Saloga v. Central Kansas Credit Union

770 P.2d 847, 13 Kan. App. 2d 357, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1076, 1989 Kan. App. LEXIS 217
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedMarch 24, 1989
DocketNo. 62,514
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 770 P.2d 847 (Saloga v. Central Kansas Credit Union) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Saloga v. Central Kansas Credit Union, 770 P.2d 847, 13 Kan. App. 2d 357, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1076, 1989 Kan. App. LEXIS 217 (kanctapp 1989).

Opinion

Larson, J.:

Central Kansas Credit Union (Credit Union) appeals the district court’s decision that a cashier’s check had been delivered to Eugene Saloga.

In early 1986, Saloga was the owner-driver of a truck using Tom Herd’s permits. Payments for hauls performed by Saloga [358]*358were made to Herd, who was entitled to retain a percentage for use of the permits and for reimbursement of the cost of insurance, but obligated to remit the balance to Saloga. A dispute arose over the amount Herd owed Saloga.

Saloga retained attorney Gorden Stull and Herd employed attorney Phil Lunt to resolve the disagreement. Lunt and Stull worked out an agreement that $2,968.46 was to be placed by Herd in a cashier’s check payable to Herd and Saloga. The parties herein by stipulation agreed:

“Upon determination as to who was entitled to said $2,968.46, said ‘cashier’s check’ would be endorsed and delivered to the person entitled to the same.”

On October 31, 1986, Credit Union issued the cashier’s check payable to the order of both Herd and Saloga in the amount of $2,968.46. The remitter was Tom Herd Trucking, an account which Tom Herd and his wife, Brenda, maintained with Credit Union. The cashier’s check was delivered to Lunt the day of its issuance.

Shortly thereafter, at a meeting between Stull and Lunt at Lunt’s office, they agreed Herd owed Saloga at least the amount of the cashier’s check. Lunt gave Stull the check. Stull had a copy of the check made and then gave the original back to Lunt with the agreement that Lunt was to obtain Herd’s indorsement and return the check to Stull.

Stull and Lunt agreed additional amounts were owing from Herd to Saloga for other hauls but, because the amount due from Saloga to Herd for insurance reimbursement was unknown, the final settlement was postponed until insurance information could be obtained. In the meantime, Lunt was to get Herd to indorse the check.

The cashier’s check was never returned to Stull or Saloga, and on November 21, 1986, Saloga sued Herd in the district court of Pratt County requesting adjudication of disputes concerning all monies owned by Saloga to Herd. Paragraph five of this petition alleged the $2,968.46 cashier’s check was delivered by Herd to Lunt but “notwithstanding that fact, defendant [Herd] has failed and refused to deliver said check and endorse the same to plaintiff [Saloga].” Herd was served with summons and a copy of the petition on December 11, 1986. Credit Union was not a party to that suit.

On December 27,1986, Brenda Herd went to Lunt’s office and [359]*359demanded and was given the cashier’s check, which was returned to Credit Union. Credit Union voided the check and credited the sum back to the account of Tom Herd Trucking. The check had not been indorsed by either Herd or Saloga.

On February 2, 1987, Saloga took judgment by default against Herd. The journal entry of judgment ordered Herd to deliver the cashier’s check to the clerk of the district court of Pratt County and indorse the same in favor of Saloga. Prior to the judgment being taken, Herd had filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding, although Saloga was not given notice and was unaware of the bankruptcy filing at the time judgment was taken.

Shortly after the judgment was taken, Saloga learned that Brenda Herd had taken the check to Credit Union and that it had been cancelled. Credit Union refused to deliver the check to Saloga or honor the check by paying the face amount to Saloga.

In June of 1987, Saloga filed this action against Credit Union, requesting judgment for the amount of the check plus interest and alleging Credit Union had wrongfully made payment on the cashier’s check. Credit Union answered, denying liability.

The matter was tried based on stipulated facts and oral testimony. The sole issue was whether there had been delivery of the cashier’s check. Credit Union’s dismissal request at the close of Saloga’s evidence on the grounds of res judicata was denied.

After the conclusion of all evidence, the court made specific findings of fact and conclusions of law that: 1) actual delivery of the cashier’s check had taken place from Lunt to Stull; 2) Lunt, if not a trustee or escrow agent, was the agent of Saloga to obtain indorsement of the check; 3) Credit Union had public knowledge of the dispute between Saloga and Herd by virtue of the lawsuit; and 4) Credit Union would have been prudent to have checked with Saloga to determine if cancelling the draft without his indorsement met with his approval. Judgment was rendered for Saloga against Credit Union in the amount of the cashier’s check plus interest. Credit Union appealed.

Did the trial court properly rule the cashier s check had been delivered to Saloga?

Our scope of review is whether the trial court’s findings are supported by substantial competent evidence.

“ ‘When a verdict [or judgment] is attacked for insufficiency of the evidence, the duty of the appellate court extends only to a search of the record for the purpose
[360]*360of determining whether there is any competent substantial evidence to support the findings. The appellate court will not weigh the evidence or pass upon the credibility of the witnesses. Under these circumstances, the reviewing court must review the evidence in the light most favorable to the party prevailing below.’ ” Smith v. United Technologies, 240 Kan. 562, 570, 731 P.2d 871 (1987).

The nature and character of a cashier’s check and the law applicable thereto was enumerated in Meador v. Ranchmart State Bank, 213 Kan. 372, 376, 517 P.2d 123 (1973), where the Kansas Supreme Court quoted 10 Am. Jur. 2d, Banks § 544:

“ ‘A cashier’s check is a bill of exchange, drawn by the bank upon itself, and is accepted by the act of issuance. ... A cashier’s check is a primary obligation of the bank, rather than the depositor, as in the case of an ordinary check, and a promise to pay which ordinarily cannot be countermanded. It is issued by the authorized officer of the bank, directed to another person, evidencing the fact that the payee is authorized to demand and receive from the bank, upon presentation, the amount of money represented by the check. Cashiers’ checks, from their peculiar character and general use in the commercial world, are regarded substantially as the money which they represent, a rule that is not extended to ordinary checks of the depositor drawn on his bank.’ (pp. 518-519.)”

The trial court stated in its findings of fact and conclusions of law that the sole issue was whether there was a delivery of the cashier’s check and if such a delivery existed then Saloga must prevail.

The court’s finding of delivery is supported by Stull’s unequivocal testimony that he had an agreement with Lunt that the money represented by that cashier’s check was money belonging to Saloga. Stull had actual possession of the cashier’s check and returned it to Lunt only upon Lunt’s assurance that Lunt would obtain Herd’s indorsement.

This testimony supports delivery as defined in K.S.A. 1988 Supp.

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Related

Saloga v. Central Kansas Credit Union
783 P.2d 339 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
770 P.2d 847, 13 Kan. App. 2d 357, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1076, 1989 Kan. App. LEXIS 217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/saloga-v-central-kansas-credit-union-kanctapp-1989.