Bogel v. Teutonia National Bank
Bogel v. Teutonia National Bank
Opinion of the Court
A note drawn by J. M. Wagner and indorsed 'by William Bogel, for six hundred dollars, was discounted by the Teutonia National Bank, and the proceeds, less the discount, were placed to Bogel’s credit, and were used by him. Wagner was the cashier of the bank, and was, also, Bogel’s attorney in fact, authorized to transact his bank business, When the note fell due neither Wagner nor Bogel were in the city. It was not protested. Some time after Wagner returned, his attention was called to the fact, and the amount of the note was charged to Bogel’s account. Bogel was a customer of the bank. When his account was balanced he called on the cashier and told him that there was error in charging him with the note in question, and he claimed that he was dis
It is evident that if ho succeeds in his effort he will recover from the bank six hundred dollars without any consideration therefor, and the bank will bo without any recourse, for its former cashier, and Bogel’s agent, who drew the note and who was responsible to the bark, has left the State.
As Wagner was authorized by Bogel to transact his bhnk business, he was authorized to cause the amount of the note to be charged to Bogel’s account, aDd although Bogel objected to this at the time to Wagner, but not to any other officer of the bank, and several times accepted his account as balanced by the bank without its being corrected in that particular, he must, we think, be held to have acquiesced in the, act of his agent, which, after all, was only in discharge of a debt which he owed.
It is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the judgment of the district court be avoided, annulled, and reversed, and that there be judgment in favor of the defendants, with costs in both courts.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. Defendant, who was sued for an alleged balance •of account of $564 76, appeals from the judgment herein in favor of -.plaintiff for said amount.
The material facts are: Plaintiff kept an account with the defendant '¡bank; in July, 1871, he obtained the discount of the note of J. M. Wag:ner for six hundred dollars, payable to the order of and indorsed by ¡plaintiff, and the account of the latter was credited with the proceeds of ■said note; Wagner was the cashier of the bank; he also held the power ■of attorney of plaintiff; when the note matured in August, 1871, it was ¡not protested,' because, says one of the witnesses, Wagner was absent •from the city on business for the bank, and had requested if the note ¡matured in his absence and “Bogel was not in the city, to let it lay over ¡until his return;” and this witness further stated that at the maturity of ¡the note he sent to Bogel’s office and was informed he was absent at .Jefferson, Texas; Bogel, however, testifies he was in the city at the ma•turity of the note, and that Wagner was absent at the time the noté was discounted, and continued to be absent till after the maturity of the note; •the note matured August 21,1871; plantiff’s bank-book was balanced in September, 1871, also on the seventeenth of February, 1872, and the said .note was not charged up; it was charged up when the book was bal-
The theory of the defense is: The note was an accomodation note; that Bogel actually' got the money as was intended; that Wagner, in directing the note not to be protested and subsequently to be charged up to Bogel, acted for Bogel under the power of attorney he held from him; that if authorized to give such instruction his act was acquiesced
The difficulty is: There is no proof showing the note was an accommodation note, and that Wagner had authority, express and special, to act in the manner stated in behalf of Bogel and thereby to bind him. When Wagner, nine months after Bogel had been discharged as an in-dorser for want of notice of dishonor, directed the note to be charged up to Bogel, he did not bind the latter unless he had special authority from Bogel to do so, and such authority is not • disclosed in the evidence. Besides, Wagner was not in a position to represent Bogel in this matter under the power of attorney he previously held (the extent of which is not given in the evidence), because in this instance his individual interest was in conflict with his duty as a fiduciary. He was the maker of the note, primarily and absolutely bound for its payment, while Bogel was an indorser who had been discharged from the obligation, therefore when he directed the note to be charged to Bogel he was releasing himself and binding his principal. The act of Wagner, directing the charging up of Bogel’s account with the note in question, and the entry when Bogel’s bank-book was balanced in May, 1872, showing that Bogel was charged with the note nine months after his discharge as án indorser, were not acquiesced in and impliedly ratified by Bogel, because the proof shows when informed of the entry in the bank-book he went to Wagner, the cashier, the proper officer of the bank, and objected to it, saying he “did not owe it (meaning the note); it-had not been protested.”
After promptly objecting to the entry of the note when it was first included.in balancing his bank-book, Bogel was not bound to repeat his objection at subsequent periods when the bank-bóok was balanced. Nor was he bound to discontinue business with the bank in order to preserve his rights in the premises. He had been discharged from his obligation as an indorser, and there is nothing disclosed in the evidence to justify the conclusion that he subsequently incurred liability on account thereof.
I therefore dissent in this case.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- William Bogel v. Teutonia National Bank
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published