Tradesmen's National Bank v. Bank of Commerce

6 A.D. 358, 39 N.Y.S. 554

This text of 6 A.D. 358 (Tradesmen's National Bank v. Bank of Commerce) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tradesmen's National Bank v. Bank of Commerce, 6 A.D. 358, 39 N.Y.S. 554 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1896).

Opinion

Van Brunt, P. J.:

The plaintiff in this action is a hanking corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of New York. The defendant, the Bank of Commerce, Indianapolis, is a corporation organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of Indiana and doing a banking business at Indianapolis, in said State. In November, 1891, and down to and including the time when the transactions referred to in the complaint in this action took place, one N. T. De Panw of New [360]*360Albany, Indiana, was extensively engaged in business in Indianapolis. He was president of the W. C. De Pauw Company, a plate glass manufacturing corporation, and also of the New Albany Bank, at New Albany; of the Merchants’ Bank of the same place, and of the defendant, the Bank of Gommerce, Indianapolis. At the solicitation of one Bogan C. Murray, who was vice-president of the plaintiff, De Pauw caused bank accounts of the banks of which he was president to be placed with the plaintiff, and the defendant bank kept a running account with the plaintiff, down to and including the time when the transactions mentioned in the complaint in this action took place, against which the Bank of Commerce drew its checks and deposited in the 'ordinary way.

In June, 1892, the plaintiff loaned $20,000 to the New Albany Woolen Mills Company, in which De Pauw was interested, on its note, with the individual indorsement of De Pauw, and subsequently it loaned $10,000 on like security. On the Jth of November, 1892, De Pauw wrote to the plaintiff stating, “ 1 will want to use about $20,000 for one of our factories about the 20th of this month. If agreeable I will send you the paper. I do not think we will want to use any more this year,” etc.

On the 11th of November, 1892, the cashier of the plaintiff wrote to De Pauw as follows: Referring to your favor of the Jth instant to Mr. Murray, officially, I beg to inform you that he is out of town at present and is not expected to return for several days. Tour application, however, for $20,000 was placed before our board this morning, and they are unwilling to increase your line. The activity in the money market continues. Inasmuch as you already have $30,000, our folks concluded that your present line was as large as your balances warrant.”

■ On the fourteenth of November De Pauw seems to have answered this letter, and on the sixteenth Mr. Granniss, the president of the plaintiff, wrote Mr. De Pauw as follows : “ Our cashier has handed me your favor of the 14th inst., and we also note your favor of same date to our Mr. Murray, who is now west. I have taken pains to look over his letter to yon of April 12th to which you call our attention, and it refreshes my mind as to the circumstances connected therewith. Mr. Murray was extremely anxious to bring with him some of his old friends to this bank, and we will endeavor [361]*361to afford all the accommodation possible consistent with our banking rules. We have already discounted to the extent of $30,000 directly to you, which really is as much as we can consistently do, bearing in mind the fact that you have no direct account with us. Cannot you arrange to send new paper through one of the banks in which you are interested and let us re-discount for them ? This will commend itself to our board as more correct banking and at the same time you will obtain the' desired accommodation.”

On the 19th of November, 1892, De Pauw wrote to the assistant cashier of the defendant bank at Indianapolis as follows: I hand you herewith note of the W. C. De Pauw Co., for six months, $20,000, payable to the Bank of Commerce.

“ Please kindly forward this with your indorsement to the Tradesmen’s National Bank of New York. I have arranged with them to ■take it as a re-discount from the Bank of Commerce, so that you can safely check on it immediately.

“We will not check for any .part of the proceeds of this until Wednesday, so that I presume you will not get it before Friday.”

On the 21st of November, 1892, the assistant cashier of the defendant bank addressed the following letter to the cashier of the plaintiff: “ Please find inclosed W. C. De Pauw Co. note at 6 mos., from Nov. 23, ’92, for $20,000.00.

“ Mr. N. T. De Pauw instructs me to send this to you for re-discount, he having made an agreement with you to that effect.”

Objection having been made by the plaintiff to a note at six months, the cashier of the defendant bank on the 25th of November, 1892, wrote to the cashier of the plaintiff as follows: “ Your favor of Nov. 23rd, 1892, returning W. C. De Pauw Co.’s note for 20 M. is at hand.

“ I have wired them of the change you request, and will forward their note properly drawn as soon as reed!

“ This will probably cause our account to be over with you for a day or two, but will fix it as soon as possible.”

And on the 26th of November, 1892, the cashier of the defend- • ant bank wrote to the cashier of the plaintiff as follows: “ Enclosed find W. C. De Pauw Co. note for $20,000, time four mos., in correction of note at six mos. Please credit us with the same and oblige.”

[362]*362On the twenty-eighth of November the proceeds of the discount of the note were credited to the defendant bank in general account, and were drawn upon, on divers days subsequent thereto and in various amounts. The defendant bank, upon forwarding the first note to the plaintiff, credited the amount to the W. C. De Pauw Co., and charged it to the plaintiff upon its books. The W. O. De Pauw Company checked this amount out of the defendant bank before the defendant bank received advice of the credit from the plaintiff. On the 27th of March, 1893, the due day of said $20,000 note, it was charged in the account of the defendant bank by the plaintiff; and on the 7th of April, 1893, a note for $10,000, made and indorsed in the same way as the $20,000 note, was received by the plaintiff and discounted, and the net proceeds of that note credited to the defendant bank in its account with the plaintiff. When this $10,000 note became due on the 3d of July, 1893, it was not paid at maturity, and remained unpaid and in the possession of the plaintiff until the 3d of. October, 1893. On that day the plaintiff received another note of $10,000, dated the twenty-eighth of September, which was discounted in the same way as the previous note, and the proceeds credited. This renewal note not having been paid at maturity, this action was brought to recover upon the same.

Upon the trial the court directed a verdict for the plaintiff, to which the defendant bank excepted; and the court ordered the exceptions to be heard, in the first instance, at the General Term.

Neither party asked to go to the jury, and the questions presented are, therefore, only questions of law. There does not seem to be any dispute as to the rule of law which is applicable in cases of this description. It is conceded upon the part of the plaintiff that if the indorsement of the defendant bank is to be considered as an accommodation indorsement, no recovery can be had. The question, therefore, is as to whether the defendant bank was an accommodation indorser. It seems to be assumed by the counsel on both sides that the note' in question is to be treated as a renewal of the $20,000 note, which was the first transaction of this kind had between the defendant bank and the plaintiff.

Upon an examination of" the accounts, however, it might be somewhat difficult to see that the note in suit has any connection with the $20,000 note.

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35 N.Y.S. 896 (New York Supreme Court, 1895)

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Bluebook (online)
6 A.D. 358, 39 N.Y.S. 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tradesmens-national-bank-v-bank-of-commerce-nyappdiv-1896.