State ex rel. Spillman v. Farmers State Bank
State ex rel. Spillman v. Farmers State Bank
Opinion of the Court
This is a controversy between Elkhorn Life & Accident Insurance Company, claimant, and the Farmers State Bank of Erickson. November 1, 1925, the bank issued to claimant certain certificates of deposit for full consideration, but under circumstances contravening the bankers’ guaranty fund law. On January 15, 1926, the bank was in a failing condition and was taken over by the department of trade and commerce, with Howard Guilfoil, special agent, in charge; and a receiver was appointed February 17, 1927. May 17, 1926, claimant sent the certificates to the ¡bank for renewal, with a letter of transmittal containing the follow
Only one question is presented on this appeal, and that is whether or not the issuance of the renewal certificates on May 21, 1926, in response to claimant’s letter, and the subsequent renewals thereof constituted an abandonment of the collateral agreement under which the original certificates were issued November 1, 1925, thus purging the transaction of its original taint and making the deposits a charge against the guaranty fund. This question must be answered in the negative. It has been held a number of times by this court that ordinarily a receiver takes charge of banking affairs where the banh left them, and, in the absence of fraud, mistake or violation of law, cannot open closed transactions which would conclude the bank if solvent. State v. Farmers State Bank, 112 Neb. 788; State v. South Fork State Bank, 112 Neb. 628. The same principle is applicable to the department of trade and commerce when it takes over an insolvent (bank. The effect of these holdings is that the rights of the bank and depositors are fixed at the time the department takes possession. If, at that time, a certain item is not a charge against the guaranty fund, its status with relation to that fund is fixed.
In the situation shown by the record, the special agent
Claimant cites State v. Newcastle State Bank, 114 Neb. 389, State v. Wayne County Bank, 112 Neb. 792, and State v. American Exchange Bank, 112 Neb. 834, all of which were cases in which renewal of certificates were held valid in consequence of an abandonment of the unlawful contract from which they originated; tout in all those cases the abandonment took place prior to the failure of the bank and its taking over by the department or the appointment of a receiver, and in two of those cases direct evidence of a new contract at the time of the renewal was presented, and in the third abandonment was clearly inferred from the circumstances.
It follows that the judgment of the district court must be reversed in so far as the allowance of the claim against the guaranty fund is concerned, but in all other respects it is affirmed.
Affirmed in part, and reversed in part.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State, ex rel. O. S. Spillman, Attorney General v. Farmers State Bank of Erickson, appellant: Elkhorn Life & Accident Insurance Company of Norfolk
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published