Smith v. Mills

230 P. 350, 112 Or. 496
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 12, 1924
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 230 P. 350 (Smith v. Mills) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Mills, 230 P. 350, 112 Or. 496 (Or. 1924).

Opinion

PIPES, J.

The pleadings of the parties are in accord that the transaction was a sale of the note and mortgage by appellant to respondent in consideration of her promise to pay therefor the sum of $5,032.

The complaint alleges:

That on the 15th day of February, 1922, the plaintiff sold, assigned and transferred said promissory note by an endorsement thereof to the defendant, and at the same time the plaintiff made an assignment to the defendant of said mortgage for the consideration of five thousand and thirty-two ($5032.00) dollars, and which sum the defendant agreed to pay the plaintiff for said sale and transfer.”

The respondent’s amended answer alleges:

“That on or about the 15th day of February, 1922, the plaintiff agreed to sell to the defendant and the defendant agreed to purchase from the plaintiff said note and mortgage for the agreed sum of $5032.00.”

This contract called for a payment in money. In the absence of any agreement, either expressed or [502]*502clearly implied, payment means the discharge of a debt or obligation in money, and in such case money is the sole medium of payment: 21 R. C. L., p. 9, § 3; Ibid., p. 37 § 34; Borland v. Nevada Bank, 99 Cal. 89 (33 Pac. 737, 37 Am. St. Rep. 32); Mansfield v. Dameron, 42 W. Va. 794 (26 S. E. 527, 57 Am. St. Rep. 884); note, 100 Am. St. Rep. 393; Marine Bank v. Chandler, 27 Ill. 525 (81 Am. Dec. 249); Graydon v. Patterson, 13 Iowa, 256 (81 Am. Dec. 432, and note); State Bank v. Byrne, 97 Mich. 178 (56 N. W. 355, 37 Am St. Rep. 332, and note, 21 L. R. A. 753).

But anything of value delivered by the debtor and accepted by the creditor in discharge of the debt will constitute payment: Tennessee Bond Cases, 114 U. S. 663 (29 L. Ed. 281, 5 Sup. Ct. Rep. 974, 1098, see, also, Rose’s U. S. Notes); Parker v. Carter, 91 Ark. 162 (120 S. W. 836, 134 Am. St. Rep. 60); Ryan v. Dunlap, 17 Ill. 40 (63 Am. Dec. 334). In such case it is the distinct agreement of the creditor to accept the thing in discharge of the debt that gives it the character of payment: Borland v. Nevada Bank, supra.

The respondent’s contention is that she paid her admitted debt by the delivery to appellant of a cashier’s check drawn by the State Bank of Portland for $5,032 in appellant’s favor, and by his acceptance of the check in discharge of her debt. The burden is on the respondent to prove payment: Willis v. Holmes, 28 Or. 265, 268 (42 Pac. 989); Peterson v. Thompson, 78 Or. 158 (151 Pac. 721, 152 Pac. 497). And since the payment relied upon consists of the acceptance by appellant of the cashier’s check in satisfaction of her debt, the burden remains with her to prove such acceptance, in that sense, by evidence or presumption. We have been favored with exhaustive briefs by counsel on the question of the presumption arising [503]*503from the acceptance of the paper obligation of third persons in payment of a debt. The appellant’s contention is that the acceptance by the appellant of the cashier’s check of the State Bank as payment was presumptively conditional upon its being honored by the bank upon its due presentation, and that, the bank failing in the meantime, the debt was not discharged. Among many others, the following authorities will serve as examples: Matlock v. Scheuerman, 51 Or. 49, 58 (93 Pac. 823, 17 L. R. A. (N. S.) 747, note); Kiernan v. Kratz, 42 Or. 474, 484 (69 Pac. 1027, 70 Pac. 506); Johnson v. Iankovetz, 57 Or. 24, 28 (102 Pac. 799, 110 Pac. 398, 29 L. R. A. (N. S.) 709); 71 Cent. L. J. 393; Seaman v. Muir, 72 Or. 585, 589 (144 Pac. 121); Riner v. S. W. Surety Co., 85 Or. 293, 299 (165 Pac. 684, 166 Pac. 952).

On the other hand, the respondent contends that the rule of these cases applies only when the payment is of an antecedent debt, and does not apply where the delivery of the property and the payment are contemporaneous. Some of the cases cited are the following: Hall v. Stevens, 116 N. Y. 201 (22 N. E. 374, 5 L. R. A. 802); Gibson v. Tobey, 46 N. Y. 637 (7 Am. Rep. 397); Loth v. Mothner, 53 Ark. 116 (13 S. W. 594); Challoner v. Boyington, 83 Wis. 399 (53 N. W. 694); Gordon v. Price, 32 N. C. 385.

“Effect of transfer, without indorsement, of worthless check, or note of third-person,” is the title of an extensive note to Dille v. White, in 10 L. R. A. (N. S.), 510, where the authorities are collated.

All of the authorities concur, however, that whatever may be the presumption arising from accepting the paper of a third person, the ultimate question is one of the intention of the parties to the transaction. In order that the acceptance of the, cashier’s check [504]*504shall discharge the debt, the transfer must be by agreement of the parties with that intention: Dille v. White, supra, and note; Black v. Sippy, 15 Or. 574 (16 Pac. 418); Johnston v. Barrills, 27 Or. 251 (41 Pac. 656, 50 Am. St. Rep. 717); Kiernan v. Kratz, 42 Or. 474 (69 Pac. 1027, 70 Pac. 506); Porter and Porter v. Talcott, 1 Cow. (N. Y.) 359, 383.

We do not find it necessary to reconcile the conflict, nor to announce a rule as to what the presumption of payment is in cases like those cited by respondent. Considering only the evidence adduced by respondent in support of her plea of payment, we are constrained to hold that she has not brought her case within the rule she contends for. She has not proved that she authorized the delivery of the cashier’s check for any purpose, or that she and the appellant agreed with each other that the cashier’s check accepted by appellant from her agent should be, or was, delivered by her or accepted by appellant in discharge of her obligation to pay $5,032 for the note and mortgage she received. Her evidence is to the contrary. On the day before the final transaction she authorized Mr. Eckhorn, her agent, to draw from her savings account in the State Bank the sum of $5,000, with which to pay that much on her debt. Following her instructions he immediately drew this money. The next day she drew her check to him for $35 to fill the amount of the purchase price. He put this money in an envelope, and had possession of it, with instructions to pay it to appellant on receipt of the Chapin note and mortgage. He received this note and mortgage from Mr. Bader, appellant’s agent, and delivered them to respondent, for she testifies that she deposited them with the bank and took a receipt for them. Then, at twenty minutes [505]*505after two, she left the bank to keep an engagement and did not again return or personally participate in the subsequent transaction. It was after she was gone that Mr. Eckhorn, as he testifies as her witness, asked Mr. Bader if he would have the money, or a check or draft, and upon receiving the answer that he would take a cashier’s check, went into the bank, and with her money then in his hands, purchased a cashier’s check of the bank, payable to appellant, which he himself drew and signed as vice-president of the bank, and delivered it to Mr. Bader, who accepted it.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
230 P. 350, 112 Or. 496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-mills-or-1924.