Orchard v. National Exchange Bank

98 S.W. 824, 121 Mo. App. 338, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 478
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 22, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 98 S.W. 824 (Orchard v. National Exchange Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Orchard v. National Exchange Bank, 98 S.W. 824, 121 Mo. App. 338, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 478 (Mo. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinion

NORTONI, J.

The record before us shows the following regular and irregular proceedings to have been liad in the circuit court of Oregon county. First, we find a judgment in regular form for the recovery of money entered by said court at its February term, 1905, in favor of James Orchard, defendant in error, as plaintiff there and against the National Exchange Bank, plaintiff in error here, as defendant there, for $364, together with interest and for costs, “and that the plaintiff have execution for said judgment and costs.” It is from this judgment that the bank has sued out and now prosecutes this writ of error.

[341]*341As we further examine into the record, we ascertain that there was no such case in the court. There was no pleadings filed by the plaintiff; there was no service of process had upon the defendant bank; there was no voluntary appearance there of such bank by filing an answer or otherwise; nor had the parties appeared by agreement; nor was there a motion for new trial.or in arrest filed by the bank, seeking a review of such judgment, for the very good reason, it is said in the briefs, that the bank had no knowledge that such proceeding was pending, etc. From these facts, the case appears novel indeed. Without some further explanation, it would appear almost, if not quite, startling to the profession to know that a court should proceed to enter up judgment against a party in a case stated, when in fact the entire record disclosed that there was no such case in the court. It is manifest that this state of the record results from error and the following history of the final proceedings which resulted in the judgment mentioned, and antecedent proceedings in another and distinct case, will be recited in order that an accurate understanding may be had with respect to the whole matter.

It appears that there was pending in the circuit court of Oregon county, the case of State ex rel. E. 0. Crow, Attorney-General, Relator, v. Oregon County Bank, in which case one J. Posey Woodside had, at a prior term of court, been appointed receiver of the said Oregon County Bank; when and for what reason the receiver Avas appointed in the first instance does not appear, nor is any of the record, of that case before us prior to Avhat is termed the “surrendering settlement” of the receiver. The record does disclose, hOAvever, that there was pending in the court the case as stated, of the Attorney-General v. Oregon County Bank and that J. Posey Woodside was acting receiver therein; that at the August term, 1902, of said court, the receiver filed [342]*342what is termed a “surrendering settlement” of - such receivership. Among other things, this report shows that the present plaintiff in error, the National Exchange Bank of Springfield, Missouri, had under some sort of an order of the court or judge at chambers on a previous date, become interested in the defunct bank and the receivership resulting therefrom, and had in some manner, legitimate of course, probably under an order of the court, received from the receiver several thousand dollars of the assets of the defunct Oregon County Bank. Appended to this “surrendering report” of the receiver, is a statement of the expenses of the receivership, such as amounts expended for attorney’s fees, court costs, clerical work, etc., and also an item for compensation for the receiver by way of commissions for his services. To this report and statement of expenses, the plaintiff in error here, National Exchange Bank, voluntarily appeared and filed its objections and exceptions, challenging several matters therein, which, aside from the fact of the voluntary appearance of the bank, is immaterial on this record. It then appears that later, during the same term of court in the same case of the Attorney-General versus the bank, the receiver’s report was taken up and considered by the court, by the court approved, and the expense account to which the National Exchange Bank had objected was allowed to the receiver in full, as prayed by him. No order appears overruling the objections filed by the National Exchange Bank, the only order being that of the court approving the receiver’s report allowing him the expenses’ of administration as set forth in his account and commissions prayed for by him. In the same order, the court finds that there is insufficient moneys in the hands of the receiver to compensate him for the expenses of administration and Ms commissions allowed, and in substance, that the estate is indebted to him therefor in the balance of $364, and it therefore ordered [343]*343that the present plaintiff in error, “National Exchange Bank return to the receiver available assets delivered to them by the receiver in the sum of $364 to cover the balance due him and that thereupon the receiver be discharged.” All of this occurred at the August term, 1902, in the case of the Attorney-General v. the bank. Nothing further appears on the record until the February term, 1904, and in fact, the case of the Attorney-General v. the bank seems to have entirely disappeared at this juncture, for it no longer appears on the record and such proceedings as follow on the same subject, i. e., the alloAvance of the $364 to the receiver, appear, first, under the title of J. Posey Woodside, Receiver, v. the National Exchange Bank; and second, under the title of James Orchard v. the National Exchange Bank, and it is upon this record that the judgment was entered, a review of which is sought by this writ of error.

As stated, nothing seems to have transpired in the matter from the August term, 1902, to the February term, 1904, Avhen, phoenix-like, a neAV case arose, from Avhence none can tell, for there is neither pleading by plaintiff or defendant, process, nor service of process on, nor was there appearance by the National Exchange Bank. That Avhich appears to be a neAV case on' the record, at the February term, 1904, is entitled J. Posev Woodside, Receiver, v. the National Exchange Bank, and the order of the court under this title made at that term recites in substance that at the August term of the court mentioned, an order was made by the court upon the National Exchange Bank, ordering it to turn over to J. Posey Woodside, receiver, etc., assets of the Oregon County Bank amounting to $364 as expenses, attorney’s fees, commissions for his services, etc., as receiver of the Oregon County Bank, and it having been made to appear to the court that such $364, nor any part thereof has ever been paid, it was therefore ordered that the National Exchange Bank be and appear at the [344]*344next regular term of such, court in July following and show cause, etc., why it had not complied with such order. A copy of this order was served upon the hank by the sheriff in due time and at the July term, the National Exchange Bank appeared and filed a return to the order, denying that there was any such case as J. Posey Woodside v. National Exchange Bank in the court, and denying the jurisdiction of the court, etc. There was nothing contained in such return pertaining to the merits of the controversy, if it had any merits.

The next record entry appearing is of the February term, 1905, and of date March 1st, to the effect that James Orchard then made it appear to the satisfaction of the court that he had succeeded to the lights of J. Posey Woodside in the claim for $364 by assignment from Woodside of the claim for $364 and that on his motion, said James Orchard was substituted for J. Posey Woodside, “and that he be permitted to prosecute said cause in his own name and stead, the same as the said J.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 S.W. 824, 121 Mo. App. 338, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/orchard-v-national-exchange-bank-moctapp-1906.