Union National Bank v. Rich

64 N.W. 339, 106 Mich. 319, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1000
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 26, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 64 N.W. 339 (Union National Bank v. Rich) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Union National Bank v. Rich, 64 N.W. 339, 106 Mich. 319, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1000 (Mich. 1895).

Opinion

Long, J.

The complainant filed its bill in the Wayne circuit court in chancery, charging, among other things, that Oscar E. Rasch & Co., a special partnership, composed of August Rasch and Oscar E. Rasch, father and son, were wholesale, retail, and manufacturing furriers in Detroit; that on May 12,1894, the said firm and defendant August Rasch were indebted to the complainant on a note of $8,000, dated February 7, 1894, payable in. 90 days; that it was a firm note, indorsed by August Rasch before delivery; that, among other things, for the purpose of providing for the payment of this note and other indebtedness therein named at maturity, and to save the defendant August Rasch harmless thereon, Oscar E. Rasch & Co., on May 13, 1894, executed and delivered to the defendant Charles A. Rich, the father-in-law of Oscar E. Rasch, a chattel mortgage, in trust for certain beneficiaries . therein referred to, including complainant, which mortgage was filed on the day it was given, and [322]*322covered all the firm’s assets, including book accounts; that at the time the mortgage was given the firm of Basch &-Oo. was insolvent; that the claims of Augusta Bich (who is Oscar E. Basch’s mother-in-law, 'and wife of Charles A. Bich) and others of the beneficiaries are fraudulent; that the stock of goods covered by the mortgage, at the time the same was given, amounted in value to upwards of $80,000, and was in good and salable condition, and the book accounts amounted to $5,000 and upwards.

That on June 2d, after complainant’s note had matured, and default had been made in its payment, complainant notified defendant Bich, trustee in said mortgage named, that it was a beneficiary under said mortgage on account of said note, that the same had not been paid, and that it was entitled to its pro rata share of moneys realized under said mortgage; that it deemed itself insecure; and requested said Bich to take possession of the property, and cause the same to be sold, and to give the widest publicity to the sale, so that the highest price could be realized, and that complainant desired to be notified of the time and place thereof, SO' that it might be represented at the sale; that, pending the notice of sale, an inventory of the property should be taken, and that said trustee should ascertain what moneys had been taken in by the firm since the mortgage was given, and while they were-left in possession; and warned him not to pay to the defendant August Basch any portion of the proceeds which complainant would be entitled to on account of said note.

That Rich informed complainant that he was aware, that it was a beneficiary, and was entitled to its share of the proceeds realized by him upon the property mortgaged, and that he would see that it was paid to the complainant as soon as he realized the same; that he would give complainant information as to the amount of stock and book accounts, and also furnish it with a list of the receipts and disbursements while the mortgagors were [323]*323in possession, and, in ease of sale, would notify it so that it might be represented thereat, and have an opportunity to protect its interests.

That thereafter Rich, acting in concert and in fraudulent conspiracy with the mortgagors, and his wife, who was a beneficiary to the amount of $10,000, and other persons, for the purpose of preventing complainant from sharing in the proceeds of the mortgaged property, and in violation of his duty as a trustee, and being himself insolvent, did not furnish complainant with the information he had promised, nor advise it of the time and place of sale, and did not give it any information relative to the property covered by the mortgage, its amount and character, but purposely withheld information regarding rhe same from complainant, and on June 13, 1894, permitted Rasch & Co. to sell to the defendants Walter Buhl & Co., at private sale, their entire stock in trade covered by the mortgage, which then, at a fair market value, amounted to about $30,000, for the sum of $10,000; that the sale was not made subject to the mortgage thereon, but that said trustee, Rich, joined with Rasch & Co. in a bill of sale to Buhl & Co. thereof, and released and discharged the trust mortgage therefrom; that, instead of selling the goods to Buhl & Co. for cash, the trustee, Rich, took their notes, and, conniving with the defendants August, Oscar E., and Frank A. Rasch, Augusta Rich, and his adviser, Alvah G. Pitts, delivered the said notes to his wife, Augusta Rich, upon her pretended claim, for the purpose of securing to the defendant August Rasch the benefits thereof; that Walter Buhl & Co. were not bona fide purchasers; that they had notice of complainant’s claim under the mortgage, and that Rich, trustee, had no authority to release the same; that in equity they hold the same for the benefit of complainant, and subject to its mortgage interest; that the defendant August Rasch has not paid complainant’s note, and does not intend to do so, and has refused, upon complainant’s request, to direct the trustee to pay it its share of the [324]*324proceeds realized upon the property covered by the mortgage; that the trustee has in his possession a large number of book accounts and other property of Rasch & Co., of the value of upwards of $5,000, which were covered by the mortgage, and which, unless restrained, he will permit Oscar and August Rasch to collect and appropriate the proceeds.

The bill asks for an injunction to restrain Trustee Rich from paying or turning over to the mortgagors any property in his possession; the defendants August and Oscar Rasch from obtaining or seeking to obtain any proceeds of any sales made by the trustee, and taking or obtaining possession of any of the property covered by said mortgage, and from collecting any of the book accounts, and from removing or secreting the books and said accounts; the defendants Buhl & Co. from paying the notes given by them; and the defendant Augusta Rich from transferring the notes received by hen The bill then asks for a receiver in the place of the defendant Rich; that the sale made to Buhl & Co. be declared invalid, or, if valid, only to the extent of the equity of Rasch & Co. therein, and that such sale be subject to the trust chattel mortgage, and that, in any event, it should be subject to the lien of complainant; that Buhl & Co-. be decreed to have had notice of complainant’s interest and of the trustee’s want of power, and of the collusive purposes of the defendant Rich and the other defendants; that the property in the possession of Buhl & Co-, be decreed to be held in trust for complainant and other beneficiaries; that Buhl & Co. be required to pay the complainant’s portion of the value of the property as the court may decree it; that the several defendants come to an accounting touching the sale, disposition, and receipt of the property covered by the mortgage; that the claims of Augusta Rich, Frank A. Rasch, and Alvah G. Pitts (who it is claimed is the adviser of the defendants Rasch and Rich) be declared to be fraudulent, and that complainant’s [325]*325claim have priority. The bill also contains a general prayer for relief. All the beneficiaries, including- the mortgagors and others interested, are made parties defendant.

The defendants all answered, and denied all the material allegations of'the bill; but it is unnecessary to set out their answers here, as the court below, on the hearing, treated the case as on general demurrer, and dismissed the complainant’s bill.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
64 N.W. 339, 106 Mich. 319, 1895 Mich. LEXIS 1000, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/union-national-bank-v-rich-mich-1895.