State ex rel. Carroll v. Corning Savings Bank

139 Iowa 338
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedApril 8, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 139 Iowa 338 (State ex rel. Carroll v. Corning Savings Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Carroll v. Corning Savings Bank, 139 Iowa 338 (iowa 1908).

Opinion

Ladd, 0. J.—

This is an application by way of petition of intervention for the allowance against the receiver of the Corning State Savings Bank of claims of the Iowa National Bank and W. O. Curtis, based on indorsements or guaranties of certain notes and school warrants, and on certificates of deposit purporting to have been issued by the insolvent bank. Since filing the petition these claims have been assigned for the purpose of collection to Bruce Butler. The record discloses that for some years prior to February 13, 1904, when the Coming bank closed its doors, the Iowa National Bank was its Des Moines correspondent, and, as such, purchased a large number of promissory notes and some school warrants. Some of these were taken in the name of Curtis for the bank. These notes may be classified (1) as genuine notes payable to and indorsed in ordinary form by the Corning State Savings Bank'; (2) forged notes purporting to be so payable and indorsed as above; (3) forged notes purporting to be payable to La Hue, and by him indorsed, and also indorsed by the bank in blank; (4) notes and warrants running to other parties, and indorsed by them and also by the bank; (5) notes as above guaranteed by the bank, as well as being indorsed. The receiver in defense contends (1) that the bank is not liable on its indorsement or guaranty; and (2) even if it should be ordinarily, there was enough on the face of these notes to charge the Iowa National Bank [341]*341with notice of'their fraudulent character; and (3) that the certificates of deposit were executed for money loaned.

I. Section 1850 of the Code of 1897 provides that:

Each savings bank shall- invest its funds or capital, all moneys deposited therein and all its gains and profits, only as follows: (1) In bonds or interest bearing notes or certificates of United States; (2) in bonds or'evidences of debt of this State, bearing interest; (3) in bonds or warrants of any city, town, county or school district of this State, issued pursuant to the authority of law; but not exceeding twenty-five per cent, of the assets of the bank shall consist of such bonds or warrants; (4) in notes or bonds secured by mortgage or deed of trust upon unincumbered real estate in this State, worth at least twice the amount loaned thereon; (5) it may discount, purchase, sell and make loans upon commercial paper, notes, bills of exchange, drafts, or any other personal or public security, but shall not purchase, hold or make loans upon the shares of its capital stock.

ers: indorsement of commercial paper: statutes. 1- fenc'd powKs: Ordinarily with, and as a necessary part of, powers expressly conferred are these incidental powers which are implied, because essential to the execution of the express powers. So that, in the absence of other limi-Nation, the authority to “ discount, purchase, sell commercial paper, notes,” etc., carries with it the power to employ such means and assume such obligations as are ordinarily and customarily resorted to and undertaken in these transactions, and. savings banks, in dealing with the paper named, may incur such liability in transferring the same as is ordinarily essential and customary under the law merchant. This appears-from Ubbinga v. Farmers’ Savings Bank, 108 Iowa, 222, and the principle is too well established to require discussion. We do not understand appellee to claim otherwise save as such power may be limited or defeated by section 1855 of the Code of 1897, which declares that “ no savings bank, its directors or trustees shall contract any debt or [342]*342liability against the bank for any purpose whatever, except for deposits and the necessary expenses for managing and transacting its business, and to pay obligations incurred for the purpose of obtaining money with which to pay deposits.” Both sections are found in the chapter devoted entirely to savings banks, and should be so construed, if possible, as to render neither nugatory.

We cannot think that after authorizing savings banks to deal in paper as commercial banks the Legislature intended so to limit and cripple such authority so as practically to defeat the object sought to be attained. Very little paper comparatively passes on indorsement “without recourse,” and even then this does not obviate the liability involved in the warranty of genuineness and of title. Code Supp. 1902, section 3060-a65. If appellee’s view should prevail, every one in taking paper from a savings bank must not only receive it indorsed “ without recourse,” but must know at his peril whether the paper is genuine and the bank has title, as well as that the object of the officers of the bank in disposing of it was “ for the jmrnose of obtaining money with which to pay deposits.-” As said, such was not the design of the lawmakers, but rather that section 1855 should be construed in connéction with those proceeding it — section 1850 authorizing saving banks to “ discount, purchase, sell ” in the customary way, section 1851 empowering them to purchase places of business and convey any realty that may be acquired thereby incurring liability — as prohibiting the creation of any indebtedness, or liability, save as thereinbe-fore authorized, and except for purposes therein named. Appellee relies on Laidlow v. Pacific Bank, 137 Cal. 392 (70 Pac. 277), but the California statute conferred no authority to discount, purchase, sell ” commercial paper and the like, and therefore the case is not in point.

Some of the provisions of the chapter relating to savings banks doubtless were enacted for the protection of depositors. State v. Corning State Savings Bank, 127 Iowa, 198. But [343]*343the institutions as authorized by statute differ radically from savings banks as originally organized. Sherwood v. Home Savings Bank, 131 Iowa, 528. And substantially all of the philanthropy involved in their conception originally has disappeared under the touch of modern legislation. One of the basic functions of banking is the dealing in notes, bills of exchange, and credits. Morse on Banks and Banking, section 2; Auten v. U. S. Nat. Bank, 174 U. S. 125 (19 Sup. Ct. 628, 43 L. Ed. 920). And the design in enacting the section of the statute first quoted seems to have been to obviate any doubt as to the power of savings banks to engage in the general banking business, restricted only by such limitations as appear to have been thought essential to the preservation of the beneficial features of the early savings banks, and especially those calculated to shield savings placed in their keeping from exploitation and loss'. Having authority to deal in commercial paper, they necessarily must assume the obligation incidental thereto, and among these are those of guaranty and indorsement in transferring the same. As said in People’s Bank v. Manufacturers’ Nat. Bank, 101 U. S. 181 (25 L. Ed. 907) : “ To hand over with an indorsement and guaranty is one of the commonest modes of transferring the securities named. A guaranty is a less onerous and stringent contract than that created by such an indorsement.” See, also, Thomas v. City Nat. Bank, 40 Neb. 501 (58 N. W. 943, 24 L. R. A. 263). The decisions to the effect that banks authorized to deal in commercial paper are bound by their indorsements or guaranties of their executive officers are too numerous'for citation. But see Morse on Banks and Banking, section 158; Auten v. U. S. Nat.

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Bluebook (online)
139 Iowa 338, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-carroll-v-corning-savings-bank-iowa-1908.