Word v. Sparks

91 S.W.2d 261, 191 Ark. 893, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 423
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedApril 22, 1935
Docket4-3826
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 91 S.W.2d 261 (Word v. Sparks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Word v. Sparks, 91 S.W.2d 261, 191 Ark. 893, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 423 (Ark. 1935).

Opinions

Humphreys, J.

Appellee brought suit on May 9, 1934, against Calloway Woman’s College in the chancery court of White County to obtain judgment against it, and an equitable lien upon all its trust funds for the amount of a conditional endowment of United States Liberty Bonds delivered by her husband, Dr. J. E. Sparks, to said college under the allegations that the condition in the endowment contract had been broken, which entitled her to the return of the bonds or their value together with accumulated interest thereon until November, 1923.

It was alleged in the complaint that the bonds were delivered under a conditional written contract by the terms of which her husband, J. E. Sparks, was to deliver appellant $14,000 in United States Liberty Bonds bearing interest at' the rate of 4% per cent, per annum, with accumulated interest of $149.27, as an endowment, provided that, Avhen the interest added to the principal should amount to $17,143, said college should pay to the donor, as interest on said sum, $600 semi-annually during his life and, in the event of his death, the same amount semi-annually to appellee during her life, and upon her death, that the bonds and interest thereon should vest in said college on condition that, in case said college 'should fail to make the semi-annual payment of $600 to the donor or appellee, if she should survive him, then either might revoke the donation and retake possession of the funds conditionally given to the college upon written demand therefor if the college should remain in default in the payment thereof for sixty days after demand.

It was also alleged that, in violation of the trust agreement, appellant sold the bonds and used the proceeds in the construction of a heating plant in the buildings owned and used for college purposes, thereby enhancing the value thereof, and that the plant Cannot be removed without great damage to the buildings, and to the heating plant, practically destroying said heating' plant.

It is also alleged that, after the heating plant was completed and became a part of the buildings, the college borrowed $90,000 from Booth Brothers and mortgaged almost all of its buildings and other real estate to secure the payment of the loan, and that the mortgagees made said loan with full knowledge of the existence of said written endowment contract between her husband, J. E. Sparks, and the college, and that they knew the proceeds from the sale of the bonds were used in the construction of the heating plant. It was also alleged that appellant began, in the year 1923, to make the semi-annual payment of $600 to her husband and continued to make the payments until his death on the 16th day of August, 1932, and continued to make them to her until January, 1934, at which time it made default and continued in default more than sixty days after written demand to pay. same.

It was also alleged that 'the-college owned endowment funds in large amounts not included in the mortgage to Booth Brothers.

The prayer of the complaint was for a judgment for the amount of the bonds and accumulated interest until the year 1923, and that a lien be declared on all the trust or endowment property owned by the college to pay same, superior to the lien of the mortgagees or other creditors.

Shortly after appellee filed her complaint, the Security Bank and the Bank of Searcy filed a suit in said chancery court against Galloway Woman’s College alleging that it was an insolvent corporation and praying that its affairs be wound urr and that a receiver be appointed to take charge of all its property. A receiver was appointed, who took charge of all of its property, including the property mortgaged to Booth Brothers.

The receiver filed an answer stating that, after the execution of the written endowment contract between Dr. Sparks and the college, Dr. Sparks agreed that the bonds might be sold and the proceeds used in the construction of a heating plant for the college, and that, by doing so, he lost any equitable lien he might have under said contract on the assets of the college.

Booth Brothers intervened and set up their mortgage and prayed for a foreclosure against the property described therein to satisfy the indebtedness the college owed them, alleging that they knew nothing of the written endowment contract between Dr. Sparks and said college at the time the mortgage was executed to them. The suits were consolidated and tried upon the several pleadings and the testimony adduced, resulting in a decree of foreclosure in favor of Booth Brothers against the property described in the mortgage to satisfy the indebtedness of the college to them, from which there is no appeal; also a decree for a lien on all the other trust funds owned by the college and evidenced by the trust account of the college in favor of appellee to pay for the bonds and accrued interest up to 1923, which had been used in the construction of said heating plant, from which the receiver of said college has appealed.

The endowment contract was introduced in evidence and bears date of January 9, 1920. It was signed in triplicate by J. E. Sparks as party of the first part and the college, by its president and secretary, as party of the second part. It provided for the proper transfer of $14,000 of United States Liberty Bonds bearing interest at the rate of 4% per cent, per annum in trust for the college upon condition that, when the interest added to the principal should amount to $17,143, then the college should begin and continue to pay 7 per cent, per annum thereon, payable semi-annually, to Dr. Sparks during his life and to appellee, his Avife, for her life, should she survive him, and that, Avhen both should die, the funds and accumulated interest should vest in the college, provided the interest, of $600 semi-annually had been paid, but, in the event that the college should default in the payment thereof for sixty days after written demand, the donee, if living, and his wife if she survived him, should have the right to revoke the donation and retake possession of the funds. It was specifically provided in the contract that the bonds were a gift to the endowment fund and should be held in trust and used for that purpose only in case semi-annual interest had been paid. The bonds were transferred and delivered to the executive committee of the college, and soon thereafter were sold and the proceeds used for the construction of a heating plant for the college, which greatly enhanced the value of the buildings in which it was installed, and it would be impracticable and destructive to the heating plant to tear it out, and would reduce the value of the buildings to do so. The buildings in which the plant was installed were included in the mortgage to Booth Brothers. J. M. Williams, who was the president of the college on January 9, Í920, testified that Dr. J. E. Sparks wrote him a letter on January 6, 1920, stating that for a limited time they might convert and use the proceeds of the bonds in constructing a heating plant for the college, something like two or three years; that he, Williams, suggested, attaching the letter to the contract as a part thereof, but it was never attached and cannot be found; that he always regarded the funds derived from the sale of the bonds as a sacred trust fund. It appears that the endowment fund was kept in one account on the books of the college, and that all the property of every kind belonging to the trust or endowment fund was taken over by the receiver.

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Bluebook (online)
91 S.W.2d 261, 191 Ark. 893, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 423, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/word-v-sparks-ark-1935.