Kenney v. Cunningham
Kenney v. Cunningham
Opinion of the Court
In May, 1906, V. D. Cunningham, one of the defendants, purchased a threshing engine from the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, and executed and delivered therefor his promissory notes'in the sum of $2,000, secured upon the engine itself, and further secured by a third ■ mortgage upon the quarter section of land involved in this action. The following year Cunningham became involved financially, and had an understanding with the Case Company through its agent that the engine should be sold to one Blanchard.
^Regarding the terms of this sale to Blanchard, there is no controversy. There is, however, a dispute as to the effect of this sale upon Cunningham’s notes to the Threshing Machine Company. Cunningham claims that he was to receive credit for the amount charged Blanchard for the engine, some $1,810, while it is the contention of the company that those notes were to be taken merely as collateral, and that Cunningham should receive credit only when Blanchard made payments upon the note. This controversy we will discuss later. Under this agreement, Blanchard took the engine, but shortly thereafter discovered that Cunningham had executed a chattel mortgage upon the engine during the time that it had been in his possession, which mortgage was subject to the original mortgage to the Case Company, but prior to the sale to Blanchard. To meet this situation, the
(1) The crucial point for decision is whether or not Cunningham’s notes were paid by the acceptance by the Case Company of the Blanchard notes. If the notes given by Blanchard were accepted by the company as so much cash, Cunningham’s notes would have been materially reduced, and the chattel mortgage upon the engine at least wiped out, though how this would vitiate the sale of the land is not so apparent. On the other hand, if the Blanchard notes were taken merely as collateral, the company would be under no obligation to refrain from the real estate foreclosure until they might eventually collect the debt from Blanchard. The printed abstract contains about 130 pages of more or less relevancy bearing upon this question. Its length forbids our setting it forth in this opinion, but after a careful examination of the whole of it, we have reached the conclusion that the claim of Cunningham is not supported by a preponderance of the evidence. We will mention but a few of the reasons that occur to us, supporting this conclusion. First, at about the time of the first transaction with
Brittin, S. D., Aug. 10, 1907.
Received of Y. D. Cunningham notes of M. P. Blanchard amounting to eighteen hundred and ten dollars ($1,810) which are taken as collateral to my notes due J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, to be indorsed on the same as fast as collected.
(Signed) J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company.
Per C. J. Phelps.
This receipt was kept by Mr. Cunningham until the time of trial. Second, at the said time, Cunningham did not demand nor receive his notes from the Case Company, nor did he ask to have the sum of $1,810 indorsed thereon. As the Cunningham indebtedness of $2,000 consisted of five notes of $400 each, he should have received four of the notes ■ at this time, if his version of the transaction is correct. Third, Cunningham testifies that he repeatedly wrote to the company asking about the collections of money from Blanchard, and whether or not the proceeds of said collections had been indorsed upon his own notes. Fourth, from 1908 until the time of trial, Cunningham ceased to pay the interest upon the first mortgage upon this land, and also ceased to pay the taxes thereon. All of those four propositions show conduct so inconsistent with Cunningham’s present claim that we are satisfied that the testimony, of Phelps, the Case agent, is the true account of what occurred. This being so, it follows that Cunningham’s notes aggregating $2,000 have in no manner been paid, excepting upon sale of the engine for some $960 and a very small payment.by himself. The company had a valid and subsisting debt against Cunningham secured by the mortgage upon the land, which was duly foreclosed, and after the year for redemption had expired, title passed to plaintiff, Kenney. Neither did the surrender of first notes to Blanchard cancel any part of Cunningham’s debt.
This is the view taken by the trial court, and is correct, and said judgment is in all things affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- C. B. KENNEY v. VIN D. CUNNINGHAM and Clara M. Cunningham
- Status
- Published