Security State Bank v. Gannon

163 N.W. 1040, 39 S.D. 232, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 126
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 7, 1917
DocketFile Nos. 4070, 4072, 4096, 4136
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 163 N.W. 1040 (Security State Bank v. Gannon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Security State Bank v. Gannon, 163 N.W. 1040, 39 S.D. 232, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 126 (S.D. 1917).

Opinion

WHITING, J.

The action of Security State Bank et al. v. Gannon et al., which we will term the “main action,” was brought to enforce the liability of stockholders of plaintiff bank under article 18, § 3, of the 'Constitution of this state. Various other actions, based upon transactions 'between certain of the defendants in the main action, and between such defendants and the bank, being pending in the same trial court, they were consolidated with the main action for purposes of trial. All of said actions, except one, were consolidated- with the main action for all purposes, and findings of fact and judgment were entered therein. Separate findings and judgment were entered in the other action, .being that of Seaman, Administrator, v. Gannon et al. From the first of such judgments, three separate appeals were taken; and from the other judgment one appeal. These appeals were submitted together to, and will be so disposed of by, this court.

[237]*237No questions are raised in relation to the pleadings or to the forms of the several actions brought. The only questions go to ■the insufficiency of the evidence to support certain of the findings, and to the sufficiency of the findings to support the conclusions and! judgments. The trial court found the following facts, which we think are the only ones material to any question necessary for consideration on these appeals:

Plaintiff bank, a corporation organized under the laws of this state, had .been in existence for several - years prior to October, 1913. In December, 1911, it was reincorporated, with a capital stock of $10,000, divided into shares of $xoo each. At all times up to October 26, 1913, one A. W. Morse was the president an I active manager of such bank, and the owner of 90 shares of its stock. For some time prior to October, 1913, and at all times since, the defendants Alice H. Morse and George H. Morse have each been the owner of 5 shares of such stock. On October 26, 1913, A. W. Morse died. On or about November 13, 1913, Wing-field, the state bank examiner and ex officio superintendent of banks, took possession of and closed the said bank. Alice H. Morse was appointed administratrix of the estate of A. W. Morse, and remained such administratrix until June 10, 1914, when the defendant Seaman, the present administrator of such estate, was appointed and qualified. A. W. Morse died intestate, leaving as his heirs said Alice H. Morse, his widow, and Georg-e H. Morse and Albert W. Morse, minor sons. In November-, 1913, Alice PI. -Morse was elected president of said bank, and continued as such until Wingfield took possession thereof. Wingfield continued in possession urftil January 21, 1914.

On January 19, 1914, Alice H. Morse, in her individual capacity, entered into a contract with the defendant Gannon. Such contract — after reciting that Alice PI. Morse, the first party thereto, was administratrix -of the estate of A. W. Morse; that such estate was the owner of $9,000 of the -capital stock of plaintiff bank, in which bank said first party was interested both as heir and as an individual owner 'of $500 of its capital stock; that the bank had been closed by the superintendent of banks; that for the benefit of said estate and the said first party it was desired to arrange for the reopening -of said bank and its continuation in business; that the assets and liabilities of said1 bank [238]*238appeared to be as shown by a certain balance sheet that had been made by the officer in charge of said bank; that the second party, Gannon, had agreed to purchase 'or cause to be purchased from the estate $6,000 of capital stock of said bank at par for .himself and each other parties as he might associate with himself as stockholders ; and that said first party had agreed to improve the conditions of the assets of said bank in the manner thereinafter provided — contained the following provisions: First party agreed that she, as administratrix, would take all1 necessary legal steps to procure the sale and transfer of said stock to the purchásers in the manner required by law, and agreed to personally warrant to such purchasers the title to the stock so sold and transferred. Second party agreed, subject to the approval of the superintendent of banks, to procure the reorganization of the said bank by the election of new officer's; to reopen said bank on January 20, 1914, or as soon thereafter as possible, and that the said bank, as reorganized, should take over and hold the present assets of said bank, improved as in said contract provided, and assume all its liabilities, except as in said contract provided. First party agreed that, in order to improve the assets of said bank, she would, among other things to be done by her, take from said bank bills receivable of doubtful value tO' the face value of $16,000, to be selected by second party and his associates, and to pay into said bank in consideration for such bills receivable, upon the day of such reorganization, the sum of $16,000 in cash. She agreed that, if the remaining assets of the "bank were below a certain fixed amount, she would make good the deficiency. She also agreed to guarantee the remaining bills receivable of said bank. There were other provisions of said contract under which said first party became further obligated. The defendants Christian, Suttle, and Jumper were the parties associated with Gannon, for whose benefit he entered into such contract.

In pursuance of the above contract, on January.21, 1914, the defendants Gannon, Boiler, Shirk, Christian, and the Schencks met Alice H. Morse and Wingfield at the bank’s office, and Alice H. Morse surrendered for cancellation the certificate of the 90 shares of capital stock belonging to the estate of A. W. Morse. This certificate was canceled by indorsement of cancellation thereon, and thereupon there were issued new certificates of stock as [239]*239follows: To Alice H. Morse, xo shares;■ Andrew Boiler, 5 shares; J. P. Shirk, 5 shares; 'C. S. Schenck, 5 shares; F. J. Schenck, 5 shares; F. B. Gannon, 15 shares; O. H. 'Christian, 30 shares; J. H. Suttle, 10 shares; and S. H. Jumper, 5 shares. Boiler paid for his shares by drawing his check for $500 against a checking account which he had in plaintiff bank. Shirk paid ’for his shares by check upon his account in said bank for $240 and by the payment of $260 in cash. The Schencks paid for their shares by transferring to said bank a certificate of deposit in the sum of $1,000 held by them against said bank. The shares of Gannon, Christian, Suttle, and Jumper were paid for by Gannon paying $6,000 in cash on behalf of himself and said other parties. All of the moneys so paid were paid into the bank, and not to Alice H. Morse.

Prior to January 21, 1914, Alice PI. Morse had been appointed guardian of the minors, George H. and Albert W. Morse. As such guardian she had collected and received $4,000 life insurance upon policies written upon the life of A. W. Morse, in which policies said ¡minors were named as beneficiaries. As administratrix she had borrowed $3,000 upon land' belonging to the A. W. Morse estate. She had in her possession $1,000 insurance money paid to her as the beneficiary in a policy of insurance on the life of said A. W. Morse. On January 21, 1914, there was on deposit to the credit of A. W. Morse on open account in plaintiff bank the sum of $1,920. Pursuant to the contract above referred to there were taken from said bank, on January 21, 1914, bills receivable aggregating, not merely the $16,000 as agreed, but $19,739.34', which were delivered to Alice H.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

City of Rapid City v. Hoogterp
179 N.W.2d 15 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1970)
Nite Owl Corporation v. Management Services, Inc.
173 N.W.2d 451 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1970)
Butler v. Fantle
39 N.W.2d 877 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1949)
Smith v. Bradshaw
222 N.W. 683 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1928)
Smith v. Olson
208 N.W. 585 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1926)
Austin v. Duffer
279 S.W. 318 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1926)
Hirning v. Oppold
201 N.W. 720 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1925)
Security State Bank v. Gannon
168 N.W. 125 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
163 N.W. 1040, 39 S.D. 232, 1917 S.D. LEXIS 126, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-state-bank-v-gannon-sd-1917.