Shaw v. Merchants National Bank

60 Ind. 83
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1877
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 60 Ind. 83 (Shaw v. Merchants National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shaw v. Merchants National Bank, 60 Ind. 83 (Ind. 1877).

Opinions

Perkins, J.

At a certain point in the progress of this cause, the court made the following order:

“ Come the parties by their attorneys, and, by order of the court, this cause' is continued to the next term of this court, with leave to the parties to amend all the pleadings and to form new issues, because the record, in its present confused condition, is too complicated to be readily understood.”

At the term to which the cause was continued, James Shaw filed his amended complaint against a part of the defendants in the cause, viz.: Peter C. Lawyer, Frederick Baggs, Mrs. Frederick Baggs, Edward K. Hall and Mary J. Hall, his wife, omitting one of the then existing defendants, the Merchants National Bank. The complaint sought to quiet the title to a certain described tract of land in Hamilton county, Indiana, against the defendants, who were alleged to claim some title thereto.

Prior to the above order of the court for the reformation of the issues, the Merchants National Bank had filed her answer and counter-claim.' Subsequently to said order and the filing of the amended complaint of the plaintiff’ Shaw against the other defendants, the other parties proceeded to reply to, and answer, said answer and counter-claim of the bank. The record, in the further progress of the cause, became confusion worse confounded.

Various issues, and between various parties, were formed and tried by a jury. There were answers to interrogatories, and a general verdict.

Motions were interposed for a new trial, for a venire de novo, and in arrest of judgment, etc., but they were all overruled, and final judgment rendered.

The evidence is not in the record, and no objection is [85]*85made by counsel, in argument, to any instruction given by the court, and no complaint on account of the refusal of any.

The assignment of errors by appellant Shaw is as follows :

1. The court erred in overruling demurrer of appellant to the second and third paragraphs of the cross-complaint of the Merchants National Bank ;

2. In overruling the demurrers of appellant to the first, second, third and fifth paragraphs of the answer of Frederick Baggs;

8. In overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial; and,

4. In overruling appellant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, and on the general verdict of the jury in favor of Lawyer and the Halls, and the special findings of the jury in answer to interrogatories, notwithstanding the general verdict in favor of the Merchants National Bank against said plaintiff.

The assignment of errors by Lawyer and Hall is as follows :

1. The cross-complaint of the Merchants National Bank does not state facts constituting a cause of action against appellants;

2. The court erred in overruling the motion of Lawyer and the Halls for judgment in their favor on the general verdict and findings of the jury;

3. In overruling the motion of Lawyer & Hall for a judgment against the Merchants National Bank for three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars;

4. In its ruling on the motion of Lawyer and the Halls for judgment in their favor on the verdict and'findings of the jury, in this, to wit: that the court says, which motion “ is sustained, but that they take nothing by their verdict ; ” and,

. 5. In overruling the motion of Lawyer & Hall for a venire de novo

[86]*86The record does not show the filing of the demurrers- • mentioned in the assignments of error.

The counter-claim of the Merchants National Bank was not objected to below, and it is clearly good after verdict. There was no motion to make it more certain in its statements.

There is nothing in the errors assigned by Shaw. A brief statement of the pleadings, and of the verdict- and answers to interrogatories of the jury, will be necessary to a proper appreciation of the errors assigned by Lawyer and Hall.

The plaintiff1 Shaw alleged, in his amended complaint, that, on the 5th of December, 1870, Lawyer and Hall and his wife conveyed to William Sharts a parcel of land,.describing it, without consideration, to be held by him that he might convey it to whomsoever they might direct; that some time afterward the name of Frederick Baggs was substituted as grantee for that of Sharts, he, Baggs, to hold the land to be conveyed as the grantors should direct; that afterward he, the plaintiff', purchased said tract of land of said Lawyer & Hall for a valuable consideration, but that Baggs refused to convey the same to him, and this suit is to quiet Shaw’s title.

Baggs answered, that Lawyer & Hall became largely indebted to the Merchants National Bank in Indianapolis; that he was the cashier of said bank, and that the land was conveyed to him, to hold in trust for said bank, ás security for said debt and further advances, which are due and unpaid; that he knew of no defect in the execution of the deed, and that Shaw purchased with full notice, etc.

The Merchants National Bank was admitted a defendantj and filed an answer and counter-claim against 'Lawyer &‘Hall, Shaw and othei’s, alleging the same facts (setting out particulars more fully) as were alleged by Baggs, and praying the foreclosure of said trust-deed to Baggs as a mortgage.

[87]*87Lawyer & Hall replied and answered to the answer of Baggs and the answer and counter-claim of said bank, that they had transferred to the bank, as security for their indebtedness to her, a lease for years on a piece of ground on which was a grain elevator, and put the hank in possession of said property, to be by her well used and taken care of, she applying the proceeds of its use to the payment of the debt of said Lawyer & Hall to the bank; and that, while the bank so had the said property in use, she greatly damaged it, which damage, as well as the compensation for the use, they pray may be set off against, and recouped from, their debt to the bank.

Shaw answered the counter-claim of the bank. He alleged that the bank had been paid; that she had recovered a personal judgment for her claim; that she had received other security, as answered by Lawyer & Hall.

The cause was tried by a jury, and the following verdict and answers to interrogatories returned into court:

“ We, the jury, find for the Merchants National Bank, as against Shaw. Oliver P. Rooker, Foreman.

“We, the jury, find for Peter O. Lawyer, Edward K. Hall and Mary J. Hall. Oliver P. Rooker, Foreman.”

Interrogatories of the Merchants National Bank, and answers thereto:

“ Was not the deed, in the cross-complaint of the Merchants National Bank described, delivered to Frederick Baggs, cashier of said bank, by Durbin, the clerk of Lawyer & Hall, in pursuance of the directions of Lawyer?

“ Yes.

“ Were not Lawyer & Hall, at the time of such delivery of such deed, partners ?

“ Was not the real estate described in said deed, at the time of the delivery thereof, the partnership property and assets of said firm ?

“Yes.

“Was not the said firm of Lawyer & Hall indebted to [88]*88said bank at the time of the delivery of said deed to said bank?

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

Related

Burkhart v. Simms, Admr.
60 N.E.2d 141 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1945)
Town of Hobart v. Casbon
142 N.E. 138 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1924)
Phillips v. Gammon
124 N.E. 699 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1919)
Norton v. Union Traction Co.
110 N.E. 113 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1915)
Smith v. Biesiada
90 N.E. 1009 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1910)
Yeager v. Yeager
87 N.E. 144 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1909)
McCaslin v. State
75 N.E. 844 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1905)
Bennett v. Simon
53 N.E. 649 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1899)
Firemans Fund Insurance v. Dunn
53 N.E. 251 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1899)
Gall v. Beckstein
66 Ill. App. 478 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1896)
Waterbury v. Miller
41 N.E. 383 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1895)
Wysong v. Nealis
41 N.E. 388 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1895)
Ades v. Levi
37 N.E. 388 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1894)
Davis v. Shuah
36 N.E. 122 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1894)
Potter v. McCormack
26 N.E. 883 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1891)
Boots v. Griffiths
97 Ind. 241 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Redinbo v. Fretz
99 Ind. 458 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Deatty v. Shirley
83 Ind. 218 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1882)
T. H. & I. R. R. Co. v. Clark
1 Ind. L. Rep. 299 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)
McClintock v. Theiss
74 Ind. 200 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1881)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 Ind. 83, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shaw-v-merchants-national-bank-ind-1877.