Taylor v. Life Ass'n

3 F. 465
CourtUnited States Circuit Court
DecidedAugust 15, 1880
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 3 F. 465 (Taylor v. Life Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. Life Ass'n, 3 F. 465 (uscirct 1880).

Opinion

Hammond, D. J.

Application is made to reconsider the order heretofore entered, appointing the defendant W. S. Eelfe receiver in this case; and objection is taken to his bond because the sureties are non-residents of Tennessee.

The facts necessary to be stated are that the Life Association of America was a corporation of the state of Missouri, doing business, as was stated at the bar, in 32 of the states of -the Union. It became insolvent, and by statutes of Missouri it became the duty of the defendant W. S. Eelfe, as a public officer appointed by law for the purpose, to wind it up under the insolvent laws of that state. To this end he commenced the necessary proceedings in the proper court in Missouri; and by its decree, the corporation being declared insolvent, Eelfe was appointed receiver, with instructions to collect the assets everywhere in all the states, and hold them for distribution, as required by law, under the supervision of that court. The corporation was also required, and did, by formal assign[466]*466ment, convey all the assets to Eelfe, for the purposes of administration, under the insolvent laws of Missouri. He is under a bond of $100,000 in Missouri for the faithful performance of these duties, and is paid an official salary in lieu of all compensation.

The plaintiffs in this ease — citizens of Tennessee — claim to be creditors of the corporation, which was a mutual concern, and are all policy holders, one only of the policies being matured by a death loss. It seems to have been a regulation of the company to lend its funds arising from the business in any state upon mortgages within that state, so that there are within this district some $25,.000 or more of loans to citizens of Tennessee, secured by notes and mortgages given upon lands situated here. These plaintiffs insist by their bill that they have a prior claim on these Tennessee assets, setting up an agreement that they should stand as security for their policies, and otherwise; that by the general law they have a right to be satisfied before these Tennessee funds can be removed to Missouri. The bill seeks to wind up the corporation under the Tennessee insolvent laws, and may be called a general creditors’ bill for that purpose, asking the appointment of a receiver. It was filed in the state chancery court; the corporation, Eelfe, and the Tennessee debtors being made parties defendant. An injunction was granted restraining Eelfe from exercising his functions in this state, or collecting these assets, and an attachment was issued impounding them for the satisfaction of plaintiffs’ claims.

The corporation and Eelfe answered, denying the equities and claims of the plaintiffs to priority, orto a separate administration here, and setting up Eelfe’s title under the laws of Missouri, and the assignment made to him. Having answered, they removed the cause to this court, and thereupon moved to dissolve the injunction and discharge the attachment. The plaintiffs, having failed on a motion to remand for want of jurisdiction, moved for a receiver.

On the argument of these motions it occurred to me that the questions were of too grave a character to be determined in so preliminary a manner, and should abide the hearing, upon [467]*467full proofs as to the foots; and that, in the meantime, the assets should bo collected with as little delay and expense as possible. Being desirous, upon principles of comity, if for no other reason, to give as much effect as possible to the proceedings in Missouri, the home of the corporation, without injury to any of the rights, real or supposed, of the Tennessee creditors, it at first appeared to me that it would answer the ends of justice to refuse a receiver, dissolve the attachment, and permit Belfo to go on with his collections; but to restrain him from taking the funds beyond the jurisdiction of the court until this controversy was settled, and to require him to pay Ills collections into the registry of this court as a further security against their removal. This was not satisfactory to the plaintiffs, and inasmuch as they insisted that the laws of Missouri could not operate in Tennessee, nor the decrees of its courts, nor the assignment in a case like this, it seemed necessary to strengthen Belle’s title by appointing him receiver here, and it was so ordered. He was required to pay the funds into this court, and enjoined from making any other disposition of them. He submitted to this course mid accepted the conditions, presumably with the consent and advice of the court in Missouri; hut, whether that be so or not, the power to prevent any injury by his removing the assets was considered ample, and 1 had no doubt the proceedings could progress amicably between the two courts, and much unnecessary expense he thereby saved. He has tendered the required bond, with sureties residing in Missouri of ample means for the purposes of security. This petition for a rehearing is a very earnest protest against that decree, and against a bond given only by non-residents. The objections are (1) that Belle is an officer of a foreign state, subject to its laws; (2) that he is the receiver of a foreign court, subject to its control; (3) that he is a party to the suit, and not indifferent'or impartial; (4) that he is a non-resident, and resides at a distance ; and (5) that his sureties, at least, should reside here.

As a general rule, the appointment of a receiver, and the proper person to be appointed, are matters within the discretion of the court; not arbitrary it is true, but to be governed [468]*468by sound considerations of judicial judgment, each case to be determined according to its own circumstances. High on Receivers, § 65; Kerr on Receivers, (Bisph. Ed.) § 577. Private preferences must yield to public considerations; and no man can claim it for himself or his particular friend, especially in a case like this, where so many absent parties, not known to the record, and who are and doubtless will remain quite ignorant of these proceedings, are interested in the subject-matter of this controversy. Re Empire City Bank, 10 How. Pr. 498; Edwards on Receivers, 260.

Most'of these objections would have great force, if, in the relations we bear to the state of Missouri, it is to be treated as a foreign state, and its citizens entitled in our courts to such considerations only as are given to foreigners. It must be conceded that in this matter of insolvent laws, and the administration of assets situated in different states, there has grown up a selfishness which comes very near to that which absolutely foreign states show to each other. But, after all, principles of courtesy and comity do prevail, and the insolvent laws of one state may be permitted to operate in another state, for the promotion of justice, when neither the latter state nor its citizens will suffer any inconvenience or injury thereby, and the title of a foreign receiver will be recognized where it can be done without detriment to the citizens of the state granting the recognition. High on Receivers, § 47.

I have no doubt that this court is so far a court of the state of Tennessee that it is its duty to afford all the protection to the plaintiffs in this case which a state court would or should afford to its own citizens.

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Bluebook (online)
3 F. 465, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-life-assn-uscirct-1880.