People ex rel. Nelson v. Citizens State Bank

275 Ill. App. 159, 1934 Ill. App. LEXIS 388
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided May 10, 1934·No. Gen. No. 8,775·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Dove

delivered the opinion of the court.

Citizens State Bank of Durand, Illinois, by resolution of its board of directors, suspended business on July 29, 1932. On August 18, 1932, George D. Banning was appointed receiver by the auditor of public accounts, who subsequently instituted this suit to liquidate the affairs of the bank. On October 28, 1932, M. B. Dolan, appellee herein, filed his verified claim for a preference. Objections thereto were filed by the receiver, a hearing had and from an order, of the circuit court directing the receiver to deliver to appellee three notes, each for the sum of $500 and one note for the sum of $400, together with a certain trust deed executed by Wayne L. and Hazel B. Morton to secure the payment of the same, the receiver has prosecuted this appeal.

The facts are not in controversy. Appellee, M. B. Dolan, was, on June 4, 1932, and for some time prior thereto, and was, at the time the bank closed, its cashier and a member of its board of directors. On June 4, 1932, Dolan was also trustee of the estate of Nelson C. Hoyt, deceased, and as trustee deposited on that day with the bank the sum of $1,712.76; that prior to making the deposit five of the directors of the bank verbally agreed with Dolan that at the first regular meeting of the board of directors, which would be held thereafter, the bank, in order to secure said deposit, would by proper resolution pledge with Dolan assets of the bank acceptable to him, and that a continuance of the deposit was contingent upon such action of the board; that on June 9, 1932, at a regular meeting of the board, seven of the nine directors being present, the following resolution was adopted, viz.:

“Be It Resolved : That the President and Executive Vice-President of this bank be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered for and on behalf of this bank to pledge with Martin B. Dolan, Trustee of the Estate of Nelson C. Hoyt, deceased, and his assigns and successors as trustee of the Estate of Nelson O. Hoyt, deceased, as collateral security for the payment of any funds deposited by said trustee in this bank, any stock, bonds, evidence of indebtedness or other negotiable papers or securities belonging to this bank,, and to make substitutions therefor from time to time, for the purpose of securing the payment of any such funds to said Trustee and Ms assigns and successors and said President and Executive Vice-President are further authorized to execute for and on behalf of tMs bank, such agreement as to them shall seem proper providing for the sale of any or all of such collateral in the event of a default on the part of this bank, in the payment to the said Trustee, his assigns and successors in trust of any such funds as may be deposited in tMs bank by said Trustee.”

By virtue of tMs resolution, Dolan received from the bank three notes of $500' and one note of $400, executed by said Wayne L. Norton and Hazel B. Norton, together with a trust deed to secure the payment of the same, all dated September 10, 1927, which the bank held among its assets, and these notes and trust deed were held by Dolan at the time the bank closed. Upon .the appointment of Banning, as receiver, however, Dolan delivered them to the receiver with the understanding that they were to be held by him until the question of ownership should be determined by the court. It further appears that the beneficiaries of the Hoyt trusteesMp required that before any money should be deposited by Dolan in the bank, the bank should adequately secure such deposit.

Appellee expressly states in his brief that the fact that the funds which he had on deposit were held by him as trustee is immaterial, as he claims no preference by reason thereof, so that the question presented for decision is whether a bank organized and existing under the laws of this State may pledge some of its assets as security for a new deposit of private funds.

In Texas & Pacific Ry. Co. v. Pottorff, 54 Sup. Ct. 416, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Act of Congress under which national banks are organized constitutes a complete system for their government, that the power to pledge assets to secure a private deposit was not granted in specific terms and that the power to pledge assets is not incidental or necessary to the general business of banking and that no such implied power exists. It appeared in this case that the First National Bank of El Paso, Texas, failed on September 4, 1931. The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was then and had been a depositor. To secure it the bank had in January, 1931, pledged $50,000 Liberty bonds and held them for the railway in the trust department of the bank. Prior to January, 1931, the bank had secured the deposit of the railway company by surety bonds. In January, 1931, howéver, the bank, in order to be relieved from paying the premiums on the surety bonds, requested the railway to accept, in substitution for the surety bonds, the pledge of $50,000 Liberty bonds. The railway company assented only on the condition that it would be as fully protected as by the surety bonds and this assurance was given by the bank and its attorney. In reliance thereof, the substitution was made. In its opinion the court says: “To permit the pledge would be inconsistent with many provisions of the National Bank Act which are designed to ensure, in case of disaster, uniformity in the treatment of depositors and a ratable distribution of assets. . . . The effect of a pledge is to withdraw for the benefit of one depositor part of the fund to which all look for protection. Thereby the legitimate expectations of a great body of the depositors are defeated and confidence in the fairness of the national banking laws and administration is impaired. It is no answer to say that the other depositors are benefited by the increased resources which the pledge brings to the bank, or at least are not harmed, since the new funds take the place of the securities pledged and are available to meet liabilities. The immediate safety of unsecured creditors depends on the bank remaining open and solvent; the pledge reduces the fund of quick assets available to meet unusual demands without any assurance that the deposit will be used to replenish this fund.” The court then held that the receiver was not estopped to deny the validity of the pledge, but could assert that right without making restitution, that the bank itself could have set aside the transaction and that the railway company is entitled to a status of general creditor only.

In City of Marion v. Sneeden, 54 Sup. Ct. 421, it appeared that the city treasurer of Marion, Illinois, applied to a surety company to become surety upon his official bond as treasurer. The surety company agreed to do this provided he would get a bank which would give satisfactory collateral security for the repayment of his deposits of the public moneys. The City National Bank of Herrin agreed to do this and thereafter delivered to the Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, as escrow agent, negotiable bonds of the par value of $23,000 under an agreement to so secure the city’s deposit. Thereupon the surety company executed the bond of the city treasurer and he made his deposits in the Herrin Bank as such treasurer. Subsequently the Herrin bank failed and the receiver instituted suit to have the pledge declared ultra vires and void and recover the bonds. In sustaining the contention of the receiver, the court in its opinion said: “Banks organized under the laws of

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People ex rel. Nelson v. Citizens State Bank, 275 Ill. App. 159, 1934 Ill. App. LEXIS 388 (Ill. Ct. App. 1934).

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