People v. Federal Bank

122 A.D. 810, 107 N.Y.S. 811, 1907 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2561

This text of 122 A.D. 810 (People v. Federal Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Federal Bank, 122 A.D. 810, 107 N.Y.S. 811, 1907 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2561 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1907).

Opinion

Laughlin, J.:

This action was brought by the Attorney-General for the dissolution of the charter of the Federal Bank of ¡New York, a domestic banking corporation. Pending the action, the respondent, Leo Schlesinger, was appointed temporary receiver, and by the judgment of dissolution he was made permanent receiver in December, 1904. Pursuant to the receiver’s notice, duly given, for the presentation of claims, the appellant duly filed with him on the 2d day of May, 1905, proof of claim for a balance of money on deposit on April 14,1904, the date upon which the Federal Bank suspended payment, of $7,271.14, and by an indorsement thereon receipted for a dividend of twenty per cent, paid by the temporary receiver, making the balance claimed $5,816.92. The receiver disputed the claim and on the 14th' day of. September, 1905, procured the appointment of a referee pursuant to the provisions of section 5 of chapter 60 of the Laws of 1902, to hear and determine this and other disputed claims. Upon the hearing before the referee the claim was proved as filed, but the Attorney-General and the receiver contended that it should be reduced by the sum of $3,000 on account of the fact that the Selma ¡National Bank had taken and held a note given by one John Carra way, president of that bank, to cover the loss which it was estimated, in a settlement between the Selma ¡¡National Bank and its president, would be sustained on account of its money having been deposited by him with, out authority in the Federal Bank, it having been expected at the time of such settlement that the Selma Bank would receive on account of its claim against the receiver about sixty per cent thereof. This contention was successful before the referee, who decided that, on account of receiving the note of its president for this anticipated loss, the claim of the Selma ¡¡National Bank against the receiver should be reduced by $3,000, and that it had, therefore received on the twenty per cent dividend on the entire claim $600 . more than twenty per cent of its claim as thus reduced, and he accordingly decided that it should refund to the receiver the $600 or that the same should be credited upon subsequent dividends. [812]*812The learned referee, in an exhaustive opinion, carefully reviews the authorities upon tlie question as. to the effect of the payment by one party of another party’s indebtedness; -but we' are of opinion that that question is, not presented by. the facts, with respect to this claim. The president of the claimant did not pay or intend to pay any part of - the indebtedness of the Federal Bank to his bank. There is no question but that the Federal Bank received the money belonging to the Selma National Bank, and gave it credit therefor. It understood that the deposit was made by tlie Sólma National Bank, and the money deposited came directly from the funds of tlie latter. The liability of the Federal Bank, therefore, to the Selma National Bank was primary and direct. It did hot concern and does not concern the Federal Bank, which thus received the funds of the Selma National Bank, that the latter had' a claim on account of this' transaction against its' president for making the deposit, without authority. The Selma National Bank called its president to account, and in the adjustment of his liability to it for his negligent or unauthorized acts it was anticipated that it would sustain a total loss of about forty per cent of this deposit, making' approximately $3,000, and this amount was included in the note given by Oarraway to his bank in settlement of its claim against, him. The note, however, has not been paid. It appears by the evidence that it was expressly understood when it was given that lie was not to become liable thereon' in excess of the loss actually sustained by the Selma .National Bank on its claim against the Federal Bank. If the note had been paid and the' assets of the Federal Bank were sufficient to pay more than sixty per cent, of the claim of. the Selma National Bank,, that would not relieve- the Federal Bank from its liability for the forty per cent balance, and the only question that could! arise would be as to whether the claim could be enforced by the Selma National Bank as trustee for. Carraway, or .whether Oarraway himself would .be deemed subrogated to the claim to that extent and be obliged to prosecute it in lxis own name; but that question does not arise upon this record, for the undisputed evidence shows that, it-would be the duty of tlie claimant. to apply any-amount it receives upon its claim against the receiver of the Federal'Bank in excess of sixty per cent in reduction .of Carraway’s note.; Payment in the circumstances to the [813]*813Selma National Banjz will release the liability .of the receiver from any claim by Carraway; and in view of the fact that Carraway has made no claim against the Federal Bank, it is difficult to understand •any theory upon which the receiver of the Federal Bank is concerned with the claim of the Selma National Bank against its president upon a secondary liability for this claim.

The learned counsel for the respondent further contends that the appellant is concluded by an order for distribution of the funds on hand by the receiver, made upon an accounting by the receiver pursuant to the provisions of sections 6 and 8 of chapter 60 of the Laws of 1902. The determination of the referee was filed on the 31st day of Jnly, 1906, and a copy thereof served upon the attorney for the appellant on the 10th day of- October, 1906, prior to which time he had no notice of the determination. It appears by affidavit of the attorney for the respondent that on the 18tli day of June, 1901, an order was made by the Supreme Court requiring the receiver to file an account of his proceedings; that pursuant thereto he tiled an account on the 6th day of August, 1906, in which he set forth, among other things, the claim of the appellant, and that it had. been disputed by.him and referred to the referee, and.the determination of the referee thereon; that within ten days thereafter notice was given to the appellant by mail of the tiling of said account and of the service thereof upon the Attorney-General and that the same would be presented to the court for passage and settlement, and for instructions relative to the disposition of the balance in the hands of the receiver ” on the 6th day of September, 1906; that on the return of that motion the appellant failed to appear and thereafter an order was made and entered on the 26th day of November, 1906, “ passing, settling, ratifying and confirming said accounts in all respects as filed, including the action had with respect to the Selma National Bank.” That order has not been vacated nor has any appeal been taken therefrom. This is the order which it is claimed is binding upon the appellant and concludes it from reviewing the determination of the referee. It appears by affidavit of the attorney for the appellant that he appeared for the appellant generally in this proceeding on the 1st day of September, 1905, and served a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the receiver and on the Attorney-General, and demanded that a copy of all papers and a notice of all [814]*814.proceedings be served upon him, but that he received no notice of the order requiring the receiver to account, or of the filing of the receiver’s account, or of an application for the allowance thereof; .and had no knowledge thereof until the l'3th day of December, 1906, when the affidavit of the attorney for the respondent, setting forth those facts, was submitted to the court on the hearing on appellant’s exceptions to the referee’s determination of the disputed claim.

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Bluebook (online)
122 A.D. 810, 107 N.Y.S. 811, 1907 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 2561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-federal-bank-nyappdiv-1907.