First National Bank v. Stone
First National Bank v. Stone
Opinion of the Court
The First National Bank of Kalamazoo present ed a claim against the defendant upon two promissory notes for $5,000 each, executed by the Lansing Iron & Engine Works, one to the order of O. M. and O. F. Barnes, and the other to the order of O. F. Barnes, payable at the defendant bank. The former was indorsed by O. M. and O. F. Barnes, and the other by O. F. Barnes, and both were indorsed by the defendant bank. The claim was allowed by the court, and the receiver appeals.
The first note originated in 1886; the second in 1889. Both had been renewed every 90 days, until the failure of the defendant bank in 1893, each renewal note being the same in form as the original. The defendant bank had attended to the renewals, and remitted the discount to the claimant. Two trials were had in the circuit court, upon the first of which Mr. Bradley, the cashier of the defendant bank, testified that the original paper was.
“I have a surplus of funds at present, and would like some good paper. Can’t you send me some good paper with your bank indorsement, say three to five thousand, on time 60 to 90 days?”
In reply to this the defendant bank wrote:
. “Inclosed I hand for discount and returns Lansing Iron & Engine Works, $5,000, 8 mos. from June 28, 1886.”
The correspondence in regard to the second note does not appear.
Three of the five or six directors were cognizant of these transactions while they were going on, one of whom was at one time president, and another cashier during the entire time. These notes were in the form commonly taken by the defendant when it discounted paper, and in the form common among banks. While the correspondence does not in terms speak of rediscounted paper, yet it is entirely manifest that these notes were sent and received as the paper owned by the defendant bank. The claimant did not ask the defendant to go out as its agent and make loans for it, but asked it to send good paper with its indorsement. Fairly interpreted, this means
Another complete answer to the defendant’s position is that the directors are chargeable with knowledge of the transaction, because courts will presume that the directors knew what by due diligence they might have known. No director of the defendant bank has testified that he did not know the method of doing business. It is evident that they might have known had they made the investigation which law and common prudence require of such officers. If they chose to trust the entire management to their cashier, the bank is liable. This was sufficiently discussed in Davenport v. Stone, supra. See, also, St. Paul & M. Trust Co. v. Howell, 59 Minn. 295; Martin v. Webb, 110 U. S. 7.
The. order of the court allowing the claim is affirmed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF KALAMAZOO v. STONE
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published