Shall v. Newberry

234 F. 792, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1516
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedAugust 7, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 234 F. 792 (Shall v. Newberry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shall v. Newberry, 234 F. 792, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1516 (N.D.N.Y. 1916).

Opinion

RAY, District Judge

(after stating the facts as above). On the 15th day of January, 1913, an involuntary petition in bankruptcy was filed against the Astoroga Paper Company, and April 19, 1913, it was duly adjudicated a bankrupt accordingly: Prior to such bankruptcy and about July 31, 1911, the said Astoroga Paper Company executed and delivered to said Prank H. Shall, as trustee, a trust mortgage to secure the payment of an issue of 50 bonds for $1,000 each, and which were issued and delivered to George W. Sanborn, William P. Lansing, and W. P. Rathbun in consideration of and to secure them for their indorsements on certain promissory notes of said Astoroga Paper Company duly executed and issued and which are outstanding and aggregate $77,500. The mortgage was executed and delivered with the consent of the stockholders. On nonpayment of such notes the liability of the indorsers was duly fixed. The mortgage was duly recorded and covered all or nearly all the real estate, fixtures, etc., of said Astoroga Paper Company.

After the adjudication in bankruptcy application was made to the bankruptcy court for leave to foreclose such trust mortgage in the [794]*794state court, and leave was granted and judgment of foreclosure and sale obtained and entered, and the mortgaged property was sold pursuant to and by virtue thereof for the sum of $5,000, such sale of such property being made subject to a prior mortgage of $25,000, which was a lien thereon, and .on such sale said William F. Lansing, one of such indorsers and bondholders, became the purchaser of the mortgaged property. This sale was duly confirmed by the state court and September 13, 1913, a judgment of deficiency for $49,582.41, with interest thereon from July 17, 1913, in all, $50,061.71, was authorized and directed by the Supreme Court of the state of New York in such action and was duly entered and docketed accordingly in favor of said Shall as trustee and against the bankrupt. This judgment has not been vacated or set aside or paid. September 18, 1913, said Frank H. Shall as trustee under such mortgage filed his proof of claim on and based on such deficiency judgment with the referee in bankruptcy for '$50,-061.71, and by order made after' hearing dated September 15, 1915, this claim was rejected and disallowed by the referee.

D. H. Burrill & Co., National Herkimer City Bank, Little Falls National Bank, and William F. Lansing, the owners of such notes, filed claims on such notes as unsecured creditors, but such claims were thereafter assigned to D. H. Burrill and are now owned by him, the indorsers having paid them and directed such transfer. Burrill advanced money to the indorsers to pay such notes and really holds them as collateral security.

So far as appears the ownership of the bonds has not been divorded from the ownership of such notes and of the claims filed based thereon. Hence D. H. Burrill now owns the notes and tire bonds, and the trustee under the mortgage in effect holds the judgment for deficiency • as security for the payment of such bonds which are held as security for the payment of such notes, or, rather, in place of them.

The proceeds of the sale of the mortgaged property has been applied on the bonds, and hence indirectly to reduce the notes. There is but one debt, viz., the claims or debts arising on the notes. The bonds were issued as collateral security for the indorsers on the notes and the mortgage was collateral to the bonds. Both the bonds and the notes were the obligations of the Astoroga Paper Company, now bankrupt, and were intended to secure the payment of the same debts. But the obligation and liability of the indorsers Sanborn, Lansing, and Rathbun arose on their contract of indorsement, and the bonds as stated were issued and delivered as security to them for their indorse-ments.

The referee finds that the mortgaged property was of the fair value of $30,000, and that it was subject to a prior mortgage of $25,000, which was assumed by the purchaser, and that on such foreclosure sale the property sold for $5,000, over and above such prior mortgage. After payment of taxes1 and costs the balance of the said $5,000 has been applied as stated on such bonds held by the owner of such notes bearing such indorsements.

Until the indorsers should pay such notes their liability was contingent ; that is, they were liable to pay such notes if the Astoroga Paper Company did not. The owner and holder or owners and holders of [795]*795such notes had and have a claim on such notes against the estate in bankruptcy and are entitled to prove same and have same allowed and receive their dividend. The indorsers being liable to the holders for the amount of the entire indebtedness created by the notes are entitled to the benefit of their security and promises to pay evidenced by the bonds and deficiency judgment, and the question is: Is this a provable and allowable claim in their favor or in favor of the holder of the notes, in addition to the proof and allowance of the claim of the present holder of the notes? The evidence shows that the indorser Fansing has taken up and paid all of such notes on which he was in-dorser as aforesaid. As stated such notes and the claims made and filed based thereon have been assigned to D. H. Burrill, but the fact stands out clearly that the indorsers paid the notes and caused them to be assigned to the present holder. It follows that really the in-dorsers or their assignee hold the notes and also the deficiency judgment founded on the bonds given to them as collateral for their in-dorsements. That is, having taken up the notes, and the proceeds of the mortgaged premises having been applied in reduction thereof by being applied on the bonds, such indorsers, through Shall, as trustee, who acts for their benefit and holds such judgment for their benefit as indorsers only, and has no other right to or in same, seek to have their claim on the notes allowed as a provable claim, and also their claim on the bonds held as collateral, and which in fact are the deficiency judgment, such deficiency judgment having been obtained thereon. The referee holds that to allow both would constitute a double filing and allowance of the same claim, in effect, to the same party or claimant.

[1,2] A surety or an indorser for the bankrupt, whose liability is contingent, cannot prove a claim of his own by reason of such liability. It is only the creditor’s claim which is provable. Insley v. Garside (C. C. A.) 121 Fed. 699, 58 C. C. A. 119; In re Dr. Voorhees Awning Hood Co. (D. C.) 187 Fed. 611, 633; In re Manhattan Brush Mfg, Co. (D. C.) 209 Fed. 997; Phillips v. Dreher Shoe Co. (D. C.) 7 Am. Bankr. Rep. 326, 112 Fed. 404.

The bankrupt corporation was, liable over to the indorsers irrespective of the issue of bonds secured by the mortgage in case they paid the notes. The indorsers were and are entitled to the benefit; of the mortgage held by the trustee, but the mortgaged property has been sold and the proceeds applied on the bonds held by the indorsers. They have had the benefit of their security so far as the mortgaged property is concerned. The holders of the notes have proved their claims thereon and such claims have been allowed reduced by the proceeds of the mortgaged property. The deficiency judgment represents the difference between the value of the mortgaged property and a part of the debts for which such indorsers were liable, and they hold the promise of the now bankrupt corporation to pay such difference, and such promise is evidenced by the bonds.

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Bluebook (online)
234 F. 792, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1516, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shall-v-newberry-nynd-1916.