Young v. Bank of Princeton

71 S.W. 713, 97 Mo. App. 576, 1903 Mo. App. LEXIS 20
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 5, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 71 S.W. 713 (Young v. Bank of Princeton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Young v. Bank of Princeton, 71 S.W. 713, 97 Mo. App. 576, 1903 Mo. App. LEXIS 20 (Mo. Ct. App. 1903).

Opinion

SMITH, P. J.

— The facts disclosed by the record in this case may be chronologically and briefly stated in about this way, viz.: William A. Lynam, a cattle-trader residing in the northern part of this State, made to Scannel & Patterson his note for $866, to secure which he executed a chattel mortgage in which the property covered by it was described in this way: ‘ Twenty head of one-year-old steers, color red, one black steer calf, one white steer calf, twenty-six head of steers coming two years old, all red.” And to Seannell, Foster & Co. said Lynam made a further note for $1,050, to secure which latter he executed a further mortgage in which the property is described as “fifteen reds and roans, one white and four blacks, also twenty-seven head of one-year-old steers, reds and roans.” It was provided in each of said mortgages that in case of an attempt to remove the cattle from either Sullivan or Mercer counties the payeees in the notes or their legal representatives might take possession of the cattle, etc.

Before the maturity of said notes the payees therein named indorsed and delivered the same, so that they passed into other hands until one Holmes became the legal holder thereof, and after maturity he insisted on payment. Lynam not being able or willing to then make payment, he and-the payees applied to the plaintiff herein to carry the same and they accordingly procured the possession of the notes and mortgages from Holmes and entered into negotiations with plaintiff in respect thereto, resulting in Lynam with one Cook executing to plaintiff their joint note for $2,060 with an agreement to transfer to him the mortgage notes as collateral security thereto, and accordingly the payees in the latter [580]*580notes with Lynaxn delivered the same to plaintiff who paid over to them fifteen hundred dollars by a check for $1,000 and the balance in cash. The payees and Lynam, after the receipt of the $1,500, told plaintiff that if he would let them have the notes that they would take them to Holmes, obtain his indorsement thereon and then return them to him. Plaintiff assented to this and delivered to them the notes, but he never saw them again.

It appears from the testimony of Holmes, given at the trial, that he never authorized the payees of Lynam to sell or dispose of the notes. The payees and Lynam paid over to Holmes on the notes the check and money they had received of plaintiff. Holmes testified without objection that the payees assured him that they were to get the money of plaintiff on the note of Lynam and Cook. He further testified that shortly after the mortgage notes were returned to him, and the $1,500 obtained of plaintiff was paid to him, that he told the payees that if Lynam would let him ship the cattle to Kansas City and there sell them and if there was anything over after the payment of the balance due on the mortgage notes that he would pay it to him; and that the latter requested that he wait until a couple of days later and he would ship the cattle and accompany him (Holmes) to Kansas City. This was agreed to and Holmes and Lynam two days afterward went with forty-one head of cattle to Kansas City where the same were sold. Out of the proceeds of the sale Holmes was paid the amount still due on the mortgage notes and the balance of $1,218.54 was deposited in a Kansas City bank to the credit of the defendant, the Princeton bank. The mortgage notes were delivered to Lynam marked paid.

It appears that Stiles and Miller were sureties on a note of Lynam to Squires for $2,500. On October 1, 1900, the day after the sale of the cattle, Lynam gave his sureties a check on the defendant bank for $1,218.54, payable to “G-. W. Squires or bearer.” On the next day Stiles presented the check to the bank with a request that the amount be placed to the credit of Squires’[581]*581account with, the defendant bank. The cashier accepted the cheek, charged it to the account of Lynam and credited it to the account of Squires.

It appears that the cattle were shipped in the name of the defendant hank, but whether with its knowledge >or approval does not clearly appear. It seems, however, that the Kansas City bank promptly notified the defendant bank of the deposit with it. It does not appear further than by inference, how the defendant bank became apprised that the deposit was to go to the credit of Lynam’s account. Whether this fact was learned from the Kansas City bank or from Lynam, or otherwise, was not shown. There is no question but that the amount so deposited was the proceeds arising from the sale of part of the cattle by Holmes, or by Holmes and Lynam, and that it was placed to the credit of Lynam on the books of the defendant bank. Squires kept an account with the hank, hut at the time his account was credited with the amount of the Lynam check he was absent from the State and it does not appear that he was made aware of the credit until the date of his garnishment presently to be mentioned.

To reach the amount thus in the defendant bank the plaintiff brought a suit in equity against Lynam and the said hank. In his petition he alleged the execution of the notes and chattel mortgages, with a description of the cattle contained in the latter; the purchaser of the same, and that the defendants, Lynam and the bank, had converted the cattle to their own use and had sold the same with notice of the mortgage liens, realizing therefrom the said sum of $1,218.54, which was on deposit in the name of defendant Lynam in the defendant hank; and then prayed that said sum be ordered to be paid to him — plaintiff. A few days after this suit was brought, plaintiff brought two suits of attachment against Lynam; one on the two mortgage notes and the other on the $2,060 note of Lynam and Cook. Squires and defendant bank were summoned as garnishees in these attachment suits. 'By the pleadings in these several actions the issue was made as to whom the pro[582]*582ceeds of the sale of the cattle belonged. The garnishment was not served nntil after the giving of the check, the presentation of the same to the defendant bank, the acceptance thereof, and the charging of the same to the account of Lynam and the corresponding entry of a credit therefor on the account of Squires.

It should have been previously stated that when Lynam delivered the check to Stiles and Miller, he directed that the amount of the check be paid to Squires on his note on which they were his sureties, or deposited to his (Squires’) credit in the defendant bank.

After the pleadings were all in and before the commencement of the trial, the court consolidated all three actions and thereupon the defendants and garnishee demanded a trial by jury. This was refused and the court proceeded to hear and determine the issues without the aid of a jury.

During the progress of the trial the plaintiff offered in evidence the two chattel mortgages, to the introduction of which the defendant and garnishees objected on the ground that the description in the said mortgages were insufficient, vague and indefinite, etc. The court overruled'these objections and admitted them.

The finding and judgment was for plaintiff and against the defendant and garnishee bank for the amount claimed, and the latter appealed.

I.

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Bluebook (online)
71 S.W. 713, 97 Mo. App. 576, 1903 Mo. App. LEXIS 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/young-v-bank-of-princeton-moctapp-1903.