Richeson v. National Bank

132 S.W. 913, 96 Ark. 594, 1910 Ark. LEXIS 103
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided December 5, 1910·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinion

Frauenthal, J.

This is an appeal from a decree of the Polk Chancery Court determining the priority of liens of certain creditors upon the property of the Howard Dumber Company, a domestic manufacturing and business corporation, of whose assets said chancery court had taken charge under insolvency proceedings instituted against it. In February, 1909, the Howard Dumber Company was largely indebted to various creditors, and, though it had assets ordinarily worth more than its liabilities, it was pressed for money and unable to pay its debts. It was indebted to the National Bank of Mena (hereinafter referred to as the bank) in a sum, as claimed by that bank, amounting to $11,650, and to other creditors in various sums aggregating about $10,000. It was thought by the president and manager of the Howard Dumber Company (which will hereafter be referred to as the lumber company) that if sufficient money could be borrowed by it to pay the indebtedness of that company to all creditors other than the bank, and if said bank would extend the time of the payment of the debt due to it, the said lumber company could proceed with its business and succeed in paying all its liabilities. The cashier of the bank was also the president of the Plancock Dand, Doan & Investment Company, a domestic corporation (which will be hereafter referred to as the loan company), and at a conference had by the officers of said bank and said loan company and the president of said lumber company an arrangement was effected by which the said lumber company could borrow the required $10,000 from said loan company. There is a slight conflict in the testimony as to the terms of the agreenient that was then made by these parties. We think, however, that the testimony -tends to establish the following facts: S. G. Richeson was the president of the lumber company, with its place of business located in Po-l'k County, and S. A. Richeson, the appellant, was his brother, and resided at Rothville, M-o. Practically all the shares of stock of the said lumber company were owned by the brother -and other relatives of appellant. At the above conference it was agreed that the said loan company would lend to the lumber company the required $10,000 at a rate of interest of 10 per cent, per annum, and that the bank would extend the time of payment of the indebtedness due to it by the lumber company upon the loan company assuming and guarantying to pay said indebtedness. In consideration of the loan of said money and the assumption and guaranty of its said indebtedness to the bank, the lumber company agreed to execute to the loan company two notes for $5,000 each, with said appellant as surety thereon, due six months after date and bearing interest at -the rate of 10. per cent, per annum, and to execute to the loan company a mortgage upon all its properties in order to secure the payment of said $10,000, and also the liability which it incurred by reason of its assumption and guaranty of the payment of said indebtedness due by the lumber company to 'the bank. In pursuance of the agreement, -the board of directors of the lumber company adopted a resolution impowering and authorizing its president to negotiate a loan of $22,000 in order to pay the obligations it then owed, and to execute a mortgage upon all the property of said lumber company in order to secure said loan. The total amount of the indebtedness of the lumber company at that time consisted of the alleged debt of $11,650 to the bank and of about $10,000 to its other creditors, aggregating about the said sum of $22,000; and we think that the above resolution was adopted for the purpose of providing for the payment and security of the said above indebtedness. Thereupon the lumber company executed its two notes for $5,000 each to the said loan company bearing the above rate of interest and due six months, after date, and sent same to appellant at Rothville, Mo., for his execution thereof as surety, which was done, and same were returned on February 23, 1909. On that day the loan company executed to the.bank its written obligation by which in consideration of the loan made by it to said lumber company and the agreement on the part of the bank to extend the time of the payment of its indebtedness against the lumber company it did “assume and guaranty the payment of said debt of $11,650, with interest,” of the lumber company to the said bank; and in said written guaranty it is also stated that “the same shall be held and treated by all parties concerned as covered and secured by the terms and conditions of said mortgage.” And on the same day and as a part of the same transaction the lumber company executed to the said loan company a mortgage on certain property therein described (which-was substantially all its property) and said mortgage was duly filed for record on March 1, 1909. The indebtedness clause in said mortgage is as follows:

“This sale is on condition: That whereas the said Howard County Lumber Company is justly indebted to the said Hancock Land, Loan & Investment Company in the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) evidenced by its two several promissory notes of date February 20, 1909, for five thousand ($5,000) dollare each, due and payable six (6) months after date with interest at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum from date until paid and for all other and further sums and amounts that may be advanced to the said Howard County Lumber Company by the Hancock Land, Loan & Investment Company from time to time, as well as all amounts assumed by the said Hancock Land, Loan &„ Investment Company for or on behalf of the said Howard County Lumber Company. Now, if the said Howard County Lumber Company shall pay said notes and all such other sums and amounts that may be assumed or advanced to it as provided in this instrument at the time and in the manner herein provided, then this conveyance shall be void, otherwise to remain in full force and effect.”

The said loan company then loaned to the lumber company said $10,000, which was used by the lumber company in the operation of its business, and the bank extended the time of the payment of the indebtedness due to it by the lumber company in conformity with said agreement. At the maturity of said two notes of $5,000 each in August, 1909, the surety, the appellant, paid same, and at his request the notes were sent to him. Later, on August 25, 1909, insolvency preceedings were instituted in said chancery court against said lumber company by its president under section 949 et seq. of Kirby’s Digest. In said proceedings appellant filed an intervention, in which he claimed to be subrogated to the rights and indebtedness of the payee of said two notes which he had paid as surety of the lumber company and to the lien of the mortgage executed to secure the same, and therein claimed that he was entitled to a prior lien on the property conveyed by said mortgage. The loan company and the bank also filed interventions in said proceedings, and therein claimed .that they were entitled by virtue of said mortgage to a first and prior lien on said property for the payment of the indebtedness of $11,650 due by the said lumber company to said bank and the payment of which said loan company had assumed and guarantied. The chancery court made a finding in favor of said interveners, the loan company and the bank, and rendered a decree declaring them entitled to a prior lien on all the property described in said mortgage. From this decree the intervener S. A. Richeson has appealed to this court.

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Richeson v. National Bank, 132 S.W. 913, 96 Ark. 594, 1910 Ark. LEXIS 103 (Ark. 1910).

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