Western Nat. Bank of Ft. Worth v. Texas Christian University

176 S.W. 1194, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 628
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 3, 1915
DocketNo. 8126.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 176 S.W. 1194 (Western Nat. Bank of Ft. Worth v. Texas Christian University) 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
Western Nat. Bank of Ft. Worth v. Texas Christian University, 176 S.W. 1194, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 628 (Tex. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

DUNKLIN, J.

The Texas Building Company erected a building for the Texas Christian University known as “Clark Hall,” under a written contract, by the terms of which the owner was to pay to the contractor $56,-200. After all of the contract price had been paid with the exception of $5,505.20, writs of garnishment were served upon the university by Mitehell-Gartner & Co. and J. W. Mitchell & Co., judgment creditors of the building company, to subject the balance owing by the university to the payment of the judgments. In its answer to the writ, the garnishee alleged the building contract, the balance due thereon shown above, and inter-pleaded the Western National Bank of Ft. Worth, together with numerous individuals and firms who held claims against the contractor for labor and material furnished in the construction of the building. Prior to the service of the writs of garnishment, the university had deposited in the bank named the sum of $4,561 for the purpose of applying the same to the payment of the unpaid balance of the contract price for the building whenever the building should be finished. As a basis for interpleading the bank, the garnishee alleged that $3,100 of the amount which they had so deposited had been wrongfully applied by the bank to the payment of a draft drawn by the building company upon the university, which draft the company had never accepted. It was further alleged that the university had never in any manner agreed to the appropriation so made by the bank, and garnishee prayed for a determination of the issue whether or not the act of the bank in so appropriating said credit was rightful. In effect, this plea was that, if the payment of $3,100 so made by the bank constituted a proper debit against the university under the building contract, then the garnishee was entitled to credit therefor as against the building company and all parties having-claims for labor and material used in the construction of the building; otherwise, the garnishee was entitled to a judgment against the bank for said sum for the purpose of discharging the unpaid claims for labor and material. The bank excepted to the Interpleader against it upon the ground of a misjoinder of parties and causes of action, and also filed a plea of misjoinder. It further pleaded that $3,100 of the amount to the credit of the university in the bank was appropriated to cover the pay roll of the building company for labor performed upon the building in controversy upon the advice of John L. Cassell, one of the building committee of the university with authority to act for the university in the premises; that but for such advancements work upon the building would have ceased and the building would not have been ready for occupancy at the time desired by the university — all of which facts were made known to Cassell before he agreed to such an appropriation and induced him to make such agreement. The other parties interpleaded filed pleas of intervention setting up their claims for labor and material furnished in the construction of the building, and a judgment was rendered in their favor against the university for the aggregate sum of $3,604.39, directing that the same be paid in full out of the amount due by the university, and that the balance remaining of $5,505.20, due on the contract for the building, should be .applied to the payment of the garnishing creditors. Judgment was also rendered in favor of the garnishee against the bank for the $3,100 which the bank had appropriated out of the deposit made by the university. From that portion of the judgment last mentioned the bank has appealed.

The trial was by the court without the aid of a jury, and the findings of fact filed by the trial judge have not been assailed. According to those findings, it appears that the building company also kept an account with appellant bank using the fictitious name of “Alvord Special,” for the purpose of concealing from its creditors any balance that might be due it. On October 6, 1913, the building company drew ,a draft on the university in favor of the bank for the sum of $4,000, which the bank accepted and credited to the Alvord Special account on the same day. On *1196 October 15, 1913, tbe bank charged $3,100 of tbe draft to tbe account of tbe university. Between October 6tb and October 28tb, tbe building company, by checks on tbe Alvord Special account, paid tbe sum of $1,288.46, for material and labor used upon tbe building in question. On October 25, 1913, tbe writs of garnishment were served upon tbe university.

Tbe following are additional findings by tbe trial judge:

“(8) At the time said draft for $4,000 was made up on October 6, 1913, the Texas Building Company owed no items'for labor for the construction of Olark Hall.
“(9) It was from this draft of $4,000, dated October 6, 1913, that the Western National Bank endeavored to appropriate the sum of $3,100, charging it to the account of the Texas Christian University on October 15, 1913.
“(10) The Western National Bank not only paid checks upon the Texas Christian University job, but also paid all checks indiscriminately given by the Texas Building Company on any job out of the account known as ‘Alvord Special.’
“(11) Said sum of $3,100 was neither appropriated nor used by the Western National Bank exclusively for the payment of pay rolls .or other debts arising out of the Texas Christian University contract after October 6, 1913, and the same was not appropriated by the Western National Bank for that purpose exclusively.
“(12) At the time of these transactions ■ the Texas Building Company owed the Western National Bank the sum of $50,000.
“(13) The Western National Bank agreed that when the work was first begun on the Texas Christian University contract that it would advance money to the Texas Building Company for the whole contract whenever that company needed money and that it would be loaned to said company.
“(14) No estimate of the architect accompanied the $4,000 draft given by the Texas Building Company to the Western National Bank and drawn on Texas Christian University October 6, 1913. The contract for the erection of said building provided that no payment should be made except on estimate furnished by the 'architect.”
“(17) There was no contract or agreement between the Texas Christian University and the Western National Bank, whereby the said Western National Bank was to be subrogated to any rights of the Texas Christian University in the sum of $3,100 appropriated out of said draft or any other sums represented by the same.”
“(21) On October 15, 1913, the Western National Bank appropriated to its own use $3,100 of said money of the Texas Christian University on deposit with said bank without authority or direction so to do by Texas Christian University, its treasurer, or any of its officers or agents, and without any right so to do, and said bank has no just valid claim to said $3,100, or any part thereof.
“(22) At the time Mr. Taylor for _the Texas Building Company agreed to give the draft for $4,000 to Western National Bank, drawn upon the Texas Christian University, Mr. Eddleman, president of the Western National Bank, agreed with Mr. Taylor that the draft would not be used unless Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
176 S.W. 1194, 1915 Tex. App. LEXIS 628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-nat-bank-of-ft-worth-v-texas-christian-university-texapp-1915.