Holmes v. Malcolm McDonald Lumber Co.
Holmes v. Malcolm McDonald Lumber Co.
Opinion of the Court
The bill in this cause alleges substantially that on March 15, 1889, Herbert A. Tiffany, Richard A. Seymour, and Norman R. Smith contracted to sell certain lands situate in Michigan to J. E. Potts. Mr. Potts gave his four promissory notes of $9,166.66 each, payable to the parties jointly. Seymour held the notes as trustee for the benefit of the payees. The lands were subsequently conveyed to Potts. Tiffany held a three-eighths interest in them, but the rights of all the parties were subject to the claim of E. N. Sailing, which was paid out of the proceeds of the notes in August, 1890, amounting to $18,087.27.
It is alleged that Tiffany's interest in the notes, after the payment of the Sailing claim,. amounted to upwards of $7,000, and that on June 26, 1889, Tiffany assigned and
July 27, 1889, Frazer drew a draft on Seymour for $3,250, conditioned to be paid to complainant out of the interest previously held in the notes by Tiffany, which had been assigned to Frazer, when collected. The draft was sent to the First National Bank of Manistee for presentation to -Seymour for acceptance. Seymour declined to accept the ■draft, giving as a reason that he had not yet settled with 'Tiffany. Frazer then applied to Tiffany to obtain from him an acceptance to cover complainant’s' claim, which 'Tiffany undertook to do. Tiffany went to Manistee bearing a draft drawn by James Frazer on Bichard A. Seymour for the $3,250, to be paid out of the three-eighths interest formerly held by Tiffany in the proceeds of the Potts notes. The draft was drawn payable to James Frazer, who indorsed it to Tiffany, and intrusted it to him to •obtain the acceptance of Seymour, and indorse it over to complainant. Tiffany applied for and obtained such acceptance from Seymour; and afterwards, on the same or the next day, falsely, told Seymour that he had settled with Frazer, and paid up the Holmes and Union Trust •Company claims, and that Frazer had executed an assignment of his interest to Bichard A. Seymour; and he
The bill seeks to obtain from Seymour an accounting of the proceeds of the Potts notes, and of the three-eighths interest originally belonging to Herbert A. Tiffany. It seeks to quash the claim which the McDonald Lumber Company is making to the $3,250 draft, which belongs to complainant, and to have the same surrendered to him.
The jurisdiction of equity is claimed on several grounds:
1. That the facts are complicated, several persons being .interested in a fund which is held by a trustee; that justice can best be served, and a multiplicity of actions saved, if all interested are joined in one action, which can be-done only in equity.
2. That fraud is a .distinctive branch of equity jurisdiction, and the remedy in equity is often concurrent with courts of common law, and always so when, owing to conflicting claims, it appears desirable to unite in an action all the features of the case and all persons implicated; that the remedy in equity is more flexible and complete; that the Malcolm McDonald Lumber Company has obtained, through the fraud of Tiffany, a draft which belongs to complainant, and only a court of equity can compel the surrender of the instrument.
3. That an accounting is required of a trustee respecting & fund which is to be distributed to several parties; that such an accounting is also a special. branch of equity jurisdiction.
4. That the defendant Seymour has in his possession $3,250, which is claimed by two parties; that he might ask for an interpleader, but that it is equally competent for the complainant to bring his action against the trustee and the contesting claimant to quash the latter’s claim, thus consolidating the two actions in one.
A general demurrer to the bill was interposed by the defendant the Malcolm McDonald Lumber Company on the ground that the complainant had an adequate remedy at law. The court below overruled the demurrer, and defendant McDonald Lumber Company appeals. .
It is insisted that the complainant, Holmes, has a cause of action at law against Sejunour, under, the statements
It is apparent that the demurrer cannot be sustained. The rights of the parties cannot well be settled in a court of law. Seymour has the right to have ascertained to whom the fund belongs before being compelled to pay it over. If the defense of Seymour rested upon the sole, question of the draft made to Tiffany, and assigned to the McDonald Lumber Company, there might be force in the contention made that the complainant had made a case by his allegations in the bill which should be tried at law. But the question does not rest upon that allegation alone. It is claimed by Seymour, as shown by the bill, that, before the assignment by Tiffany "to Frazer, .Tiffany had assigned to him (Seymour) the identical claim assigned to Frazer to secure an indebtedness 'to Cartier, and that Seymour had paid such indebtedness. Seymour claims, also, as alleged in the bill, a settlement of the matters of difference between himself and Tiffany, and asserts that, on such settlement of the account between them, less than $3,250 would be' due from him to Tiffany. While it is true that Seymour might be estopped under the circumstances from asserting such a claim, yet we think the case made by the bill is one in which the equities between the parties cannot be properly .settled in a court of law.
The decree of the court below must be affirmed, overruling the demurrer. Defendant will have 20 days in which to answer the bill.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John A. Holmes v. The Malcolm McDonald Lumber Company
- Status
- Published