Bowman v. Lewis
Bowman v. Lewis
Opinion of the Court
This suit for cancellation of notes which it is claimed were infected by usury, and for cancellation of a deed given to secure the payment of the notes, was brought by Mrs. Iva M. Lewis against S. D. Bowman. The plaintiff alleged that on February 3, 1928, she borrowed from Bowman $1200, and gave him sixty notes of $28 each, payable monthly; that the aggregate amount of these notes was $1680; that $480 of this represented interest on the $1200 principal at 8 per cent, for the entire period of the loan, five years; that the principal and interest were added together, and the sixty notes for $28 each represented both principal and interest, it being stipulated in each note that the rate of interest was 8 per cent, from maturity; that the charge of full amount of interest at 8 per cent, as if for the full period of the loan, while the notes were made payable monthly, constituted usury; that the plaintiff had paid thirty-five of the notes, making a total of $980, and she tendered $220, which with the $980 paid would make the full amount of the principal which she borrowed; and because of the alleged usury she asked for cancellation of the remainder of the notes and of the security deed.
Bowman in his answer admitted that he received the sixty notes for $28 each; that they were secured by the deed; that the plaintiff paid thirty-five of these notes; and that she made the tender of $220; but he claimed that he loaned the plaintiff $1680, and denied that the transaction was usurious. The issues formed by the pleadings and the evidence were tried; a verdict in favor of the plaintiff was returned; and judgment was entered that upon the payment of $220 the notes and security deed be canceled.
Bowman’s motion for new trial on the general grounds was overruled, and he excepted.
Bowman introduced two checks, one for $1080, and one for $600, both marked paid by the Bank of Dawson, both payable to Mrs. Iva M. Lewis, and indorsed by Iva M. Lewis and A. A. Lewis, her husband. Bowman testified that Mrs. Lewis never talked to him personally about borrowing money from him, but that he agreed with Arch A. Lewis, her husband (deceased at the time of the trial), to let Mrs. Lewis'have $1680 at 8 per cent, per annum, to be repaid in sixty monthly installments; and that he let Mrs. Lewis have the checks. On cross-examination he testified as follows: “I let Mrs. Iva M. Lewis have the full amount of $1680, the exact amount of the notes she signed; therefore there was no usury charged. There was no interest charged. ’ I did not intend to make the loan without charging any interest, but I did make it without charging any interest. It was a mistake on my part; the notes were intended to bear interest at 8 per cent, from date. I did not ever call Mrs. Iva M. Lewis’s attention to the error about the mistake as to the time the notes began bearing interest. I did not call Mrs. Iva M. Lewis’s attention to the so-called error in the interest-bearing date of the notes, because I never had any discussion with Mrs. Lewis about this loan during the life time of her agent, Arch A. Lewis. I was requested to make the cheeks out in two checks, just as they were written.”
C. D. Cocke, for the plaintiff, testified: “I was cashier of the Bank of Dawson during all the month of February, 1928, and for several years prior thereto. This paper is the original deposit slip showing a deposit made in the Bank of Dawson by Mrs. Iva M. Lewis on February 10, 1928, the items deposited being as follows: ‘Check S. D. Bowman, $1080.00, Check S. D. Bowman, $120.00, Total, $1200.00. Received by C. D. Cocke.’ As cashier of the Bank of Dawson, I received the above-described deposit, as itemized, of $1200, and credited to Mrs. Iva M. Lewis’s account in the Bank of Dawson with the $1200. Mr. Arch A. Lewis brought the deposit to the Bank of Dawson.” -On cross-examination his
The plaintiff tendered in evidence sixty notes, each dated February 3, 1928, the first being due on March 3, 1928, and one note maturing thereafter on the 3d day of each following month, each note payable to S. D. Bowman or order, each note for $28, each bearing interest from date of maturity at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum, and each note signed by Iva M. Lewis. The original deposit slip dated February 10, 1928, showing deposit made in the Bank of Dawson by Mrs. Iva M. Lewis, as follows: Check S. D. Bowman $1080, Check S. D. Bowman $120, Total, $1200.
The defendant tendered in evidence the following described two checks: One dated February 3, 1928, drawn on the Bank of Dawson, payable to the order of Mrs. Iva M. Lewis, for $1080, signed by S. D. Bowman, indorsed by Mrs. Iva M. Lewis and A. A. Lewis, said check marked paid by the Bank of Dawson, on February 11, 1928. One check dated February 3, 1928, payable to the order of Mrs. Iva M. Lewis, for $600, signed by S. D. Bowman, and indorsed by Iva M. Lewis, said check marked paid on February 11, 1928, by the Bank of Dawson.
It will be seen from the consideration of all this evidence that there are certain discrepancies in the testimony of the witness Cocke, who had been cashier of the Bank of Dawson. That testimony is quoted above. From his testimony on direct examination it would appear that the sum of $1200 was deposited in the
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.