National Surety Co. v. Canon Block Investment Co.
National Surety Co. v. Canon Block Investment Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The principal facts involved in this case are fully stated in National Surety Company v. Canon, 62 Colo. 401, 163 Pac. 284, and a brief summary thereof is sufficient for an understanding of the question here presented.
The treasurer of Mesa County had designated the Mesa County National Bank as a depositary of county funds, and,
The additional facts material to this review are as follows : One Adams was the president of said bank, and was also the president of a company which then owned the property now sought to be made liable for the taxes which the Surety Company alleges it has paid. Following a practice shown to have prevailed for several years, the county treasurer, at the request of Adams, delivered to him at the bank, receipts for the taxes on said property and other property, and received from Adams a deposit slip showing a deposit of the several sums named in said tax receipts.
In the case above mentioned we held that, since the evidence established the fact that the bank had, for several years, thus paid its taxes, and the taxes of certain of its depositors, the county treasurer was justified in treating the transaction as a payment of taxes, and a deposit of money to his account, the bank being held bound by its acquiescence in the acts of its officers in a series of similar cases. Plaintiff in error contends that in paying the judgment it paid said taxes, and that it is subrogated to the rights of the county treasurer to enforce the claim for taxes against the property.
Had the bank continued in business, and charged the items on the deposit' slip to the respective depositors for whom taxes were paid, it would have had a valid claim on them for reimbursement. The fact of its failure and ceasing to do business does not affect the situation in the eye of the law. It would appear, then that the receiver had a claim against said depositor, which, if collected, would inure to the benefit of all the bank’s creditors, including the plaintiff in error. If plaintiff in error had really paid the taxes, instead of merely paying the county treasurer money'which its principal owed him, the cases cited' on subrogation would be in point. As it is they have no bearing on the case.
We are of the opinion that the action was wrongly conceived, and that the demurrer was properly sustained.
The judgment is accordingly affirmed.
Affirmed.
Decision en banc.
Justices Scott and Burke dissent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- National Surety Company v. Canon Block Investment Company
- Status
- Published