Starr v. O'Connor

118 F.2d 548, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4684
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMarch 14, 1941
DocketNos. 8461, 8462
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 118 F.2d 548 (Starr v. O'Connor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Starr v. O'Connor, 118 F.2d 548, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4684 (6th Cir. 1941).

Opinion

MARTIN, Circuit Judge.

Both parties have appealed from the judgment of the District Court in a declaratory judgment suit, involving the validity and applicability of the escheat laws of Michigan to dormant deposit accounts in an insolvent National Bank in liquidation by a receiver appointed by the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States. The short opinion of the District Judge will be found in Starr v. Schram, D.C., 24 F.Supp. 888.

The Attorney General of Michigan filed the suit on behalf of the state against the receiver of the First National Bank-Detroit and the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States, the latter of whom was dismissed on motion as an unnecessary party.

In the background was the failure of the First National Bank-Detroit, which suspended business on February 11, 1933. The case was tried in the District Court on stipulation of facts.

According to the stipulation when filed, there appeared on the books of the bank 123,897 separate deposit balances totalling $1,799,097.66 upon which no claims had been presented to and accepted by the Receiver. One thousand and nineteen of these accounts, in the aggregate sum of $483,742.18, have been qlaimed by the Receiver as offset by indebtedness to the bank. Included in the tabulations are numerous dormant accounts of partnerships, corporations and associations, and 9,425 items totalling $326,062.48 consisting of outstanding cáshier’s checks, certified checks, certificates of deposit, drafts on correspondent banks, Christmas Club checks, and garnisheed accounts. The average unclaimed and unproven account amounts to nine dollars.

For full comprehension of the questions of law for decision, it will be necessary to survey, at some length, the provisions of the several- Michigan statutes of es-cheat. Before this undertaking, it seems appropriate, however, to comment that the Michigan State Constitution, in Article XI, Section 12, provides that, “All lands, the titles to which shall fail from a defect of heirs, shall escheat to the state”; and in Article VI, Section 20, the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer, and the Commissioner of the Land Office are constituted a State Board of Escheats.

The Michigan Statutes of Escheat.

Act No. 151, Public Acts of 1846, directs that the trustees appointed by a legislative act of 1842 shall take charge of and sell, or otherwise dispose of, “all lands or other property which may have escheated, or which may hereafter escheat to the state, by reason of the owner thereof dying intestate, and leaving no legal heirs thereto according to the statutes in such case made and provided.”

The next legislation pertaining to es-cheat was Act No. 238, Public Acts of 1897, entitled, “An Act for the ascertainment and protection of the interests of the State in escheated estates.” This lengthy law burdens the State Attorney General with official responsibility for the care of all matters pertaining to escheat, and for inquiry and investigation concerning all property, in every county of the state, belonging to persons dying intestate “leaving no legal heirs” and whose estate under the Michigan laws of descent would become vested in the state. The Attorney General .is obligated to see that escheated estates are promptly and properly administered in accordance with the general statutes of Michigan; and to represent and protect the interest of the state in such administration proceedings.

[551]*551Six sections of the statute are devoted to requirements for protection by the Attorney General of “uncalled for” bank deposits. All persons, co-partnerships, companies or corporations engaged in banking or trust business in the state are required to report annually to the Commissioner of Banking the name of each of their depositors who has had no dealings with respect to his account for a period of twenty years or more after the date of his last deposit, the amount and date of such deposit, and the amount of any interest due thereon. The Attorney General is authorized and directed to file bills in chancery to compel full, complete and truthful statements required by the Act against all those believed by him not to have made proper disclosure.

Upon obtaining knowledge that any depositor has had no dealings with a depository of his money or securities within seven years from the date of his last deposit, and that “there is good reason to believe that such person is dead and that his estate should escheat to the State of Michigan,’’ it is the duty of the Attorney General to see that appropriate administration is obtained. The administrator, when appointed and qualified, shall have the right to demand and receive from any depository the “deposits of money, or securities of such missing person within its possession and control,” for administration thereon as provided for escheated estates. Other property of such missing person is to be embraced in the administration.

The Act raises the presumption of death in the case of any person who disappears, if his whereabouts remain unknown for seven years. If no persons are found who would be his heirs if he were dead, his estate shall be administered as an escheated estate. Further provision is made that, after full administration by the Probate Court, the residue of all property shall be delivered to the State Board of Escheats, who shall, as soon as possible, cover the property into the State Treasury for the use of the primary school fund. Detailed procedure is specified for the sale of realty by the Board of Escheats, upon proper notice, and upon terms of credit if deemed “best calculated to produce the highest price,” with requirement of security for unpaid purchase money.

Within ten years after an estate has been escheated, any person proving satisfactorily to the Board of Escheats that he or she is entitled to the estate, as husband, wife, heir at law, next of kin, devisee, legatee, or assignee of the deceased, shall, upon payment of the expenses incurred by the state in relation to the escheated estate, receive his or her just proportionate share of either the property in kind, or the proceeds thereof. Any supposedly deceased person, whose estate has been escheated, may at any time, upon presenting to the Board of Escheats satisfactory proof of his identity, receive the escheated property, or the avails thereof, less any expense incurred by the state. Upon proof satisfactory to the Board of State Auditors, any depository shall be indemnified by the state in the amount of any damage or loss sustained from performance of a contract of deposit disturbed by the requirements of the Act.

Act No. 205 of the Public Acts for 1925 (Comp.Laws of Michigan for 1929, Secs. 15624-15653, inclusive) established a code for the administration of estates of missing persons.

The Act provides: “Whenever any person leaving property in the state of Michigan shall have been absent from his or her last known place of abode for the continuous period of seven (7) years with his or her whereabouts also for such period unknown to those persons most likely to know thereof, and such person has for the like period not been heard from by those persons most likely to hear from such person, the property of such person in the state of Michigan may be administered as though such person were dead, subject to the conditions, restrictions and limitations hereinafter described.” Section 15625.

Jurisdiction is vested in the Probate Court, and the proceedings there are prescribed. The petition for administration must contain specific allegations to develop the essential facts.

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Bluebook (online)
118 F.2d 548, 1941 U.S. App. LEXIS 4684, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/starr-v-oconnor-ca6-1941.