Republic National Bank of Dallas v. Whitten

383 S.W.2d 207, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2269
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 3, 1964
Docket16358
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 383 S.W.2d 207 (Republic National Bank of Dallas v. Whitten) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Republic National Bank of Dallas v. Whitten, 383 S.W.2d 207, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2269 (Tex. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinions

DIXON, Chief Justice.

Appellee Bernard Whitten, Trustee in Bankruptcy of TexMex Corporation, hereinafter called TexMex, sued Republic National Bank of Dallas, hereinafter called the Bank, alleging that the Bank had diverted corporate funds of TexMex to its own use prior to the latter’s bankruptcy by requiring TexMex to pay a $65,000 personal note of Robert Yarber, President of TexMex, out of the proceeds of a $257,000 loan made by the Bank to TexMex.

Both appellant and appellee filed motions, for summary judgment. Appellee’s motion was sustained. Judgment was rendered against the Bank for $65,270.83 principal with interest at 6 percent from November 27, 1959.

[209]*209FACTS

The material facts, as established by affidavits and copies of documents, are undisputed.

TexMex was incorporated February 21, 1955 as a Texas corporation. On or about June 27, 1957 its charter was amended to include the power to accumulate and lend money and to sell and deal in notes and shares of stock.

On July 5, 1957 the stockholders voted to adopt the Texas Business Corporation Act.

On August 25, 1958 the Board of Directors of TexMex passed a resolution under the terms of which a depository account was established with the Bank in the name of TexMex. This resolution, a copy of which was filed with the Bank, included the following provisions:

(1) Withdrawals were authorized in the name of the company by the joint signatures of Yarber and Cozine, officers of the corporation.
(2) Yarber and Cozine were authorized to borrow money from the Bank and give therefor the company’s notes in such amounts for such time and at such interest rates as might be designated in the notes and might pledge for the payment of said notes any of the company’s bills receivable, stocks, bonds, or other property.
(3) The Bank was authorized to honor all withdrawals against the company’s funds although payable to the officer or agent signing or countersigning the same, whether presented for cash or for credit to the personal account of said officer or agent or any other person without the need of any inquiry by the Bank concerning such items or the disposition of the money, items or credit.
(4) The certification to the resolution named the officers of the company and those authorized to sign as Robert A. Yarber, President, Robert M. Cozine, Secretary and Robert M. Cozine, Treas-. urer. The record shows that Cozine later also held the office of Executive Vice-President.

On September 11, 1958 Yarber executed and delivered to the Bank a letter in which he unconditionally guaranteed payment to the Bank of all indebtedness of TexMex present and future.

On October 24, 1958 Yarber was indebted to the Bank upon his personal note in the sum of $75,000. Yarber’s note was secured by 37,500 shares of common stock of Tex-Mex. As additional security TexMex had given the Bank a letter, signed by Yarber as President and Robert M. Cozine as Executive Vice-President, whereby TexMex agreed to purchase the 37,500 shares of stock at a price of $2 per share if called on to do so during the term of the loan. At the time the stock was quoted “over the counter” at a price of $1.50 bid and $1.75 asked.

On November 24, 1959 TexMex owed the Bank $329,187.50; Peoples’ Realty Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tex-Mex, owed the Bank $97,500; and Yarber owed a balance of $65,270.83 on his personal note. At various times prior to the last named date officers of TexMex had talked with officials of the Bank with regard to the Bank’s lending an additional sum of $257,-000, which would have made a total indebtedness of TexMex to the Bank of $586,687.-50. The Bank was unwilling to make this additional loan except on certain terms and conditions which will be hereinafter stated.

On November 24, 1959 the Board of Directors of TexMex by resolution authorized the officers of TexMex to execute the corporation’s note for $257,000 and to assign to the Bank as security two second lien notes of $600,000 and $80,000 respectively together with an agreement subordinating other notes held by TexMex to the above two notes.

The Bank refused to make the additional loan of $257,000 unless the balance of approximately $65,000 on Yarber’s note be [210]*210paid out of the proceeds of the $257,000 additional loan.

On November 27, 1959 the Bank agreed to make and did make the additional loan of $257,000 upon certain terms and conditions, all of which were carried out and completely executed by the Bank, TexMex and Yarber. The transaction was as follows:

(1) The Bank made the additional loan of $257,000 to TexMex, secured as will hereinafter be explained.
(2) TexMex paid the balance of $65,-270.83 due on Yarber’s note. The Bank marked Yarber’s note “Paid” and surrendered the note so marked to TexMex together with the 37,500 shares of Tex-Mex stock securing the note and the letter whereby TexMex had agreed to buy the

stock at $2 per share.

(3) Yarber executed a new note payable to TexMex for the $65,270.83 which TexMex had expended in paying Yarber’s note to the Bank. Yarber also assigned to TexMex the 37,500 shares of stock as security for the new note.
(4) TexMex paid the $97,500 note of Peoples’ Realty Corporation, the wholly owned subsidiary of TexMex.
(5) The $257,000 note of TexMex was secured (a) by assignment to the Bank as a pledge of the $600,000 and $80,000 second lien notes, together with the subordination agreement in regard to said notes, and (b) by assignment to the Bank as a pledge of Yarber’s note for $65,270.83, which was itself secured by Yarber’s 37,500 shares of TexMex stock.
(6) TexMex used $73,800 of the loan money to pay various of its creditors who need not be listed here.
(7) After making the above payments TexMex had left the sum of $21,200 out of the $257,000 loan, which sum remained in its bank account subject to withdrawal by check.

On December 4, 1959 the Board of Directors of TexMex adopted a resolution which provided that all contracts, compensations, acts and proceedings by the officers of the corporation and its executive committee in conducting the business of the corporation be and they were “hereby approved, confirmed and ratified.”

On January 29, 1960 at a meeting of the Board of Directors Yarber as chairman explained to the directors that he had obtained for the corporation a $257,000 loan from the Bank secured by the two second lien notes “but the Bank required the corporation to pick up a $65,000 unpaid personal loan of his which was included as a part of the $257,000 loan to the corporation.” Yarber also told the directors that it was necessary for the corporation to sell the $600,000 note to pay off the $257,000 loan and to meet other obligations of the corporation, but he had been unsuccessful in selling the note.

On June 17, 1960 the Board of Directors of TexMex by resolution directed their attorney to write a letter to the Bank advising that the Board of Directors “did not recognize the $65,000 loan by the Bank to Mr.

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Republic National Bank of Dallas v. Whitten
383 S.W.2d 207 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
383 S.W.2d 207, 1964 Tex. App. LEXIS 2269, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/republic-national-bank-of-dallas-v-whitten-texapp-1964.