Paige v. Springfield National Bank

12 Ohio App. 196, 30 Ohio C.A. 53, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 266
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 19, 1919
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 12 Ohio App. 196 (Paige v. Springfield National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Paige v. Springfield National Bank, 12 Ohio App. 196, 30 Ohio C.A. 53, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 266 (Ohio Ct. App. 1919).

Opinions

Richards, J.

(of the Sixth Appellate District, sitting by designation in place of Kunkle, J.). On August 31, 1916, one G. A. Collier drew a check [198]*198on The Springfield National Bank in favor of William Paige for $1,037.34. Mr. Collier at that time had a deposit 'account with the bank, but not of sufficient amount to pay this check, and he requested Paige to hold the check a few days. William Paige, the payee of the check, also carried an account in the same bank. The check was presented by Paige to the bank on September 2d, and the testimony is in conflict as to what occurred between him and the cashier at that time. The cashier testified that he informed Mr. Paige that money was not then on deposit in the account of Collier sufficient to meet the check, but that the cashier would hold the check, credit Paige with the amount and enter it in his pass book, subject to a deposit which the cashier presumed Collier would make. He testifies that he informed Paige that the check was not then good, but probably would be a little later, and that Paige said, “All right.” The cashier testified further to the effect that some days after that Mr. Paige again came to the bank and stated that he was going to want to use some of that Collier money, and was then informed that the check had not yet been paid, but that he could go ahead and divide it up, if he wanted to, and the cashier would take the chance of it being made good that afternoon, as he expected a deposit from Collier. Paige did, thereafter, check out a portion of the amount represented by the check. The testimony of Mr. Paige is to the effect that he presented the check at the bank for payment, and that it was credited on his pass book, and that he had no conversation with regard to there being insufficient funds to pay the same or with reference to [199]*199•having the check left for collection. The amount of the check was, in fact, credited on the pass book of Paige, but the cashier insists that this was done conditionally, while Paige contends that such credit was absolute payment of the check.

Collier, the drawer of the check, became bankrupt shortly thereafter, and this action was brought for the purpose of recovering of Paige the amount of the check, less the amount of the deposit of Collier applied by the bank toward the payment of the same, and less, also, the dividend from the trustee in bankruptcy of the estate of Collier. The testimony tends to show that Collier made numerous deposits in his account in the bank shortly after this check was presented to the bank, but that at no time, at the close of business in the afternoon, was there a sufficient amount in his account to pay the check in full. The amounts deposited by Collier .were, in fact, used to pay smaller checks drawn subsequently to the date of the check given to Paige.

The trial resulted in a verdict and judgment in favor of The Springfield National Bank, and this proceeding in error is brought to reverse that judgment.

The questions at issue between these parties involve very interesting principles of law as to the rights and obligations of a bank and its customers on the presentation of a check which is in fact for a larger amount than the drawer of the check has on deposit at'the time the check is presented. The trial court, at the request of the bank, gave the following five propositions in charge to the jury:

“1. If when Mr. Paige presented the Collier check at The Springfield National Bank he was in[200]*200formed by the bank that the check was not good, but that the bank would take it and give him credit for it, subject to collection, and the credit was made in his pass book accordingly, that did not constitute payment of the check by the bank and Mr. Paige remained liable to the bank for the amount of the check unless afterwards Mr. Collier had to his general credit an amount sufficient to pay the entire check at one time.

“2. Such an arrangement did not impose on the bank the ordinary duties of a collection agent for Mr. Paige, but it was only required to hold the check at its banking house and charge it up to Mr. Collier whenever he had a balance to his credit large enough to pay the entire check at once.

“3. Such an arrangement left it still the duty of the bank to pay smaller checks of Mr. Collier that might be presented afterwards and which did not exceed the amount to his credit at the time. It was not the bank’s duty to refuse payment of such smaller checks so as to build up a balance in Mr. Collier’s favor large enough to pay the check left by Mr. Paige.

“4. Such an arrangement did not prevent the bank permitting Mr. Collier to overdraw his account in anticipation of deposits to be made later to cover such overdrafts, or from making any other special arrangements with Mr. Collier at his request and to suit his convenience. It did not require the bank to shape its business with Mr. Collier so as to compel the payment of the check left by Mr. Paige, but its sole duty would be to charge that check to Collier and thus relieve Paige when[201]*201ever and if ever Mr. Collier had sufficient to his general credit to. pay the entire check at once.

“5. If the Collier check was left with the bank and the credit given Mr. Paige subject to the collection of the check, then the subsequent writing up of Mr. Paige’s bank book would not affect the arrangement or the rights and obligations of the parties.”

The general charge of the court was along the same lines as covered by the above special instructions, and the vital and controlling matter for determination in this case is as to whether the charge is a fair statement of the law under the evidence contained in the record. This charge appears to be a fuller and more elaborate statement of the rule laid down in 7 Corpus Juris, 680, in the following words:

“Where a -bank declines to pay a check because of lack of funds, it is under no obligation to the holder to reserve from future deposits a sufficient amount to meet the check, if it is again presented.”

The rule as thus stated is the one applicable in the absence of any agreement between the bank and the payee of the check. The same rule is announced in Gilliam v. Merchants’ National Bank, 70 Ill. App., 592, the reason being that there is no presumption that the check remains outstanding for payment. But, in the case at bar, the check was in fact left by Paige with the bank, and for this reason the bank is chargeable with knowledge that the check was not paid, if such was the fact. See also C. M. Henderson & Co. v. United States National Bank, 59 Neb., 280; Lowenstein & Bros. v. Bresler, 109 Ala., 326; Harrington v. First Na[202]*202tional Bank, 85 Ill. App., 212, and Coates v. Preston et al., 105 Ill., 470.

A summary of the rule is stated in 2 Morse on Banks and Banking (5 ed.), Section 450, in the following language:

“The fact of presentment for payment of an overdraft appears to have no legitimate effect whatsoever upon the balance of the customer. It creates no lien upon it of any description; no sound reason suggests itself why it should be regarded, as affecting it at all. The bank is in no possible shape the agent of the holder of such an over-check to aid in securing him payment in full; whence it seems to follow that the simple refusal, without more,

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Bluebook (online)
12 Ohio App. 196, 30 Ohio C.A. 53, 1919 Ohio App. LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/paige-v-springfield-national-bank-ohioctapp-1919.