Patrick v. Arkansas National Bank

292 S.W. 143, 172 Ark. 1103, 1927 Ark. LEXIS 122
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 21, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 292 S.W. 143 (Patrick v. Arkansas National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Patrick v. Arkansas National Bank, 292 S.W. 143, 172 Ark. 1103, 1927 Ark. LEXIS 122 (Ark. 1927).

Opinion

Kirby, J.,

(after stating the facts). It is first urged that there is ¿10 oral testimony properly included in the record, that the decree of the chancellor must be presumed to be correct, and the case affirmed accordingly. The decree recites that all the parties agreed in open court that the oral testimony of the witnesses may be taken in shorthand by the stenographer, naming him, and by him transcribed in typewritten form and filed herein, either in term time or vacation, and, when so taken and filed, shall be treated as depositions of the witnesses and become a part of the record in this cause. What purports to be the testimony of the witnesses was presented to the clerk in typewritten form and by him filed and certified to this court as a true, perfect and complete transcript of all the depositions, exhibits thereto, entries and proceedings of the witnesses mentioned, etc.

Couns'el for appellant contend that this transcript of testimony is not sufficiently identified as having been taken by the stenographer in accordance with the agreement, there being no certificate by him thereto, nor properly made a part of the record of the case by bill of exceptions, submitted to them for examination and certified by the trial judge. They do not contend, however, that there was any material testimony that is not included in the corrected record here. The court is of opinion that, under the agreement of the parties that the oral testimony, when transcribed and filed, either in term time or in vacation, shall be treated as depositions of the witnesses and become a part of the record in this cause with the certificates of filing by the clerk, and to the transcript that it contains all the testimony, etc., is sufficient to show the evidence upon which the cause was heard. Lenon v. Brodie, 81 Ark. 208, 98 S. W. 979; Sanders v. W. B. Worthen, 122 Ark. 104, 182 S. W. 549; Massey v. Kissire, 149 Ark. 215, 232 S. W. 24; McMillan v. Brookfield, 150 Ark. 518, 234 S. W. 621.

Although appellants, Price, Patrick and-Clark, denied the execution of the note to the bank, in their answer, the note itself, with their signatures and their admissions in testimony, shows its execution and indorsement by them, and the undisputed testimony shows that the bank loaned the money thereon, and passed it to the credit of the maker, Patrick, who afterwards checked it out to the corporation, which used it in payment for a note they were liable on to another bank. At the very least, they could not be considered other than"accommodation parties and liable on the instrument to the holder for value, notwithstanding- such holder may have known, when taking it, that they were only accommodation parties. Crawford & Moses’ Digest, § 7795; Hamilton v. Brown, 88 Ark, 97, 113 S. W. 1014; Fox v. State, 102 Ark. 451, 145 S. W. 228; First National Bank v. Allen, 141 Ark. 328, 216 S. W. 1039.

It is next contended that the court erred in dismissing- their cross-complaint against Roberta Fulbright on the contract for the sale of their stock in, and liquidation of the debts of, the Ozark Poultry & Egg Company. The court found, however, that these parties had, in violation of the terms of the said contract, refused and failed to select an appraiser and to make a second appraisement of the fixed assets of said corporation, upon the demand of Roberta Fulbright, in accordance with the express agreement therein that such second appraisement should be made if either party thought the first appraisement unreasonable, and by filing of the cross-complaint herein, which amounted to a substantial breach of the contract and released her from'its performance. This finding of the facts is supported by the testimony, and no error was thereby committed, nor in declaring such finding a breach of the contract that released Roberta Fulbright from liability to them for any failure to perform it. They claimed that she was liable to them for payment of the value of their stock in said corporation, to be ascertained by the appraisement and sale of its assets and property, in accordance with the terms of the agreement therefor.

It is undisputed, however, that one of them, Price, shortly before the mailing of said contract, had offered to buy the one-half of the stock of the Ozark Poultry & Egg Company owned by her intestate, her husband, at the time telling- her that he found that the company had come to the end of their row. They were heavily indebted, owed $50,000 to the banks, and the liquid assets amounted to about $39,000; “that the company was worth $18,000 less than nothing, ’ ’ but that he would see that she would not lose anything, and would give her $6,000 par value for the stock.

The liquidation of the corporation proceeded under the agreement until the appellants filed their cross-complaint against her, asking for receiver of the assets, and the corporation was then put into bankruptcy, and its administration there failed to show the payment of its debts and that the stock of appellant was of any value whatever.

The decree as to these appellants is correct, and is affirmed.

The court erroneously held the estate of Jay Pulbright, a director and president of the bank at the time the loan was made, responsible for the payment of the balance due thereon, adjudging it an excess loan knowingly made by him as a director of the bank.

The bank first brought suit against Patrick, Price and Clark on the note executed by Patrick and indorsed by the other, and finally, in the denial of the allegations of the answer and cross-complaint of Patrick, alleged that the loan represented by the note sued on was an excess loan to the Ozark Poultry & Egg Company, made by Jay Pulbright, the director and president of the bank, knowingly and in violation of the National Banking law, and that Roberta Pulbright, as his administratrix, was liable to the bank to the payment of the balance due thereon, under §§ 5200 and 5239 of said statute. On this point it made the following finding of fact:

“That on said date aforesaid (November 15, 1922), the deceased, Jay Fulbright, while acting both as president and director of the plaintiff, Arkansas National Bank, and as president and director of the said Ozark Poultry & Egg.Company, negotiated, granted and made to the defendant, P. M. Patrick, a loan of $10,000, which was evidenced by a promissory note executed by said defendant, Patrick, and indorsed by the defendants, M. L. Price and R. M. Clark; that said loan was made to the defendant, Patrick, for the benefit of the Ozark Poultry & Egg Company.”

The Ozark Poultry & Egg Company, hereafter called the corporation, was indebted, at the time of this loan, to the bank in such a sum as that the amount of the loan, $10,000, would have been in excess of the amount the bank, with its capital and surplus, could lend to any one person, firm or'Corporation. The testimony shows that Pulbright was the president of the corporation, which had been doing an extensive business, as well as director and president of the bank. The directors of the corporation, before the making’ of this loan, had on numerous times borrowed money from the bank on paper executed by them.

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Bluebook (online)
292 S.W. 143, 172 Ark. 1103, 1927 Ark. LEXIS 122, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patrick-v-arkansas-national-bank-ark-1927.