Webb v. Citizens National Bank of Jeffersonville

115 N.E. 799, 70 Ind. App. 22, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 101
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided April 19, 1917·No. No. 9,271·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Felt, C. J.

Appellant John G. Webb brought this suit against appellee, and made tbe appellant George H. Holzbog a party to answer to bis interest in tbe controversy. Appellant Holzbog filed a cross-complaint against appellee. Tbe trial court sustained a demurrer to tbe amended complaint, and also to tbe cross-complaint. Each of tbe appellants excepted to tbe rulings of tbe court, refused to plead over, and elected to stand upon their respective pleadings and tbe rulings of tbe court on tbe several' demurrers thereto. Thereupon tbe court rendered judgment against each of tbe appellants, from wbicb each has appealed to this court, and assigned separate errors questioning tbe correctness of each of tbe aforesaid ruling’s of tbe court.

The substance of tbe amended complaint, omitting [24] formal and unquestioned averments, is as follows: On June 2,1905, appellant Webb executed his promissory note for $10,000 payable to appellant Holzbog four months after date at the Citizens National Bank. To secure the payment of such note the maker deposited with the payee twenty-eight certain bonds issued by the Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway Company of the par value of $14,000. On June 8, 1905, said Holzbog indorsed said note and deposited it and said bonds, together with nine other bonds of the German Savings and Loan Association of the par value of $9,000, with appellee bank, and thereby procured a loan of $10,000 for four months less discouht thereon; that the note was renewed from time to time, the last being made on June 4, 1909, but, instead of executing the renewal notes like the original note, said Holzbog joined Webb as a maker thereof, “although in fact and in truth, and with the knowledge of said bank, the said Holzbog was merely surety thereon”; that on November 29, 1913, during regular banking or business hours, before appellee had foreclosed or otherwise enforced its lien against said bonds, or either of them, “Mr. George H. Voight for and upon the behalf of said defendant, Holzbog, requested” appellee to furnish him on behalf of said Holzbog, the amount due on the last renewal note aforesaid, and in compliance with such request appellee furnished a statement in writing purporting to show the amount due on said note on December 1, 1913, and stated such amount to be $9,409.33; that thereupon said Voigt, for and on behalf of said Holzbog for the purpose of paying said note and discharging said bonds from the lien of said debt, tendered appellee “in full payment of the amount so stated by [25] the said defendant hank to he dne it at said time oip. said note and necessary to discharge said bonds from said lien thereon” the snm of $9,409.33 in lawful money of the United States of'America, “and at the same time and place demanded that said defendant bank surrender said bonds to him, the said George H. Voigt, as the agent of said defendant George H. Holzbog, but that the defendant bank did neither accept said money so tendered to it as aforesaid nor surrender said bonds, but in lieu thereof delivered to said George H. Voigt the following, to wit:

“Jeffersonville, Indiana, Nov. 29,1913.
“The Citizens Bank of Jeffersonville, Indiana, hereby acknowledges a tender of Nine Thousand Five Hundred Dollars, in lawful money, made to it this day by George H. Voigt for George H. Holzbog, who demanded the delivery to him of the Webb-Holzbognote of Ten Thousand Dollars, subject to credits, together with the collateral on same, being fourteen thousand dollars C., D. & M. By. Five Per Cent Consolidated Bonds, and, also, demanded the delivery of Seven Thousand Dollars German Savings and Loan Association bonds, in the possession of said bank, which demand and tender was refused by said bank.
“ (Signed) Citizens National Bank,
John C. Zulauf, President.”
“Plaintiff further avers that upon the said tender of the said amount due said defendant bank and its refusal to accept the same, the lien of said defendant bank upon and against said bonds was then and there and thereby lost, canceled, and extinguished and that, [26] ill consequence thereof, the said bonds are not now subject to the said lien of the said defendant bank.”

The prayer was for a temporary injunction to enjoin appellee from in any way enforcing any claim or lien against the twenty-eight railroad bonds until the final hearing, and that upon such hearing the court find and decree that by the aforesaid tender appellee’s lien thereon was extinguished; that appellee be ordered to deliver said bonds to appellant Webb freed and discharged from any claim thereto or lien thereon by the defendants; that said bank be perpetually enjoined from asserting any claim to .or enforcing any lien upon such bonds, and plaintiff be granted all proper relief in the premises.

Most of the facts alleged in the cross-complaint of Holzbog relating to the several transactions are identical with those of the complaint, and, without repeating them, we shall consider them as a part of the material averments of the cross-complaint.

It is therein alleged that contemporaneously with the deposit of such bonds as collateral security, certain written memoranda were executed as follows:

“Jeffersonville, Indiana, June 8, 1905.
“Whereas, George H. Holzbog has offered for discount at the Citizens National Bank of Jeffersonville, Indiana, the promissory note of John G. Webb, dated June 2nd, 1905, for Ten Thousand Dollars, payable four months after date, with Fourteen Thousand Dollars of Columbus, Delaware & Marion Railway Company bonds, numbered 2689 to. 2716, inclusive, attached as collateral; and
“Whereas, said Holzbog has endorsed said note, guaranteeing payment thereof.
[27] “Now, Therefore, said Holzbog further pledges, to secure payment of said note or any renewal thereof, including interest, and on the same terms and'conditions as said railroad bonds are pledged, Nine Thousand Dollars of the bonds of the. German Savings and Loan Association of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and numbered 931, 940, 941, 943, 944, 942, 915, 933, and 910, at One Thousand Dollars each, said latter bonds being the property of said Holzbog and to be delivered to said Holzbog upon full payment of said note and interest as above pledged.
“(Signed) George H. Holzbog.”

Indorsed across the face of it by the president of the Citizens National Bank is the following:

“Copy of the collateral agreement of. George H. Holzbog attached to George G. Webb’s note dated June 2nd, 1905, for Ten Thousand Dollars and discounted with the Citizens National Bank, Jeffersonville, Indiana, June 8th, 1905.
“(Signed) John C. Zulauf, President.’/

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Webb v. Citizens National Bank of Jeffersonville, 115 N.E. 799, 70 Ind. App. 22, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 101 (Ind. Ct. App. 1917).

115 N.E. 799 (Webb v. Citizens National Bank of Jeffersonville) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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