WISNER ELEVATOR CO. v. Richland State Bank

862 So. 2d 1112, 52 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 349, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 3453, 2003 WL 22927473
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 12, 2003
Docket37,764-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 862 So. 2d 1112 (WISNER ELEVATOR CO. v. Richland State Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
WISNER ELEVATOR CO. v. Richland State Bank, 862 So. 2d 1112, 52 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 349, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 3453, 2003 WL 22927473 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

862 So.2d 1112 (2003)

WISNER ELEVATOR COMPANY, INC., Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
RICHLAND STATE BANK, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 37,764-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

December 12, 2003.

McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC, by James C. Crigler, Jr., New Orleans, for Appellant.

Cotton, Bolton, Hoychick & Doughty, L.L.P., by David P. Doughty, Rayville, for Appellee.

Before BROWN, GASKINS and CARAWAY, JJ.

GASKINS, J.

Wisner Elevator Company, Inc. ("Wisner"), appeals from a summary judgment in favor of the defendant, Richland State Bank. At issue is the deposit of a check with a typed statement on the back directing that a portion of the funds be paid to a third party. We affirm the trial court judgment.

FACTS

On July 13, 2001, the United States Treasury, through the Farm Service Agency, issued a check in the amount of $17,420.00, made payable to Chad E. Gill. On the back of the check the following was typed:

*1113 PAY TO THE ORDER OF RICHLAND STATE BANK FOR ISSUANCE OF A CASHIER'S CHECK PAYABLE TO WISNER ELEVATOR IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,200.50 AND PAY THE BALANCE TO CHAD GILL IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,219.50.

On July 23, 2001, the check was deposited into Gill's checking account at Richland State Bank. Gill's signature is found on the back of the check below the typed paragraph. No cashier check to Wisner Elevator was issued; instead the entire amount was deposited into Gill's checking account as per Gill's deposit ticket.

On May 13, 2002, counsel for Wisner made amicable demand upon Richland State Bank. On May 28, 2002, Wisner filed suit against the bank, claiming that its failure to apply the funds as per the restrictive indorsement constituted a conversion of the portion of the check due to Wisner under La. R.S. 10:3-206(c)(2).[1]

On June 10, 2002, the bank filed peremptory exceptions of no right/cause of action and an answer. In its exceptions, it asserted that the indorsement on the back of the check was a conditional indorsement and ineffective under La. R.S. 10:3-206(b).[2] The bank also argued that Wisner had no standing or right of action to sue because it was not a payee, indorsee or holder of the check. In its answer, the bank asserts the fault of the United States Treasury and/or the U.S. Department of Agriculture and/or the Farm Service Administration, in failing to make the check payable to both Gill and Wisner. To the extent that the indorsement was conditional, the bank contends that it was unenforceable; to the extent that it was restrictive, it maintains that the restrictions were waived by the indorser when he deposited the full amount of the check into his own checking account.

On June 26, 2002, Wisner filed a motion for summary judgment. Attached to the motion was an affidavit by Brad Terral, the president of Wisner, stating that Wisner was owed $13,200.50 by Gill for seeds, chemicals, crop supplies and agricultural seed technology fees. He further stated that Gill never paid the $13,200.50 he owed and that Wisner did not receive a cashier's check issued in that amount by Richland State Bank.

On August 20, 2002, Richland State Bank filed a motion for summary judgment. Attached to the motion was an affidavit by Hettie Hastings, the bank teller who handled the transaction. According to her, Gill asked to deposit the entire amount in his account. She further stated that the bank was unaware that the indorsement was written by someone other than Gill.

*1114 The parties agreed that the facts were not in dispute and submitted the cross motions for summary judgment to the trial court on memorandums. The court found that the typed indorsement placed on the check was the indorsement of the maker, not Gill. However, when Gill signed below the indorsement, he made it his own indorsement. The court concluded that Gill had the legal power and authority to verbally instruct that the entire proceeds be deposited into his account. The court stated that as long as the indorsement was his own, whether it was restrictive or conditional, Gill had the power to ignore it, strike it out or give contrary instructions.

The court further concluded that the bank acted properly when it followed the verbal instructions given by Gill to the teller and the written instructions on his deposit slip to deposit the entire proceeds into Gill's account. Consequently, the court gave summary judgment in favor of the bank. It pretermitted consideration of the bank's exceptions. Judgment was signed March 24, 2003.

Wisner appeals.

LAW

Our review of a grant or denial of a motion for summary judgment is de novo. Independent Fire Insurance Company v. Sunbeam Corporation, 1999-2181 (La.2/29/00), 755 So.2d 226. Appellate courts review summary judgments de novo under the same criteria that govern the district court's consideration of whether summary judgment is appropriate. Sunset Realty, Inc. v. Antonini, 36,788 (La. App.2d Cir.1/29/03), 836 So.2d 1173. A motion for summary judgment will be granted "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to material fact, and that the mover is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." La. C.C.P. art. 966(B).

DISCUSSION

Wisner contends that the trial court erred in holding that the bank could disregard what Wisner characterizes as a special and restrictive indorsement on the back of the check. It claims that under La. R.S. 10:3-206, the amount paid by the bank had to be "applied consistently with" the indorsement and that the bank's failure to comply with the indorsement made it liable to Wisner. According to Wisner, Gill was not entitled to deposit the amount due to Wisner by virtue of his own special indorsement and the bank converted the check under La. R.S. 10:3-420[3] by crediting the full amount to Gill's account.

The bank argues that the indorsement was conditional and thus could be ignored pursuant to La. R.S. 10:3-206(b). It also asserts that nothing on the check indicated that the indorsement was written by someone other than Gill. Since the check was made payable to Gill, the indorsement was *1115 not necessary to his title and could be ignored, struck out or simply waived. The bank also claims that Wisner had no ownership interest in the check, did not receive delivery of the check, and had no claim for conversion under La. R.S. 10:3-420.

We agree with the appellee that the true problem in this case is the failure of the government to issue the check jointly to Gill and Wisner as co-payees. Had the government done so, there would be no question as to Wisner's entitlement to a portion of the proceeds from the check.

Although the writing on the back of the check is referred to as an indorsement, we note that, standing alone, it does not truly conform to the definition found in La. R.S. 10:3-204.[4] This paragraph was placed on the back of the check by the government as the maker or drawer of the check. Consequently, the appellee argues that Gill as sole payee could waive, ignore or strike out the language.

Although the Louisiana jurisprudence contains no similar case dealing with the Uniform Commercial Code, we may look to other jurisdictions for guidance. Quantum Supplies Inc. v. Bank of the South, 544 So.2d 1 (La.App. 1st Cir.1989), writ denied, 550 So.2d 653 (La.1989); Sonnier v. Boudreaux, 95-2127 (La.App. 1st Cir.5/10/96), 673 So.2d 713.

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862 So. 2d 1112, 52 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 349, 2003 La. App. LEXIS 3453, 2003 WL 22927473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wisner-elevator-co-v-richland-state-bank-lactapp-2003.