mexico. The new notes and mortgages were fowarded to M. R. Chilcutt, and he indorsed them over to the two defendant banks. The evidence further shows that M. R. Chilcutt was indebted to the First National Bank of Muskogee in the approximate sum of $35,000; that Williams and Wiggins paid their notes to M. R. Chilcutt, and Garrison paid a part of the purchase price of about 100 head of steers, which included a few head of the Hastings’ steers. M. R. Ohileutt turned over to the two defendant banks all the money received from these parties to be credited upon his indebtedness. The proof further discloses that M. R. Chil-cutt, at some time after plaintiff and defendants received the notes in question, borrowed of the Muskogee bank about $6,200 on other cattle owned by him, and applied this on notes which he had received from purchasers of cattle in New Mexico- and indorsed to said bank. The evidence is in a hopeless state of confusion, and we are unable to determine whether the proceeds received by M. R. Chilcutt from the second sale of the steers was applied on the Hastings notes, or notes given in renewal thereof, or upon other indebtedness owing by M. R. Chilcutt to the banks. The notes and renewal notes held by the defendants were paid in some manner, and all of the proceeds from the second sale of the steers were turned over to the defendant banks, but does not appear to be in excess of the two notes held by them. The evidence indicates, although not entirely satisfactory, that at least a part of the proceeds from the second sale of the steers was applied in payment of the Hastings note, held by the First State Bank of Vanoss, or in payment of a note which had been given in the place of the Hastings note. It also appears that a few head of the Hastings cattle were shipped to the Kansas City market by some one purporting to represent the First National Bank of Muskogee, and probably the proceeds from those steers received by said bank.

It will readily bo seen that, in order to sustain plaintiff’s contention, we must hold, in effect, that his mortgage lien attached to the proceeds from the sale of the mortgaged chattels, and the law is well settled that the mortgage.lien does not follow the proceeds in such a ease. Jones on Chattel Mortgages *52 (5th. Ed.) section 464; Burnett v. Gustafson, 54. Iowa, 86, 37 Am. Rep. 190; Estes v. McKinney et al. (Tex. Civ. App.) 43 S. W. 556; Maier v. Freeman, 112 Cal. 8, 44 Pac. 357. It appears from a number of authorities . examined that if the holder of one c r more of a series of notes, secured by a common chattel mortgage, obtains 'possession of the security, he must hold it in trust for all other holders of the series. And if such a holder sells the security, he is accountable to the holders of the other notes so secured for their pro rata part of the proceeds of the sale. But these aie not the facts in the case at bar. There :.s no proof that either of the defendants had anything to do with the sale of the mortgaged steers, or knew from what source the proceeds were derived when received ly them, unless it be in the case of about ten head of steers, which were shipped to Kansas City, and which will be dealt with hereinafter.

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Bluebook (online)
1930 OK 56, 285 P. 117, 142 Okla. 50, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oklahoma-state-bank-of-davis-v-first-nat-bank-of-muskogee-okla-1930.