Peoples & Drovers Bank v. Craig
Peoples & Drovers Bank v. Craig
Opinion of the Court
The unknown custom of the bank and its private manner of conducting its banking business, could not have the legal effect of changing the rules relating to negotiable instruments, and therefore this case must be determined by a consideration of what was in fact done by the holder of the note, the-bank, and not by the private customs and manner of'
There are some cases both in England and this country in which a stranger paying a note has been held to be a purchaser, subject to all equities of other parties; but in all those cases there was something in the transaction itself showing an intention at the time to become such purchaser, coupled with a power in the holder to sell and transfer the instrument.
The bank furnished the money and remitted it tO' the holder of the note as payment, and the holder received it as payment and had no information that the money was not paid by the makers. Such a transaction is a payment and extinguishment of the note, and not a transfer thereof.
As Mr. Robinson, the maker and also cashier, made the transaction, he must have ■ assented thereto, and become bound to the bank by such assent for a repayment of the money so paid to his use; or an action might be maintained by the bank against him on the note as a re-issued note; but as to the other makers who did not so assent, there was no re-issue of the note, and no liability for the money so paid without their knowledge or consent. Randolph on Com. Paper, Sec. 1425.'
The doctrine of subrogation has no application to payments made by a mere volunteer, and the bank in this case was purely a volunteer. There was no lien or security in the case to be kept alive by subrogation, and therefore it is useless to further consider that question in this case. Randolph on Com. ’Paper, Sec. 1439.
The controlling facts in this case were conceded on the trial, and the jury could not lessen the force of those facts by a consideration of the custom of the
The plaintiff having no cause of action upon the conceded facts on the trial, the rulings of the court, upon the demurrers and motion are immaterial and need not be considered.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Peoples and Drovers Bank v. Craig as Administrator of the Estate of D. Furtwangler
- Status
- Published