In re Doyle & Son's Estate
In re Doyle & Son's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Appeal of the assignee from an order allowing respondent’s claim against the insolvents’ estate and an order settling the assignee’s account. It appears that Doyle & Son borrowed from the wife of Doyle, Sr., the sum of $1,500 in January, 1897, part of which the firm invested in starting a grocery business in Los Angeles. The firm sold the entire stock and fixtures March 10, 1898, for $948.90; receiving at the time $200, and on March 17th the balance, $748.90. They paid to creditors the $200, and deposited in bank, to the credit of Doyle & Son, the $748.90. Within thirty days after the sale they drew out this money, and took a New York draft for the amount, payable to the order of Mrs. Doyle, and delivered it to her. The evidence is, to some extent, directed to the intention of the parties in this transaction. Without quoting from the testimony, it appears reasonably clear therefrom that the purpose of Doyle and wife was to keep the money from being wasted by attachment suits, and to hold it for an equitable distribution among all the creditors. This is apparently the view taken by the trial court in making the orders complained of, and finds support in the evidence. After Mrs. Doyle had secured possession of the draft, the creditors, March 24, 1898, began proceedings against Doyle & Son in involuntary insolvency, in which a receiver was appointed; and on the same day he brought an action against Mrs. Doyle and her husband, D. M. Doyle, to enjoin Mrs. Doyle from-converting said draft into money, and for judgment against her for the delivery of the draft or its proceeds to the receiver. The court made the order enjoining Mrs. Doyle from transferring or negotiating the draft. A stipulation was entered into by the attorneys of the respective parties agreeing that the draft should be cashed, and the proceeds be deposited with the clerk of the court, “less the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, .... to be paid to the said Lizzie E. Doyle; .... it being understood
Appellant’s contention is that respondent received a preference in violation of the insolvent act, and that she, as a creditor, could not surrender the money received by her, and receive a dividend, unless such surrender was voluntarily made, and not as the result of adversary proceedings instituted by the assignee, and prosecuted to final judgment; citing numerous cases, and Bump on Bankruptcy. The evidence justified the court in holding that respondents acted in good faith* in taking the draft, and without any intention of defrauding the other creditors. Shortly after the receiver brought his action, and some time before judgment, she surrendered all the money received by her, except $150, which the evidence tends to show she used for family purposes. In that action, however, the court gave judgment against her for this $150, reciting therein that she had turned over to the clerk the balance received by her. The court evidently, in view of the stipulations and notices already referred to, and probably in view of evidence at the trial of that action not now before us, acquitted respondent of all actual fraud in the matter, but held her liable under the insolvent act for constructive fraud alone as to the money appropriated by her. Having turned over the money to the clerk, and he to the assignee, some time before judgment, the court rightly, we think, held her entitled to share as a creditor in the dividends, first deducting from her share this $150. Respondent was entitled, under the circumstances, to avail herself of the locus poenitentiae at the time she did so, and she did not lose her right to share in the dividends because she contested the assignee’s claim to the $150. We so understand the law, as stated by "Mr. Bump at the page of this author’s book re-
We concur: Haynes, C.; Gray, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the orders appealed from are affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re DOYLE & SON'S ESTATE
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Insolvency.—Where, Prior to Insolvency Proceedings Against a Firm, the wife of a member, who was also a creditor, received a draft belonging to the firm in good faith, without intending to defraud other creditors, but to keep the money from being wasted by attachments, her surrender of the principal part of the money to the assignee after an action was brought by him against her therefor, but before judgment, was in time to entitle her to share in the dividends, as a creditor free from fraud, though she contested the assignee’s right to the balance of the proceeds of the draft, which she had used for family purposes.