Alex Moffit & Sons v. Price Bros.
Alex Moffit & Sons v. Price Bros.
Opinion of the Court
No evidence was offered in the case, and the facts must be gathered from the pleadings, the answers to eer
“Tipton, June 24, 1915.
“In consideration of value rec’d — 1 W D Price do hereby promise and agree the notes given me today of $10,000.00 $10,000.00 and $5,000.00 respectively due Oct. 1, 1915, payable to John T: Beamer Company to be used as collateral to a certain loan being made by me for the benefit and use of John T. Beamer Company shall and will be'repaid out of the first funds received by me from John T. Beamer Company, John T. Beamer or from the sale or mortgaging of lands or sale of stock.
“As funds are received or payments made said notes shall be cancelled and the notes returned to Alex Moffit and Sons, Meehanicsville, Iowa.
“Albert II. & Walter D. Price.
“By Walter D. Price.”
It further appears that the appellees paid $15,000 of their said obligation on or about March, 1916, and the remaining $10,000 in December of 1917. On or about the 10th of June,
I. The first question that confronts us is the proper construction to be placed upon the language of the writing itself. No evidence having been offered, we must construe this writing in the light of the allegations of the p'eadings and the answers to interrogatories which, for the pftrpose of the motion for judgment, are admitted to be true.
The written instrument could undoubtedly have been more aptly worded to have expressed the intention of the parties, but we do not regard it as so ambiguous and uncertain as to be of doubtful interpretation. It appears therefrom that the appellants specifically promised and agreed to do certain things. It clearly appears that the three notes of appellees therein referred to, all due October 1, 1915, and aggregating $25,000, made payable to John T. Beamer Company, were to be held by the appellants “as collateral” to a loan made by appellants for the use and benefit of the Beamer Company. This loan was for $100,000. It also appears from the. record that the loan was to be made for a period of ninety days, and it is apparent that, if the same had been paid within the said period, the appellees would not be required to pay said collateral notes. The $100,000 obligation of the Beamer Company became due September 28, 1915, and the collateral notes of appellees were due October 1, 1915;
It is insisted that the parties expected that the Beamer loan of $100,000 would be repaid in installments as the Texas lands were sold. Even if this were true, it would in no way affect the terms of the written instrument.
It is contended that the obligation of the appellants was to “cancel and return” the notes of appellees. That is true, and wholly consistent with the agreement that the notes were to be held as collateral. The contract does no more than, in effect, provide that, if funds were received or payments made by Beamer which satisfied his obligation, appellees’ notes would be canceled and returned. This was wholly consistent with their being held as collateral security. But the contract also provides that the notes should be “repaid” out of the funds received from Beamer or the Beamer Company, or from the sale or mortgaging of other securities. In other words, the contract provides that, if the Beamer loan should be paid by the principal debtor, without calling on the appellees, then the notes held as collateral should be canceled and returned ;• or, if the collateral notes were paid by appellees, that the amount so paid should be “repaid” out of the funds that were received from the Beamer properties by appellants.
It is argued, however, that the written instrument recites
II. It is contended by the appellants that the surrounding circumstances, as set forth in the record, render the written instrument unenforcible as against the appellants; that there was a mutual and practical construction placed upon the written instrument by the parties that is controlling as to the true interpretation. Where a writing is obscure or ambiguous, the courts very properly take into consideration all pertinent facts and circumstances surrounding the parties and their acts and conduct in regard to the instrument, for the purpose of arriving at the true interpretation to be placed thereon-. There is, hoAvever, no such ambiguity and uncertainty in the written instrument herein as requires a court to look to extraneous facts and circumstances in order to construe it.
It is undoubtedly true that all of the parties concerned in the transaction anticipated, and doubtless entertained the hope, that, .before the first of October, when the appellees’ notes became due, Beamer would be able to dispose of his land speculations in Texas and pay off a substantial portion, or all, of his obligation to the appellants. The fact that the appellees’ obligation of $25,000 was made in three notes, two of $10,000 each
It is also contended that the appellees are estopped to insist upon the repayment to appellees of the amount paid by them on said notes, out of the funds received by appellants from the Beamer properties referred to in the written instrument. Appellants insist that appellees are now estopped from asserting their claim to reimbursement under the contract, because of the fact that they stood by and permitted appellants to apply the collateral notes to the reduction of the principal debt, and to accept a new note with security for the difference only, and also because of appellees’ refusal to join with appellants in insisting upon and obtaining additional security from Beamer, although they had opportunity to do so, and were urged by appellants to obtain such security.
We are satisfied, from a careful examination of the record, that appellees neither waived the terms and conditions of the written contract nor are they in any manner estopped from claiming the benefit thereof. The action was at law. The appellees paid to the appellants the amount of the notes which they delivered to appellants under said written contract. The appellants concededly have received funds from Beamer and
The judgment of the lower court was correct, and the same is, therefore, — Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.