Wright v. Fox

103 N.E. 442, 56 Ind. App. 315, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 13
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 11, 1913
DocketNo. 8,058
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 103 N.E. 442 (Wright v. Fox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wright v. Fox, 103 N.E. 442, 56 Ind. App. 315, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 13 (Ind. Ct. App. 1913).

Opinion

Caldwell, J.

The facts in this case are in part as follows : On and prior to February 1, 1907, George W. Souers was a dealer in stallions at Warren, Indiana. Prior to that day, John M. Fox, husband of appellee, had been negotiating with Souers for the purchase of such a horse. Souers and Fox came to an agreement, by which the latter was to purchase from the former a certain Belgian stallion, known as “Surprenant”, at the price of $1,650, payment to be made by the execution of two notes, bearing date of February 1, 1907, in the respective sums of $500 and $600, maturing September 1, 1908, and September 1, 1909, respectively, and a third note in the sum of $550, not involved in this action. Souers agreed to execute a written guarantee on the horse, and to deliver him March 1, 1907. Before the execution of any of the papers provided for by the terms of the contract, Souers ascertained that Fox was not a man of property, but that his wife, the appellee, Barbria E. Fox, was the owner of a farm. He informed Fox that the sale must be made to appellee, and that she would be required to execute said note and a certificate to the effect that she was the purchaser of the horse, and that said written guarantee must be made to appellee, rather than to her husband, John M. Fox. Thereupon, Souers, in the absence of appellee, prepared three notes, and also a written certificate of sale, the latter reciting that said horse was on February 1, sold to appellee for the sum of $1,650, and which certificate included certain provisions by which the horse was guaranteed in certain respects. Said certificate of sale was signed by Souers. The notes as prepared by 'Souers were by the terms thereof payable to him or his order as payee, at a designated bank in this State, and were in form and [319]*319substance such as to constitute them commercial instruments, negotiable by the terms of our statute under the law merchant. Souers delivered the certificate of sale to John M. Fox, and the notes to Mr. Wilson, agent of Souers, with instructions to the agent to procure appellee’s signature to the notes. He also instructed his agent to procure from appellee a certificate that she was the purchaser of the horse. The foregoing transactions were had at the sale stables of Souers, and in the absence of appellee. Thereupon, on said day Fox and Wilson, the agent, went to the home of the former, and the next morning called on Mr. Carr, a lawyer, who under their instructions, prepared a certificate of purchase, complete except as to appellee’s signature. Mr. Carr returned to the Fox residence with Mr. Fox and Mr. Wilson, and appellee thereupon signed said certificate of purchase and said notes and permitted them to be delivered to Mr. Wilson as the agent of Souers. The certificate of purchase is as follows:

“Akron, Indiana, February 2, 1907.
To all concerned: This to certify that I, the undersigned, purchased of George W. Souers, one imported stallion, named 1 Surprenant’ at and for the price of $1,650.00, taking the title to said horse in my own name.
Barbria E. Fox.”

Appellee did not come in contact with the transaction leading to and culminating in the purchase of the horse, except that she signed the certificate of purchase and the notes as aforesaid, and apparently she was present and participated in certain conversations had by her husband and Wilson prior to February 1, 1907, the subject-matter of which was the contemplated purchase of the stallion from Souers. The horse, having been delivered as per agreement, apparently developed or manifested certain vicious traits, by reason of which Fox became dissatisfied with him, and in August, 1907, by arrangement made with Souers, exchanged him for a two-year-old Belgian colt. Subsequent [320]*320to February 1, 1907, the partnership of George W. Souers & Son was formed, consisting of George W. Souers and his son, and said notes were transferred by endorsement to the partnership. Thereafter, and before the maturity of either of the notes, the first two of them were transferred for value by endorsement to George W. Crawford by the partnership, and later, and before the maturity of the notes, Crawford transferred the two notes by endorsement to the appellant, Frederick S. Wright. The two notes having matured, and not having been paid, appellant instituted this suit for their collection, making defendant thereto only the appellee Barbria E. Fox. Appellee for her answer to the complaint alleged that she executed said notes as surety for her husband. Appellant replied by general denial, and certain special paragraphs. By the special paragraphs, appellant alleged the necessary elements of a tona fide purchase and holding of the notes by George W. Crawford, and a like tona fide_ purchase and holding of the notes by the appellant, and that each of them took the notes in full reliance on the certificate of purchase, and that each of them was induced by the certificate of purchase so to take the notes.

The answer, with the complaint, presents the issue of whether appellee executed the notes as surety for her husband, rather than as principal, and the special paragraphs of reply, with the answer, present the issue of whether appellee is estopped to make her defense of surety as against appellant, (1) by reason of his reliance on the certificate of purchase, so executed by appellee, (2) by reason of Crawford’s reliance thereon, appellant correctly assuming that any right to avail himself of the principle of estoppel that George W. Crawford may have had as the endorsee of the notes, passed to appellant, with Crawford’s endorsement thereof. The issues were submitted to a jury for trial. The general verdict was in favor of appellee. With the [321]*321general verdict, the jury returned answers to certain special interrogatories.

1. The errors assigned, and not waived in this court, challenge the court’s action in overruling appellant’s motion for judgment in his favor on the answers of the jury to the interrogatories, notwithstanding the general verdict, and in overruling the appellant’s motion for a new trial. The general verdict amounts to a finding in appellee’s favor that she executed the notes as surety for her husband, rather than as principal, and appellant does not contend that the answers of the jury to the special interrogatories overthrow the general verdict in this respect. In fact, appellant in his reply brief concedes that since the evidence on the subject of whether appellee was surety or principal, together with the inferences that may be legitimately deduced therefrom, was conflicting, he is concluded in this court by the general verdict that appellee is surety on the notes, as alleged in her answer. We shall, therefore, assume, for purposes of a further discussion of this case, that appellee was surety rather than principal. Section 7855 Burns 1914, §5119 R. S. 1881, provides that “A married woman shall not enter into any contract of suretyship, either as endorser, guarantor or in any other manner; and such contract as to her shall be void.” Appellee was a married woman when she executed the notes in suit. As we have said, it must be concluded in this court, in view of the admissions contained in appellee’s brief, that she executed them as surety for her husband, rather than as principal.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 N.E. 442, 56 Ind. App. 315, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 13, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wright-v-fox-indctapp-1913.