Van Norman v. Jones

494 A.2d 1119, 343 Pa. Super. 348, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 863, 1985 Pa. Super. LEXIS 9314
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 14, 1985
DocketNos. 314, 315 and 384
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 494 A.2d 1119 (Van Norman v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Van Norman v. Jones, 494 A.2d 1119, 343 Pa. Super. 348, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 863, 1985 Pa. Super. LEXIS 9314 (Pa. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

ROWLEY, Judge:

These three appeals arise from two separate actions instituted in the trial court: 1) an action for wrongful appropriation of four checks brought by Walter Jones against David Van Norman (Jones’ former employee), Mary Ellen Van Norman (David’s wife), and the First Valley Bank, wherein the Van Normans counterclaimed for sums owed by Jones to David Van Norman on sixteen specific job contracts; and 2) a subsequent action in equity for a full and complete accounting brought by David and Mary Ellen Van Norman against Walter Jones.

In the action for wrongful appropriation of funds, the trial court entered a non-jury verdict in favor of Jones against the Van Normans only, in the sum of $6,000.00. The Van Normans appealed from the Judgment entered on the verdict following the dismissal of all exceptions filed by the parties (No. 315 Philadelphia, 1984) and Walter Jones filed a cross appeal (No. 384 Philadelphia, 1984).

In the equity suit, the trial court sustained Walter Jones’ preliminary objections to the Van Normans’ complaint, dismissed the complaint with prejudice, and Judgment was entered in favor of Jones. The Van Normans have also appealed from that determination (No. 314 Philadelphia, 1984).

Upon a thorough review of the record herein, we reverse the Judgment entered in the wrongful appropriation action and remand the case for a new trial. The Judgment entered on the trial court’s Order dismissing the complaint in equity filed by the Van Normans is affirmed.

[354]*354WRONGFUL APPROPRIATION ACTION APPEALS NOS. 315 AND 384 PHILADELPHIA, 1984

The evidence presented at the non-jury trial in the wrongful appropriation action reveals the following facts. David Van Norman began working for Walter Jones in his boiler sales, service and installation business sometime in 1977. In late 1978, or early 1979, Jones and Van Norman agreed to a method of payment whereby Van Norman would receive 50% of the net profit on each customer contract and reimbursement for expenses. Since Jones and Van Norman traveled frequently to their work, Walter Jones gave Mary Ellen Van Norman (David’s wife), deposit slips so that she could deposit customer payment checks sent to her in Walter Jones’ New York bank account at Manufacturers Hanover Bank. Mrs. Van Norman was authorized by Jones to endorse these checks with his name for deposit only into the New York bank account.

During the period from May 1979 through December 1980, Mrs. Van Norman received four customer checks payable to Walter Jones which she endorsed by signing Walter Jones’ name and her name, or her husband’s name. Instead of being deposited in Walter Jones’ New York bank account, however, the checks were either deposited into the Van Normans’ personal account at First Valley Bank in Pennsylvania or cashed by First Valley Bank, with part of the proceeds paid in cash to Mrs. Van Norman and part of the proceeds deposited in the Van Normans’ personal account. In late 1980, Walter Jones drew several checks on his New York checking account which were returned for insufficient funds. Jones then contacted several customers whom he thought had paid him and they sent him copies of payment checks that they had forwarded to Mrs. Van Norman. Upon learning that the checks were processed through a bank in Pennsylvania rather than Manufacturers Hanover Bank in New York, Jones contacted his attorney.

On February 25, 1982, Walter Jones filed a complaint in assumpsit and trespass against the Van Normans and First Valley Bank for conversion of funds wherein he sought to [355]*355recover the proceeds of the four checks which totaled $10,878.58. Jones alleged that the Van Normans were not authorized to receive payment on the checks from First Valley Bank and that Mrs. Van Norman’s endorsement on the checks to achieve that purpose was a forgery.

The Van Normans filed an Answer to the complaint containing New Matter wherein they alleged that Mrs. Van Norman was authorized to endorse Walter Jones’ name on customer checks made payable to him and to either deposit or cash those checks as directed by Walter Jones. The Van Normans’ Answer included a counterclaim against Walter Jones for payments and expenses due David Van Norman pursuant to his employment contract with Jones. The counterclaim averred that David Van Norman was owed $47,-160.57 in past-due profits on sixteen separate customer contracts and for a vehicle purchased by David Van Norman which was necessary for his work.

First Valley Bank’s Answer to Walter Jones’ complaint included New Matter in the form of the Joinder of the Van Normans as additional defendants. See Pa.R.C.P. 2252(d). First Valley Bank averred that in the event it was determined that the Van Normans were not authorized to endorse the four checks made payable to Walter Jones, the Van Normans were solely liable to Walter Jones or liable over to the First Valley Bank for the proceeds thereof.

The case was scheduled for hearing non-jury on January 17, 1983. On February 2, 1983, the trial court entered an adjudication consisting of findings of fact, conclusions of law and a verdict in favor of Walter Jones against the Van Normans only in the sum of $6,000.00. The trial court held that Mrs. Van Norman was authorized to endorse the checks with Walter Jones’ name, but that she wrongfully appropriated the four checks when she placed them in her personal account rather than Walter Jones’ New York bank account. Thus, the court determined that the Van Normans were liable to Walter Jones for the proceeds of the four checks. Nonetheless, in resolving the Van Normans’ counterclaim, the court allowed a credit against the amount of [356]*356the checks, for money owed David Van Norman from Walter Jones’ business. The court declined to enter a verdict against First Valley Bank in favor of Walter Jones, reasoning that because Mrs. Van Norman was authorized to sign Walter Jones’ name in the first instance, her actions did not constitute a forgery and First Valley Bank was entitled to rely on her endorsements in accepting and cashing or depositing the checks.

Following entry of the court’s adjudication, exceptions were filed by the Van Normans and by Walter Jones. By Opinion and Order of the court en banc dated January 3, 1984, all exceptions were denied and dismissed. Judgment was entered on the verdict on January 9, 1984 and appeals were filed by the Van Normans and by Walter Jones.

On appeal, Walter Jones argues that the trial court erred in finding that the Bank was not liable for making payment on Mrs. Van Norman’s unauthorized endorsement. Because we find that this claim of error has merit and a new trial is warranted, we need not address the other issues raised by appellants.

Walter Jones argues that Mrs. Van Norman’s authority to endorse checks with his name was limited to endorsing those checks for deposit only in his New York account. Jones claims that Mrs. Van Norman was not authorized to affix his name to customer checks made payable to him and to deposit them with First Valley Bank or to cash them at that Bank. Thus, Jones claims that the First Valley Bank is liable for conversion for making payment on a forged endorsement. Jones’ theory of liability is predicated on Section 3-419(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code which provides:

(a) Acts constituting conversion. — An instrument is converted when:

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Related

Jones v. Van Norman
522 A.2d 503 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
494 A.2d 1119, 343 Pa. Super. 348, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 863, 1985 Pa. Super. LEXIS 9314, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/van-norman-v-jones-pasuperct-1985.