United States Nat. Bank of Galveston v. Azar

102 S.W.2d 242
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 14, 1937
DocketNo. 10305
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 102 S.W.2d 242 (United States Nat. Bank of Galveston v. Azar) 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 Nat. Bank of Galveston v. Azar, 102 S.W.2d 242 (Tex. Ct. App. 1937).

Opinions

GRAVES, Justice.

The findings of fact and law filed by the learned trial court in support of its judgment in this cause present so complete a statement, not only of the nature and result thereof below, but also of the controlling question this appeal involves, that they are here appended in full:

“Findings of Fact.

“I. I find that plaintiff, Dr. James A. Azar, on February 23, 1933, was a regular [243]*243customer and depositor of defendant United States National Bank, and had been furnished by said bank with one of its ‘deposit-books/ which had printed on its fly page the following:

“ ‘All checks, drafts and other items not payable in Galveston, received by the United States National Bank, Galveston, for collection or credit, are taken at customer’s risk. Said bank, as agent for customer or depositor, will forward direct or indirectly such items to banks or correspondents, which may be the bank or firm on which said items are drawn, but assumes and incurs no responsibility for neglect, default or failure of such banks or correspondents, nor for losses or delay occurring in the mails. Should any banks or correspondents convert the proceeds or remit therefor in checks or drafts which are dishonored, or should the item or proceeds be lost or not collected for any of the above causes, the amount for which credit has been given will be charged back to the customer or depositor.
“ ‘We will use our discretion as to sending direct or through intermediary banks for collection, acting as your agent only and assuming no responsibility beyond carefulness in selecting such agents.

“ ‘United States National Bank.’

“II. That on February 23, 1933, Azar deposited with defendant bank a sight draft payable to his order in-the sum of $4,000, drawn by Eureka-Security Fire & Marine Insurance Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, on itself, payable at Central Trust Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and in doing so used one of defendant bank’s regular form of deposit slip, which had printed on its face the following:

“ ‘In receiving items for deposit or collection, this Bank acts only as depositor’s collecting agent and assumes no responsibility beyond the exercise of due care. All items are credited subject to final payment in cash or solvent credits. This Bank will not be liable for default or negligence of its duly selected correspondents nor for losses in transit and each correspondent so selected shall not be liable except for its own, negligence. This Bank or its correspondents may send items, directly or indirectly, to any Bank, including the payors, and accept its draft or credit as conditional payment in lieu of cash; it may charge back any item at any time before final payment, whether returned or not, also any item drawn on this Bank not good at close of business on day deposited.’

“Banks, in transmitting such items for collection, use one of two forms. One form reads, ‘We endorse herewith for collection and credit items enumerated below’ the other advises, in effect, that the time item is forwarded ‘for collection and return.’ It is understood in the banking business that, when a bank receives a draft or check for collection from one of its customers and sends it to another bank for ‘collection and return,’ the collecting bank and all intermediate banks through which the item passes understands that the original bank wants the item collected and the cash or its equivalent remitted back to said forwarding bank; that when such an item is transmitted to a ‘correspondent bank’ for ‘collection and credit’ it is understood that the correspondent bank will collect the item and deposit the amount thereof to the account of the forwarding bank.

“The term ‘correspondent bank,’ when used by the forwarding bank, means a bank with which the forwarding bank maintains a deposit account. In sending such items for collection to a correspondent bank, they are usually, but not always, sent with instructions to collect and credit the amount of the item to the forwarding bank’s account.

“On the 23d day of February, 1933, Union Trust Company of Cleveland, Ohio, was a ‘correspondent’ of defendant United States National Bank, .with which the United States National Bank had on deposit approximately $7,000.

“III. The draft in question was forwarded by defendant bank to its correspondent, Union Trust Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, by airmail on February 23, 1933, for ‘collection and credit,’ and was received by Union Trust Company on February 24 and credited to United States National Bank’s deposit account, thereby raising its credit balance to the sum of approximately $11,000. Union Trust Company of Cleveland, on the same day it received the draft, forwarded it to its correspondent, the Federal Reserve Bank at Cincinnati, who received the draft on Saturday, February 25, and collected the amount thereof from the drawer of the draft, and, on the same day, gave Union Trust Company credit therefor. I find, therefore, that defendant bank, through its correspondent, collected the [244]*244draft on February 25, and on that day the amount of the draft was deposited or credited to its account with the Union Trust Company.

“IV. On Tuesday, February 27,. 1933, United States National Bank wired Union Trust Company, requesting said Union Trust Company to transfer $7,000 of its credit balance to the Federal Bank at Houston, Tex. On Wednesday, February 28, 1933, Union Trust Company wired United States National Bank as follows:

“ ‘Due to action of Cleveland Clearing House limiting withdrawals to 5% on all accounts, we are unable to effect transfer per your wire request of yesterday. Any credits made on your account on and after February 27 will be considered a trust deposit and subject to withdrawal in full as realized.’
“On receipt of this wire United States National Bank charged the $4,000 item back against Dr. Azar’s account.
“V. On March 23, 1933, United States National Bank received from the assistant conservator in charge of the affairs of Union Trust Company a remittance equal to 5 per cent, of its credit balance ($11,000) with Union Trust Company, as of the close of business Saturday, February 25, 1933. On July 27, it received an additional 35 per cent, of its credit balance, and on December 10, 1934, it received an additional 10 per cent, of its credit balance. On these respective dates United States National Bank credited Dr. Azar’s account with 5 per cent., 35 per cent., and 10 per cent., respectively, of the amount of said draft, or a total credit of $1,910.
“VI. Defendant bank takes the position that under its deposit slip it was Azar’s agent to collect the draft and that this relation was not changed even though its correspondent, Union Trust Company, collected the draft and gave it credit therefor on its deposit-account. Azar, on the other hand, while admitting that the bank was his agent to collect the draft under the terms printed on the deposit slip and in the passbook, takes the position that this relation was changed to that of debtor when the bank, collected the draft and deposited it to its account in Union Trust Company.

“I, therefore, find and conclude as a matter of law that as soon as Union Trust Company made final collection of the draft and gave defendant bank credit therefor on its deposit account.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

National City Bank of Minneapolis v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
447 N.W.2d 171 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1989)
First Nat. Bank of Corsicana v. Wm. Cameron & Co.
149 S.W.2d 132 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1941)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
102 S.W.2d 242, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-nat-bank-of-galveston-v-azar-texapp-1937.