Steiger v. Wood

18 N.E.2d 241, 298 Ill. App. 48, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 541
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 14, 1938
DocketGen. No. 9,104
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 18 N.E.2d 241 (Steiger v. Wood) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Steiger v. Wood, 18 N.E.2d 241, 298 Ill. App. 48, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 541 (Ill. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

This is an appeal by Charles H. Albers, receiver of the Baldwin State Bank, of Delavan, Illinois, defendant, cross complainant and cross defendant, from a decree entered in the circuit court of Tazewell County, Illinois, on September 13, 1937, in a cause wherein Budolph L. Steiger, administrator of the estate of George Steiger, deceased, et al., were complainants, and Charles B. Wood et ah, were defendants, by the terms of which a deficiency judgment was entered against Charles H. Albers, receiver of the Baldwin State Bank of Delavan, in favor of the defendant and countercomplainant, Charles B. Wood, to be paid in due course of administration as far as the assets of said bank would ratably reach. Charles B. Wood, defendant and countercomplainant, filed notice of a cross appeal from certain of the findings and judgment of the court.

This bill was filed April 22, 1932, by the complainants against Charles B. Wood and Amy M. Wood. The Baldwin State Bank, of Delavan, and John H. Shade, its then receiver, were also made parties defendant, and upon the resignation of John H. Shade as receiver William L. O’Connell was appointed successor receiver; and upon his death, it being suggested to the court, Charles H. Albers was substituted as successor receiver.

The bill alleged that the Baldwin State Bank, of Delavan, claimed an interest in the real estate described in the trust deed by virtue of a deed executed by Charles B. Wood and wife to the bank, as grantee, by which deed the same was conveyed subject to a trust deed securing- the payment of notes in the sum of $21,000, and which indebtedness the grantee assumed and agreed to pay. Answers were filed by the defendants. The receiver filed a cross-bill, and Charles B. Wood also filed a cross-bill, in which William B. Baldwin, Frank B. Shelton, F. S. Allen, E. B. Bhoades and E. R. Rhoades, trustee, the Baldwin State Bank and John H. Shade, receiver, were made parties defendant. C. Y. Frings was appointed special master to take the proofs, examine questions of law and fact and report the same with his conclusions.

Upon a hearing on the report of the master the same was approved and a decree for foreclosure and sale entered. The decree finds the complainants are the holders of the notes set forth in the complaint; that the premises were conveyed to Wood March 28, 1927, by Garretson and were subject to a mortgage of $21,000, and that William D. Garretson was indebted to the bank upon his personal notes in the sum of $2,000; that Wood held title for the benefit of the bank, as its agent or trustee, for the purpose of enabling the bank to sell the same without foreclosure proceedings and, from the proceeds, to pay the mortgage notes and the personal notes of Garretson due the bank.

That Wood executed the notes at the request of the officers of the bank without consideration, and delivered them to the bank upon the agreement that the bank would pay the same on or before maturity and that he should not become liable for the payment of any sum on account of the execution of the notes. That Wood deeded the premises to the bank, the deed containing an express provision that the grantee assumes and agrees to pay the notes secured by the trust deed, and that the bank accepted the deed and assumed full control and operation of the farm, collected the rents and paid the expenses. That Wood is personally liable on the notes, but,- as between him and the bank and its, receive?, the bank was the principal debtor and Wood was surety; that the receiver should exonerate Wood by paying any deficiency arising after a sale of the premises in so far as the assets of the bank would reach.

The decree approving the master’s report of sale found that Charles B. Wood was indebted to the complainants in the amount of the notes and interest and also found a deficiency of $19,402.16, and that Wood was personally liable to pay complainants such deficiency. Judgment was entered in favor of the various complainants for the amount due each against Charles B. Wood. It was also decreed that Charles H. Albers, receiver of the Baldwin State Bank, exonerate the defendant Wood by paying to him the amount of the deficiency decreed to be paid by him in as far as the assets of the bank would ratably reach in due course of liquidation.

It appears from the record that on March 1, 1920, William R. Baldwin and Frank B. Shelton were co-partners, doing business as the Baldwin Bank, in Dela • van, Illinois, and on that day made a loan to William L. Garretson in the sum of $21,000, secured by a trust deed to Frank B. Shelton, trustee, upon ninety-nine acres of land in Delavan township, Tazewell county, Illinois. The notes evidencing the money loaned were sold to customers of the bank. ■

December 1, 1920, the Baldwin State Bank of Delavan was incorporated, and at a meeting of the directors, held on December 4, 1920, a resolution was adopted buying all the interests of the Baldwin Bank theretofore owned by Baldwin and Shelton, and assuming control from December 1,1920, of all profits, assets and responsibilities of said bank, Baldwin and Shelton guaranteeing all notes and assets.

Garretson, being unable to pay his indebtedness upon maturity of the notes on March 1, 1925, the trustee, Shelton, who was also cashier of the bank, extended the loan one year and again, on March 1, 1926, it was extended another year. Garretson was also indebted to the bank at that time in the sum of $2,000. He agreed to deed the farm to the bank, so that it might be sold and the noteholders and bank paid and the surplus turned over to him. Mr. Shelton told Wood, who was one of the directors of the bank, that Garretson was unable to pay the loan and asked him to take title to the farm and carry it for the noteholders and the bank until a solution could be arrived at. The land was conveyed by Garretson to Wood, and he was given a lease of the farm for a year, which was renewed for another year, and at the expiration of which time he offered to waive all interest in the farm or the proceeds derived from the sale, providing the obligations he owed would be surrendered to him.

In order to carry out this proposition of Garret-son’s, Wood and his wife conveyed the land to E. R. Rhoades, trustee, to secure the payment of sixteen notes executed by Wood, due in five years after date, and aggregating the sum of $21,000' with 5 per cent interest, and also gave the bank his personal note for $2,000 representing the personal debt due the bank from Garretson. Prior to the execution of the trust deed and notes Wood had a conversation with Frank B. Shelton at the bank, in which Garretson’s loan was discussed, wherein Shelton asked Wood to execute the notes and trust deed, at the same time assuring Wood that the bank would hold him harmless in the matter and that the bank did not expect him to pay the notes and he would never lose a cent. When the notes and trust deed were turned over to Shelton at the bank, he assured Wood that it was not his obligation at all, and it was so understood. Subsequently Wood had a conversation with various officers of the bank concerning the Garretson farm, and received a written instrument signed by all of the officers and directors of the bank except Price, a director, which was substantially as follows:

Whereas Charles B. Wood did, at the request of the directors of the Baldwin State Bank, of Delavan, Illinois, take title to one hundred acres of land deeded to him by W.- L. Garretson (describing the same).

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18 N.E.2d 241, 298 Ill. App. 48, 1938 Ill. App. LEXIS 541, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steiger-v-wood-illappct-1938.