First National Bank v. Wilson
First National Bank v. Wilson
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The First National Bank of Eureka brought this action against Nannie Wilson and Mamie E. Wilson upon a promissory note given in renewal of a note dated December 17, 1910. The defendants filed a cross-peti-. tion setting up a counterclaim to the bank’s demand. The jury’s verdict, was in favor of the defendants, who recovered judgment for costs. The plaintiff appeals.
The bank contends that Nye acted for himself in the transactions with defendant, and not for the bank as an officer of the bank. This was a question of fact upon which the evidence was conflicting, and it may safely be said that the finding that he was acting for the bank is not without support. Defendant was unwilling to close the deal unless the bank would take care of her interests-and see that she had a square deal. She therefore applied to the bank, and its vice president undertook to protect her interests, and, among other things, to obtain the indorsement of the lien notes by Braden. At this time she asked the vice president the question, “Will your bank stand back of me in this transaction; will you draw the contract and stand by it?” and he answered, “Certainly.” In the contract which was drawn up it was- provided that the deeds, abstracts and papers should be deposited in the bank. In the correspondence conducted in carrying out the transaction most of the letters written by Nye were signed as vice president. After the deed was executed by defendant and left in the bank and the question of its delivery arose the vice president said, “You can trust this bank, Mrs. Wilson; it will be all right for you to leave this deed signed here and we will see that it is not delivered to Mr. Braden until his securities are approved.” In one letter written by Nye to defendant as to the collection by the bank of one of the lien notes he said: “You see he made it payable to you and without your indorsement we could not collect it.” Later, according to the defendant’s testimony, the cashier told Mamie Wilson, the daughter of defendant, that the bank had handled the deal very badly for her mother, and added: “If I had been in the bank at the time, your mother should never have made the deal.” A number of other letters written by the vice president tended in some degree to show that it was a bank rather than an individual transaction. A charge of twenty dollars was made for transacting the business and this the defendant paid. Under the evidence it must be held that the verdict set-, ties the dispute as to the capacity in which the vice president was acting and is a final determination that he was acting for the bank throughout the transaction.
It must be held, therefore, first, that the agreement was made by the bank, and, second, that it is responsible for the injury and loss which resulted from the negligent acts of its officers.
The view taken disposes of the objections made to the rulings upon evidence and also to the instructions. We find no material error in the proceedings, and therefore the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The First National Bank of Eureka v. Nannie Wilson and Mamie E. Wilson
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Bank — Contract with Customer — To Manage Exchange of Land— Breach by Bank — Damages—Charter Poivers — Ultra Vires — Estoppel. Where a national bank undertakes through its officers to assist a customer in the financial transaction of exchanging her land for certain lien notes and other property, and agrees to hold the deed conveying the land of the customer until the lien notes should be properly indorsed by the other party guaranteeing their payment, and the officers of the bank, after receiving compensation for their services, accept the notes without the proper indorsement and then deliver the customer’s deed to the land, in violation of their agreement, by reason of which the customer suffers loss, the bank may not, when sued for the loss so occasioned and after enjoying the benefits of the transaction, set up the defense that the agreement made and the business done was in excess of its charter powers, nor escape liability upon the ground that the acts of its officers were ultra vires. 2. Same — Act of Bank Officers — Binding on the Bank. Under the evidence it is held that the officers of the bank in making and carrying out the agreement were acting for the bank' and not for themselves individually.