United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. First Nat. Bank of Fort Worth

81 S.W.2d 213
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 22, 1935
DocketNo. 13102
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 81 S.W.2d 213 (United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. First Nat. Bank of Fort Worth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. First Nat. Bank of Fort Worth, 81 S.W.2d 213 (Tex. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

BROWN, Justice.

The record discloses that for a number of years, prior to the incidents out of which this suit arises, Herbert Graves had been a trader on the stockyards of Fort Worth, operating under a trade-name, and that some three or four months before he failed in business (which was shortly after the transactions were had that brought about the present litigation), he also engaged in the live stock commission business, mixing the funds received in both businesses in two different bank accounts.

The account made with the Stockyards National Bank of Fort Worth was carried in 'the name of “Herbert Graves,” and the checks had printed thereon “Herbert Graves, Cattle Dealer.”

The account, in the First National Bank of Fort Worth, during the time the transac[214]*214tions were had which precipitated the instant suit, was carried in the name of “Herbert Graves Commission Company”; the checks having such words and name printed upon them, in the upper left end of each cheek, and the signature being printed as follows: “Herbert Graves Commission Company, by

Appellant, United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company, was the surety upon Herbert Graves’ bond as a live stock commission merchant, or factor.

It appears that the proceeds of all of the live stock, sold by Herbert Graves to the two packing houses, located in Fort Worth, were, by the packers, deposited in the account carried by Graves in the Stockyards National Bank, and that he also deposited in said bank moneys received by him when trading in cattle for himself. When the funds in the “Stockyards Bank” grew to considerable sums, so as to justify his so doing, Graves would draw checks on such account for $1,-000, $1,500, or $2,000 payable to the First National Bank, and deposit such sums to the credit of his account in the payee bank. Other deposits were likewise made to Graves’ account, in said bank, both from proceeds of commission sales and private sales made by Graves.

On February 2, 1932, Graves borrowed $2,-500 from the First National Bank, for the express purpose of personally trading in cattle on the stockyards, gave his note therefor, and promised and agreed to promptly repay the bank out of the proceeds of the sale of the live stock purchased with such funds. Tile sum oi $2,500 was promptly placed to Graves’ credit in the lending bank, appellee here. The record discloses that between February 2 and February 9, 1932, Graves made the sales of the cattle purchased with the borrowed money,’ and made deposits in the First National Bank of proceeds from the sales, in excess of the sum borrowed, together with the proceeds of other transactions, and that on February 8, 1932, Graves drew a check on his account in the Stockyards National Bank for $2,000, made payable to order of the First National Bank, and on February 9, 1932, drew a similar check in the sum of1 $1,000. The $2,000 check was credited to the account in the First National Bank on February 8, 1932; the $1,000 check was so credited on either February 9th or 10th; the testimony failed to fix the date, but the bank account shows a deposit of $1,019.60 on February 9th, and a deposit' of $1,010.41 on February 10th.

On February 8th, Herbert Graves execut-, ed a draft payable to the First National Bank in the sum of $2,503.90, drawn upon Herbert Graves Commission Company, to pay off the loan, with interest, made to him by the payee bank; and on February 9th, N. F. Boone,, acting with full authority from Grave?, drew a check in the sum of $2,509.05 on the account in the First National Bank, carried in the name of “Herbert Graves Commission Company,” and made same payable to the order of said First National Bank, for the express purpose of taking up the said draft, and to pay off the note due said bank, covering the loan made one week before.

This suit was brought by the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company, appellant, against the First National Bank of Fort Worth, appellee, alleging that Graves had been, for some time prior to the happening of the events complained of, doing business as a live stock commission agent, in Fort Worth; that he carried his account with ap-pellee bank under the name “Herbert Graves Commission Company,” and in the Stockyards National Bank of Fort Worth under the name “Herbert Graves”; that the greater portion of the sums of moneys deposited in each account was from proceeds of sales of live stock made by Graves as a commission merchant; that “the defendant had full notice and knowledge of the fact that Herbert Graves was -in the live stock commission business, and of the method and custom pursued by said Herbert Graves in the operation of his commission business and was well acquainted with the banking methods and the two bank accounts of said Herbert Graves. The defendant had full notice and knowledge that the large majority of moneys deposited in said Stockyards National Bank and in the defendant bank were the property of various owners of live stock sold, and that they were funds held by said banks and by Herbert Graves in trust for the owners and sellers of live stock, and that Herbert Graves was bound to pay such proceeds to the various owners and sellers of live stock. The defendant knew well that the moneys on deposit with it, including moneys transferred to the defendant by check upon the Stockyards National Bank, were deposited with it under the style ‘Herbert Graves Commission Company’ and knew well that said moneys were paid out by check upon a printed form bearing the printed signature of ‘Herbert Graves Commission Company,’ and that remittance was made to the owners of live stock sold by Herbert Graves on commission by such checks drawn upon defendant bank.” •

[215]*215Appellant further alleged that on February S, 1932, Graves, acting as a commission agent, sold, for A. J. Owens, consignor, 54 head of steers to Swift & Co. for the gross sum of $2,015.33, the net proceeds being $1,-795.61, and on February 9th, so acting, sold for consignor, Garcia Land & Livestock Corporation, 30 head of cattle, to Edgar Kerr, at a gross price of $638.87, and a net price of $507.85, and sold, for such consignor, 26 •steers to one Watts, at a gross price of $607.-14 and a net price of $482.50; and sold,'for -Canales & Vela, consignors, 27. steers to Swift & Co., at a gross price of $815.22 and a net price of $694.04.

That on February 9th the gross proceeds •of the Owens sale, $2,015.33, were deposited to Graves’ account in the Stockyards National Bank; and on the same date a portion of the proceeds of Garcia Land & Livestock Corporation sales, amounting to $638.87, was similarly deposited; that a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the last-named consignor’s steers, in the sum of $607.14, was deposited directly to Graves’ account in defendant bank; and that the gross proceeds of the sale of the Canales and -Vela cattle, in the sum of $815.22, were deposited to ■Graves’ account in the Stockyards National Bank.

Appellant alleges that on February 8, 1932, Graves drew his cheek in favor of defendant bank, on his account with the Stockyards National Bank, in the sum of $2,000, and deposited such amount to his credit in said appellee bank, and on February 9th Graves drew a similar cheek in the sum of $1,000, which was similarly credited.

Appellant alleges that the $2,000 check contained $1,302.37 of the net proceeds of the sales of cattle consigned to Graves by A. J.

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Bluebook (online)
81 S.W.2d 213, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-v-first-nat-bank-of-fort-worth-texapp-1935.