Stix, Baer & Fuller Dry Goods Co. v. Ottawa Realty Co.

202 S.W. 577, 273 Mo. 376, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 162
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 16, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 202 S.W. 577 (Stix, Baer & Fuller Dry Goods Co. v. Ottawa Realty Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stix, Baer & Fuller Dry Goods Co. v. Ottawa Realty Co., 202 S.W. 577, 273 Mo. 376, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 162 (Mo. 1918).

Opinion

FARIS, J.

This is an action brought by plaintiff against defendants upon a bond of guaranty, wherein upon trial nisi plaintiff had judgment "upon a directed verdict for the full penal sum of the bond. On the trial defendant Ottawa Realty Company made default. Defendant Chicago Bonding & Surety Company, after the conventional motions, appealed.

The facts of the case, except such as we shall find it necessary briefly to refer to in our discussion of the case, clearly and sufficiently appear from the petition, from the bond and contract filed as exhibits thereto, and from the answer filed by defendant Chicago Bonding & Surety Company. Defendant Ottawa Realty Company filed as its answer a general denial merely, and thereafter, as stated, made default.

The petition of plaintiff herein, caption, signatures, and merely formal parts omitted, is as follows:

“Now comes the plaintiff in the above entitled cause, and states that it and the defendant Ottawa Realty Company are Missouri corporations, and the [381]*381defendant Chicago Bonding & Surety Company is an Illinois corporation.
“And for cause of action, plaintiff states that on, to-wit, the 18th day of March, 1914, the defendant Ottawa Realty Company as principal, and the defendant Chicago Bonding &. Surety Company as surety, executed a bond to plaintiff in' the sum of twelve thousand dollars, with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum on the sum of eight thousand dollars after the first day of April, 1914, and on the sum of four thousand dollars after the fifteenth day of April, 1914, conditioned that if the principal should pay the sum of eight thousand dollars on Oor before the first day of April, 1914, and the sum of four thousand dollars on or before the fifteenth day of April, 1914, and if not paid at said times to bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, and when said principal and interest were paid then the obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and effect.
“Plaintiff herewith files a copy of the said bond, verified by affidavit, as required by section 1844, Revised Statutes 1909, and makes the same a part of its petition the same as if hereunto attached.
“And for breach' of said bond, plaintiff states that the defendant Ottawa Realty Company failed to pay the sum of eight thousand dollars on or before the first day of April, 1914, and the sum of four thousand dollars on or before the fifteenth day of April, 1914, and the .defendant Chicago Bonding & Surety Company has also failed to pay the said sums, and that the said sum of twelve thousand dollars still remains due and unpaid.
“Wherefore, plaintiff prays judgment against the defendants, Ottawa Realty Company and Chicago Bonding & Surety Company, in the sum of twelve thousand dollars, together with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum on eight thousand dollars from April 1, 1914, and on four thousand dollars from April 15, 1914, together with its costs.”

[382]*382As stated above, the bond of guaranty was made a part of plaintiff’s petition by reference, and by being attached thereto as an exhibit. This bond in turn referred to the contract, which was, as to certain provisions thereof, guaranteed by the bond. The contract in turn referred to the bond. Upon the trial both the bond and the contract were offered by plaintiff as a part of its case. This bond, omitting signatures, corporate seals, and merely formal parts, reads thus:

"Know all men by these presents, That we the Ottawa Realty Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, as principal, and the Chicago Bonding So Surety Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, with principal office at 29 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis office .at 350 Pierce Building, St. Louis, Missouri, as surety, are held and firmly bound unto Stix, .Baer So Fuller Dry Goods Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, as obligee, in the full and just sum of twelve thousand dollars, with interest at the rate of six per cent per annum on the sum of eight thousand dollars after the first day of April, 1914, and on the sum of four thousand dollars after the fifteenth day of April, 1914, as set out below, to the payment of which sum, well and truly to be made in lawful money of the United States, the principal and surety bind themselves, their successors and assigns, jointly and severally, firmly by. these presents.
"Signed, sealed and delivered, this 18th day of March, 1914.
"The condition of the above obligation is such, that,
"Whereas, the Ottawa Realty Company has this day entered into an agreement with the Stix, Baer & Fuller Dry Goods Company for the purchase of carpets and linoleum, a copy of which agreement is hereto attached and referred to; and,
"Whereas, it is provided in said agreement, among other things, as follows:
[383]*383“The Ottawa Company will pay the Dry Goods Company on the first day of April, 1914, the sum of eight thousand dollars, which, at the option of the Dry Goods Company, shall be a condition precedent to any delivery of carpets, and is to be a part payment of the purchase price of said carpets in advance of their delivery and being laid, and the Ottawa Company further will pay the Dry Goods Company on the fifteenth day of April, 1914, the sum of four thousand dollars, and the Ottawa Company is to furnish to the Dry Goods Company its own collateral bond or guaranty, with a Surety Company satisfactory to the Dry Goods Company bound thereupon, to the prompt payment of the said sum of eight thousand dollars on the first day of April, 1914, and the said sum of four thousand dollars on the fifteenth day of April, 1914, with interest thereupon at the rate of six per cent from the said respective dates until paid.
“And,
“Whereas, This is intended to he the bond or guaranty referred to in the said contract, and is made for that purpose and in consideration of the making ■of said contract.
“Now, Therefore, if the principal shall pay the sum of eight thousand dollars on or before the first day of April, 1914, and the sum of four thousand dollars on or before the fifteenth day of April, 1914, and if not paid at said times to bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, and when such principal and interest are paid, then this obligation to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and effect.
“In witness whereof, the principal has caused this bond to be signed by its president, attested by its secretary, with its seal affixed, and the surety has caused this bond to be signed by its attorney-in-fact, with its seal affixed, in the city of St. Louis, the day and year first above written.”

The contract mentioned above, and referred to in the bond sued on, formal parts, and signatures and corporate seals, all of which are conventional, being omitted, reads thus:,

“This agreement, Made and entered into this 18th day of March, 1914, and between the Ottawa Eealty Company, a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Missouri (hereinafter called [384]

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Related

J. R. Watkins Co. v. Lankford
256 S.W.2d 788 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1953)
State of Missouri v. Mass. Bonding Ins. Co.
219 S.W.2d 879 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1949)
State Ex Rel. Hoyt v. Shain
93 S.W.2d 992 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1936)
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93 S.W.2d 303 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1936)

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Bluebook (online)
202 S.W. 577, 273 Mo. 376, 1918 Mo. LEXIS 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stix-baer-fuller-dry-goods-co-v-ottawa-realty-co-mo-1918.