Tripp v. Smith

222 N.W. 943, 54 S.D. 211, 1929 S.D. LEXIS 305
South Dakota Supreme Court·Decided January 5, 1929·No. File No. 6688·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

BURCH, P. J.

This action is brought to recover upon four certificates of deposit purporting to have been issued by the Security Bank, defendant, to plaintiff, Robert B. Tripp, in the following [212] amounts given in the order stated in the complaint, namely, $6,000, $15,000, $2,500, and $15,000. All the certificates originated in the same transaction and involve the same defenses. The Security Bank is'now insolvent and in the ‘hands of F. R. Smith, superintendent of banks, for liquidation. All facts were stipulated and found by the court as stipulated.

The 'Security Bank is a corporation. At all times material to the issues involved ‘George E. Pfeifle was the cashier and managing officer of the bank. The certificates involved in this action had their inception in a fraudulent scheme of Pfeifle and one Frank R. Beddow, who conspired to issue certificates of deposit upon the regular forms then in use by the Security Bank and to' negotiate them for their own use and benefit. Beddow was in no' way connected with the bank as an officer, agent, or employee, or otherwise. Such certificates were to ¡be made payable to' the order of such persons as Beddow would designate; were to- be delivered to Beddow or his representative for negotiation; no record was to be made in the books of the bank; and the bank was to receive no consideration therefor. In furtherance of this scheme Pfeifle took from the vaults of the Security Bank the last-numbered pad of blank certificates of deposit, containing 100 blank forms. The four certificates in suit were issued from this pad of forms, and no record was made of the transaction, and the bank received no consideration.

The certificates in suit originated in the following transaction: Some time in March, 1923, plaintiff invested in three promissory notes and mortgages executed by George Bertus, Martin J. Johnson, and Martin J. Bertus, each note being .for $10,000. A part of the funds so invested belonged to Yankton College, a part to the estate of Gertrude A. Loynaehan, and a part to plaintiff personally. The rights of Yankton ¡College are before this court on appeal in another suit, wherein Yankton College is plaintiff against these defendants involving another certificate of the same character as those here involved. The three notes above mentioned, which were purchased by Tripp, aggregated $30,000 and had been executed payable to John B. Rexford, who was an agent of, or in some manner involved in, the fraudulent schemes of Beddow. Rexford indorsed the notes when the)'- were transferred to Tripp. The notes were secured by mortgage upon lands in Bon 'Homme county known as [213] the Seaman Ranch. Later Tripp had one of the notes taken up by the makers, and in lieu thereof had two notes executed, one of which was for the amount of the Yankton College fund. Some time thereafter, Tripp, feeling that the notes were not as valuable as they had 'been represented to be, called upon Rexford and Beddow and demanded that they take up the notes. Beddow repeatedly promised Tripp that he would do so and take an assignment thereof. Later he entered into an agreement with Tripp iby which he agreed to pay the notes on or before March I, 1925, and, in case he failed to do so, he would convey to Tripp a tract of land in California. .Upon inquiry Tripp was informed that the California land would be ample security for the indebtedness. No conveyance of the California land was ever made or attempted. In December, 1924, Beddow came to Tripp at Lake Andes, where Tripp, one of the circuit judges of this state, was holding court, and informed him that he had sold some California land and obtained good negotiable paper in payment; that the defendant, Security Bank, wouldl take this paper and issue therefor certificates of deposit drawing interest at 4 per cent. Beddow then offered to turn over to Tripp such certificates of deposit for a part of the $30,000 above referred to, but said it was necessary for him to raise $15,000 in cash in order to make a payment on a California land contract maturing January 1, 1925. He then offered to pay $18,000 of his indebtedness to Tripp in such certificates if Tripp would raise $15,000 and accept other certificates for that amount of cash advanced. Tripp, being anxious to get the $30,000 paid, which included not only his own money but that of others, said he wouldl consider the proposition but that he could not then go to Tyndall. Thereupon Beddow stated that if Tripp desired to talk with the cashier of the bank he probably would come to Lake Andes some evening after the close of business. An evening or two later Beddow and Pfeifle, the cashier, came to the courthouse at Lake Andes, met Tripp, and there Beddow repeated in substance in the presence of Pfeifle his offers and negotiations with Tripp. Tripp asked Pfeifle if it was true that Beddow had sold to the bank good negotiable paper for which certificates of deposit had been issued, and Pfeifle said it was. Some inquiry was made as to. the names of the persons upon notes so purchased, and a number of the makers’ names were mentioned some of whom were known to Tripp to be responsible. Because of the importance of the deal [214] Tripp said that he wanted the advice of counsel, and George M. Caster of Lake Andes was called in conference with Tripp, Bed¡dow, and Pfeifle. -Caster asked Pfeifle questions of similar import and made a quite thorough, investigation so far as inquiry of Pfeifle was concerned as to the transaction in which the certificates were purported to have been issued and as to the financial -condition of the bank, and Pfeifle assured 'both Tripp and Caster that the certificates were all right, regular in every respect, issued for notes actually purchased and 'discounted, andl that the bank was sound. Tripp thereupon agreed to take the certificates of deposit if .he could raise the $15,000. Arrangements were finally made whereby Tripp delivered two checks of $5,000 each to Pfeifle, gave a note payable to the Security Bank for $5,000, and thereupon one $15,000 certificate and three $6,000 certificates-payable to Tripp were turned over by Pfeifle to Tripp.

In March, 1925, Tripp while at Tjmdall holding court went to the Security Bank, met Pfeifle, and surrendered to him one of the $6,000 certificates, and in lieu thereof received a certificate payable to him for $2,500 andi one payable to the Yankton College for $3,500.

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Tripp v. Smith, 222 N.W. 943, 54 S.D. 211, 1929 S.D. LEXIS 305 (S.D. 1929).

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Related

Yankton College v. Smith
222 N.W. 946 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1929)
Menno State Bank v. Security Bank
222 N.W. 938 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1929)