Tremont Trust Co. v. Tucker
Tremont Trust Co. v. Tucker
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of replevin to recover four motor trucks, to which the plaintiff claims title and asserts a right to present possession as against the defendant, who as a deputy sheriff attached the trucks in an action at law by Lambert H. Farnham against the New England Fireproof Construction Company.
Before and on November 10, 1917, the trucks are admitted to have been the property of the construction company. They had been kept in storage in the public garage of Farnham, and there was a considerable bill due Farnham for such storage. On November 10 they were driven from the garage of Farnham and delivered to the plaintiff by employees of the construction company. At this time the construction company owed the plaintiff a sum of money which was secured by a construction mortgage, and also an unsecured sum of money which was lent it on November 10,1917.
At the trial four issues were raised and presented to the jury with full and appropriate instructions: (1) was the property delivered tc and received by the plaintiff with the intent that the full title should pass to the plaintiff; (2) was the property delivered to and received by the plaintiff with intent, to defeat a lien which was or might be claimed by Farnham; (3) was the property delivered to and received by the plaintiff in pledge as security for the debt of the construction company to the plaintiff with the right “to sell and to credit the amount received” on the loan; and (4) was the property delivered to and received by the plaintiff as the agent of the construction company with authority to sell and apply the proceeds on the loan.
Upon the issue whether the plaintiff acquired an absolute title to the property or whether it confederated with the construction company to preserve the property in the construction company
These declarations were received and submitted to the jury in connection with all the testimony, the judge instructing the jury in this connection as follows: “The vice-president of the Tremont Trust Company, in interrogatories which were put to bim and answered by him, says that it was a pledge. Now, if that is right, and it was a pledge, and you believe the plaintiff correctly described the transaction when he answered these interrogatories under oath, then-you must find, as I have instructed you, against his trust company; because, if it was a pledge, the defendant, Mr. Farnham, had a right to attach them. The transaction has been described by other witnesses, put on the stand by the plaintiff, the trust company, as a pledge.”
We find no error of law in the admission of evidence or in the charge.
Exceptions overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Tremont Trust Company v. Samuel W. Tucker
- Status
- Published