Annis v. Connors
Annis v. Connors
Opinion of the Court
These are two actions of contract, tried together to jury in the Superior Court: one to recover interest accrued on a note dated September 22, 1922; the other, to recover a balance of principal and interest on the same note. At the close of the evidence the trial judge ordered the jury to return a verdict for the defendant in each case; and he reported the cases to this court upon the following terms: “If the plaintiff was entitled as a matter of law to have a verdict directed for the plaintiff then judgment is to be entered on the declaration for the plaintiff in each case; if upon all the evidence the court was right in directing a verdict for the defendant, then judgment to be entered for the defendant; but if upon all the evidence a verdict should not have been directed for either plaintiff or defendant but the case should have been submitted to the jury, then a new trial to be granted.”
In substance the facts disclosed in the report are as follows : On September 22, 1922, one Elizabeth A. Brady executed and delivered to the defendant, Frank A. Connors, her
Sometime before March 13,1923, Connors, then the payee of the note, had assigned the mortgage as “collateral security” to one Endlar. Other than by inference the report does not show that the assignment to Endlar was recorded before March 13, 1923, nor does it appear therein that there was-ever an assignment to Endlar of the note or claim which the mortgage was given to secure. One Daly, counsel for the Guaranty Trust Company, learned of the existence of the assignment of the mortgage to Endlar and that it “was undischarged on the record.” Thereupon he talked with the defendant “and asked that said outstanding assignment be taken up and a new one given to his client, the Guaranty Trust Company.” The defendant agreed to this. He testified that he insisted it was to be without recourse; Daly testified that nothing was said regarding any change in Connors’ original liability.
Daly thereupon prepared a form of assignment to be executed by Connors, and forwarded it to him with a letter which reads: “Enclosed please find confirmatory assignment of the Brady mortgage, 394 Center St., Newton, to Guaranty Trust Co., for the purpose of clearing any record title that might be in you by reason of the reassignment of this mortgage to you by Mr. Endlar subsequent to the assignment of the same by you to the Trust Co. Would you kindly execute and return to us.” The form of the assignment sent Connors was as follows: “I, Frank A. Connors, holder of a mortgage from Elizabeth A. Brady to me dated September 22, 1922 recorded with Middlesex South District Deeds
The second deed of assignment has no covenant on the part of the Guaranty Trust Company to release Connors from the obligation which he incurred when, as payee, he indorsed the note in action and delivered it to that company. The instrument in effect was a deed poll, and when accepted by the trust company became a valid contract by that com-
The assignment of the mortgage as “collateral security” to Endlar without the delivery of the Brady note, and, so far as the record discloses, without an assignment of the claim secured by the mortgage, did not make the note void in the hands of Connors or prevent its transfer by indorsement and delivery in due course to the Guaranty Trust Company; nor was the assignment to the Guaranty Trust Company void if it be assumed that the assignment to Endlar was not recorded when the note and mortgage were assigned and delivered to the Guaranty Trust Company. If the assignment to the Guaranty Trust Company was void because of the prior assignment to Endlar, and because of the further fact that that assignment had been duly recorded before the assignment to the Guaranty Trust Company, the Guaranty Trust Company could pursue its remedy at law on the note without resorting to the mortgage. Burtis v. Bradford, 122 Mass. 129, 131. Bennett v. Sheinwald, 252 Mass. 23. Without the assignment to Endlar of the debt which the mortgage secured, Connors could pledge the mortgage; Paika v. Perry, 225 Mass. 563; and the fact that the mortgage was assigned to Endlar as “collateral security” affords a strong inference that such was the case in this transaction.
So ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Paul C. Annis v. Frank A. Connors Same v. Same
- Status
- Published