Peerless Manufacturing Co. v. Detroit Cycle Co.
Peerless Manufacturing Co. v. Detroit Cycle Co.
Opinion of the Court
The defendant the Detroit Cycle Company, Limited, is a partnership association, organized under chapter 79, 1 How. Stat., and doing-business in the city of Detroit. The complainant is a corporation of Cleveland, Ohio, engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling bicycles and bicycle sundries. On September 16, 1893, the Detroit Cycle Company was indebted to the complainant in the sum of $2,705, and on that day the
The Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company claims by its answer that it knew nothing of the arrangement by which Robinson received these contracts, and was to collect them for the complainant, but admits that the defendant Detroit Cycle Company gave a chattel mortgage and assigned these contracts to it, to secure certain indebtedness to it. It denies that it received from the Detroit Cycle Company any contracts belonging to the com- ■ plainant, or that it received any contracts from defendant Robinson, and avers that all the contracts assigned to it were at the date of the assignment in the possession and under the control of the Detroit Cycle Company, and that it had no notice that the complainant had any claim thereto. And it further alleges that, relying upon the apparent ownership of the contracts evidenced by the . possession of the same by the Detroit Cycle Company, and in consideration of the latter’s assignment to it, the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company advanced to the said Detroit Cycle Company a large sum of money to relieve said contracts from the lien of the Preston National Bank, where said contracts were held as collateral security to certain notes of the Detroit Cycle Company, and that, in addition to paying about $2,000, it extended the time of payment of the aipount due it by the Detroit Cycle Company, and took said chattel mortgage and assignment in good faith, and without notice of any right or interest the complainant had in any of them. It denies that it made any collections on contracts belonging to the complainant. It alleges that on account of its succeeding to the business of the Detroit Cycle Company, and transacting business at the same store, certain moneys have been paid into its hands by various parties, and also several bicycles have been left with it, which, it is informed, belonged to the complainant or to the Detroit
On the hearing the court below made a decree finding that there was due from the Detroit Cycle Company to the complainant the sum of $2,817.62, and that for such amount complainant had a lien upon all the contracts for the sale of bicycles set forth and enumerated in the schedule made and delivered by the officers of the company to the complainant on September 16, 1893, and that this was a first lien thereon, and not subject to any lien acquired by the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company; that that company should account to the complainant for the moneys received by it upon said contracts; that, as to the remainder of said contracts, Edwin B. Robinson should account for all sums collected thereon after the 16th day of September, 1893, that being the day when the contracts were accepted by him for collection on behalf of complainant, as found by the court. The court referred the matter of accounting to a circuit court commissioner of Wayne county to ascertain the true state of the account, what had been collected upon each contract, and by whom, and what bicycles had been returned, and what contracts had been settled and compromised, and by whom, and directed that the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company and Edwin B. Robinson should account for such contracts, and pay over to the complainant the amount found due from them, respectively, within 10 days after said accounting should be completed, and
It would not be profitable to set forth or discuss the testimony given in the case. We are satisfied that the testimony fully sustains the decree made by the court below. It is contended, however, by counsel for defendants, that Mr. Matheson, Mr. Holmes, and Mr. Robinson had no power or authority to act for the company in turning over these contracts to the complainant’s agent on September 16, 1893. It appeared that Mr. Matheson was the president of the company, Mr. Holmes the treasurer, and Mr. Robinson its secretary; and we think there is sufficient testimony to show that they had such authority. It was not an act creating a debt'against the company, but the turning over of property for the purpose of securing a debt. It is admitted that the Detroit Cycle Company was indebted to the complainant.
The decree below will be affirmed, and the record remanded for the purpose of an accounting. The complainant will recover its costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PEERLESS MANUFACTURING CO. v. DETROIT CYCLE CO.
- Status
- Published