Vaughn v. Graham

121 S.W.2d 222, 234 Mo. App. 781, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 89
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 8, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 121 S.W.2d 222 (Vaughn v. Graham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vaughn v. Graham, 121 S.W.2d 222, 234 Mo. App. 781, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 89 (Mo. Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

McCULLEN, J.

This.is a suit to recover principal and interest due on a promissory note. secured by a chattel mortgage on personal property. It was instituted in-the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Missouri, on November 10, 1936, but, on change of venue, was sentto the Circuit Court of Ste. Genevieve County, where it was tried before the court and a jury, resrdting in a verdict and judgment in favor of respondents,- who will be referred to as defendants, and against appellant, who will be referred to as plaintiff. -Plaintiff' has: duly appealed to this court.

The amended petition of plaintiff, on which the case was tried, alleged that II. E. Vaughn was assignee for the sole purpose of collecting and making distribution of the assets of the Tri-City Discount Corporation, a corporation, referred to hereinafter as- the loan- company, by virtue of an assignment made by that corporation on August 20,1935; that the promissory note sued on was executed and delivered to the loan company by defendants on August 18, 1932, whereby defendants promised to pay to the loan company, for value received, the sum of $300 in monthly installments of $10, beginning on September 18, 1932, together with interest on the principal' sum at the. rate of 2% per cent per month, and a like amount on the 18th day of each succeeding month thereafter until the full amount- of said note, with interest at said rate on all unpaid.balances thereof, was paid.

The amended petition further alleged that, on the same date, defendants, for the purpose of securing said promissory nóte, executed and delivered to the loan company a chattel mortgage covering certain personal household property, which was described in the mortgage ; that the loan company was licensed to make such loans under and by virtue of the “Small Loan Laws” of the State of Missouri; that, on November 7, 1936, there was a balance past due and unpaid on the principal of said note in the amount of $292.25; and that interest on said note in the amount of $299.25 was- unpáid, a total past due and unpaid on said note in the-amount of $591.50; that payment of said note had been demanded by both the assignor and the assignee, but defendants had refused to pay.

*784 The answer of defendants, after a plea in, abatement had been stricken out by the court on motion of plaintiff, consisted of a general denial and allegations to the effect that the note sued on was void because it was drawn for the unpaid balance together with aecupiulated interest on former notes, which constituted the collection or charging of compound interest in violation Qf the Missouri Small Loan Laws; that the note was void because usurious interest had been received, charged, or exacted in violation of said Small Loan Laws. The cause was tried without any reply haying been filed by plaintiff.

Plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in refusing to give to the jury a peremptory instruction offered by plaintiff directing a verdict for plaintiff at the close of all the evidence in the case. In support of his contention, plaintiff argues that there was no conflict in the evidence as to the amount past due and unpaid on the note which is the basis of this action; and that his peremptory instruction should have been given because there was no question of fact to be determined by the jury. A review of the evidence shows that this contention of plaintiff is not well founded.

Plaintiff identified and introduced in evidence a number of exhibits showing the right of the loan company to operate under the Missouri Small Loan Laws. Those laws were enacted in 1927 with certain amendments and additions in 1929 and are now Sections 5544 to and including 5564; Revised Statutes Missouri, 1929 (Mo. Stat. Ann., sees. 5544-5564, inclusive, pages 7704-7711, inclusive). Plaintiff also testified concerning the execution and delivery by defendants of the promissory note and chattel mortgage oh which the suit is based, which were introduced in evidence as plaintiff’s Exhibits A and B. Plaintiff’s evidence further showed that the loan company issued its check in the amount of $300, made payable to the order of defendants, on the same date as that of the promissory note and chattel mortgage. The check was introduced in evidence as plaintiff’s Exhibit S, and shows on its back the indorsements of both defendants. The check was drawn on the Citizens Bank of Festus, Missouri, and bears on its face a stamp of that bank showing payment thereof by said bank.

It is undisputed that, prior to the execution of the note and chattel mortgage which constitute the basis of this action, there had been executed by defendants three notes to the loan company, one being a note for $280, dated May 8, 1930; another being a note for $300, dated November 5, 1930; and the third being a note for $300, dated January 30, 1932. Each of said prior notes was secured by a chattel mortgage executed by defendants on the same household property described in the chattel mortgage involved in this suit. The evidence shows that each of the said three notes as well as the chattel mortgages securing them had been cancelled, each bearing the cancel stamp of the Recorder of Deeds of Jefferson County, Missouri, where *785 in plaintiff and defendants reside. Plaintiff gave further testimony showing the amount due on the note sued on as the amount stated in his petition. He also , gave testimony, and introduced evidence showing the dissolution of the Tri-City Discount Corporation and the assignment by the corporation to plaintiff of the note in question' for collection. ' .

On cross-examination, being asked concerning the records kept by the loan company of all previous transactions between it and defendants, plaintiff testified that he had no record of any of the previous notes, or of payments made upon them by. defendants, either on the principal or interest; that he had no record of the amounts due at the time of the respective renewals of said prior notes; that he did not have any copies of reports made on said loans to the Finance Commissioner because he had destroyed all records of such previous transactions upon the advice of counsel that the law only required such records to be kept for two years; and that he had destroyed said reeordg in 1935 before this suit wqs filed. ' Plaintiff' testified that he did not remember whether or not defendants owed anything on any prior note at the time the note sued on was- executed, but later on, in his cross-examination, stated “they owed something.” In this connection plaintiff testified that defendants paid the balance on the prior note in cash before the note sued on was executed, but he did not remember how much the balance on the former note was. After plaintiff had testified that defendants “owed something” on a prior note at the time of the execution of the note sued on, he testified further, on cross-examination, as follows:

‘ ‘ Q.' If they owed something, how did you happen to issue a cheek for the full amount of that loan ? A. They paid the other note.
“Q. How? A. In cash.
“Q. How much? A. I don’t remember.
“Q. Mr. Vaughn, I am going to ask you again if you mean to tell the Court and jury that Mr. Graham and his wife, or either of them, paid; you what was owing to the Tri-City Discount Corporation in cash, at the time you issued this check for $300? A. The best I remember.
“Q.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
121 S.W.2d 222, 234 Mo. App. 781, 1938 Mo. App. LEXIS 89, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vaughn-v-graham-moctapp-1938.