Stump v. Richardson County Bank

24 Neb. 522
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 15, 1888
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 24 Neb. 522 (Stump v. Richardson County Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stump v. Richardson County Bank, 24 Neb. 522 (Neb. 1888).

Opinion

Cobb, J.

In this case there was no contention between the plaintiff and the defendants, but only between two of the defendants. The cause was originally commenced before a justice of the peace on a promissory note. The justice rendered judgment in favor of the bank, plaintiff, and against L. D. Ritchie, as principal, and Alfred Stump and Asa Veach, as securities, for the sum of $145.40 and costs of suit. The defendant, Veach, being dissatisfied with the judgment, within the statutory time gave an appeal bond to the plaintiff and filed his transcript in the office of the clerk of the district court.

At the next term of the district court, the defendant, Stump, filed his motion to dismiss the appeal in said cause, assigning the following grounds therefor:

“1. Because no appeal bond has ever been given as required by law.
“ 2. That no appeal bond has ever been given or signed by defendant, Stump.
“ 3. That no appeal bond has ever been given to defendant, Stump.
“ 4. Because defendant, Veach, never filed any pleading or made any issue in any manner in this court, as required by law.”

Which motion was by the court overruled. The cause was tried to a jury, which found all the issues for the plaintiff, and further found, “that the defendant, Alfred Stump,is primarily liable to plaintiff for the amount due, and that [524]*524defendant, Asa Veach, is only liable as surety upon the failure of Alfred Stump to pay the same,” etc.

The defendant, Alfred Stump, brings the cause to this court on error, and assigns seventeen errors. These assignments are too long to admit of their being set out here at length, but all the questions presented will be considered.

There is a minor question raised by the plaintiff in error, which will be here noticed.

That no appeal was ever taken by the defendant, Stiunp, from the judgment of the justice, nor did the defendant, Veach, give any appeal bond running to the defendant, Stump, neither had Veach filed any pleading, nor had any issue been joined as between Veach and Stump. For these reasons plaintiff in error contends that his motion to dismiss Veach’s appeal should have been sustained by the district court.

From an examination of the record, it appears that the appeal was regularly taken. It is true the undertaking was not signed by the defendant, Stump, and was signed by Veach, but need not have been signed by him, as its execution by one good and sufficient surety was all that the statute required. Code, Sec. 1007. This appeal was sufficient to bring the cause to the district court, whether the defendant, Stump, desired it so brought or not. The cause being in the district court, the question of pleading as between the plaintiff and defendants, or between the two defendants, Veach and Stump, was for that court to decide. Doubtless had the defendant, Stump, desired an issue made ixp between himself and Veach, and had applied to the court for an order directing the same to be done, said order would have been granted. But the fact that no pleadings were filed, nor issue made in said court, in the absence of any application therefor, is not a sufficient ground for the dismissal of the appeal.

The case of Points v. Jacobin, 12 Kansas, 50, cited by counsel for plaintiff in error, was an action for contribu[525]*525tion by one maker of a promissory note against another, and against both of whom judgment had been rendered. In that ease the court expressed the opinion that it seemed to have been settled, “ that no pleading or other formalities are required by the code to bring the question of who is principal and who is surety before the court, but simply the production of the testimony to make the facts appear. Kupfer v. Sponhorst, 1 Kan., 75, 85. Rose v. Madden, 1 Kan., 445. Kelley v. Collins, 11 Ohio, 310. From this it would seem that in every case where two or more persons are sued on any written instrument, the question of who is principal and who is surety is pending, for all the purposes of this proceeding, without pleadings, motions, additional summons, notice, or any other kind of writing whatever.”

But the main question was presented by the evidence on the trial in the district court, and is, whether the defendant, Veach, stood in the relation of security to Stump, as well as Ritchie, upon the claim of the plaintiff as against Ritchie, Stump, and Veach? There was no conflict of testimony upon the main question. It appears from the bill of exceptions .that L. L. Ritchie applied to Asa Veach to rent certain pasture lands of him in the summer of 1887 ; Veach agreed to the application for $175, if he would give him a good man on the note, as he did not feel disposed to take him alone for it. Whereupon Ritchie procured Alfred Stump to sign a joint note with him, payable to Asa Veach, running perhaps ninety days. This note Veach endorsed as guarantor, and negotiated to the plaintiff in the court below. Upon its becoming due, neither the maker nor the guarantor being in condition to pay it, a new note was given, running directly to the bank, plaintiff, payable ninety days after date and signed by Ritchie, Stump, and Veach. Again, upon this note falling due, the parties still being unable to pay, a third note was given, signed by the same parties, [526]*526for the sum of $144.80; the difference between this amount and that of the second note arising from the payment of $37.50 from the sale of certain, property of Ritchie by J. W. Holt. This note was not paid at maturity, and is that here sued on.

The main question involved is, whether Veach and Stump were co-sureties of Ritchie, or was Stump surety for Ritchie, and Veach surety for Ritchie and Stump?

Counsel for plaintiff in error contend that the giving of the three notes were separate and distinct transactions; and in support of this they urge that the amounts of the notes are different; but it is apparent from the evidence that there was no difference of amounts of the first and second notes, and that of the second and third arose from the payment on the second from funds of Ritchie by Holt as stated.

It is abundantly shown from testimony that the original consideration for the indebtedness was the note by Ritchie and Stump to Veach for rent of pasture lands. This note, though apparently executed by Ritchie and Stump as principals, was, in fact, as appears from the uncontradicted evidence, given by Ritchie as principal and Stump as surety.

This note was guaranteed or endorsed by Veach to the bank. For aught that appears, the bank was entirely ignorant of the relationship of the makers of the note to the transaction, further than that which was of the face of the instrument itself; so that to it Ritchie and Stump were the makers and sponsors of the note, while Veach was the payee and endorser or guarantor.

It is not contended that anything occurred prior to or at the first renewal to change the relationship of the makers and the guarantor or endorser, except that, as a matter of form, the second or first renewal note was drawn directly payable to the bank, and signed by Ritchie, Stump, and Veach in the order named. Before the second or first renewal note became due, it seems that Ritchie had sold a part of his cattle, and according to the testimony of Stump, [527]

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Bluebook (online)
24 Neb. 522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stump-v-richardson-county-bank-neb-1888.