Advance Thresher Co. v. Hogan
Advance Thresher Co. v. Hogan
Opinion of the Court
An action was commenced. January 23, 1904, by the Advance Thresher Company against Dell S. Hogan, "W. B. Hogan, and J. Lincoln Clayton, in the common pleas of Logan, to obtain judgment against the Hogans upon ten promissory notes of various dates and amounts, maturing at different times, and aggregating nineteen hundred and sixty-two dollars, and to obtain foreclosure of a chattel mortgage executed by the Hogans August 29, 1903, and given to secure payment of the notes, the property covered being a grain separator, a compound steam traction engine, a band cutter and feeder, pneumatic straw stacker, and other items of personal property including some live stock. The traction engine, with attachments, was sold by the Company to the Hogans contemporaneous with the execution of the mortgage and the delivery of three ef the'notes, each for four hundred dollars, two of which were signed also by the defendant in error, 'Clayton. Each of these notes contained a statement to the effect that it, with others, was secured by chattel mortgage of even date, and that failure to pay the note or the others so secured when due made that note and all others so secured immediately due at the option of the holder. The mortgage had a similar provision to the effect that in case of default in payment of any of the notes at maturity then all of the notes may become due and payable without notice at the option of the mortgagee. Two of the notes being past due at the commencement of the action the mortgagee, by declaration in the petition, elected to treat all as due.
Tho Hogans were in default. Clayton answered alleging that he was surety only on the two notes, and that January 23, 1904, the Hogans made and
Both chattel mortgages were duly attested and filed with the proper officer.
Such further proceedings were then had that judgment was rendered against the Hogans on the petition of plaintiff and an order of sale issued and the property embraced in the mortgage was sold, the proceeds of the sale amounting to twelve hundred, forty-eight and seventy-five hundredths dollars.
The cause was then tried in the common pleas as to the distribution of proceeds, and was appealed to the circuit court, in which court plaintiff filed a reply to Clayton’s answer in which it was alleged (1) that in addition to the chattel mortgage given by the Hogans to Clayton, they on the same date executed and delivered to him a mortgage on real estate owned by them as further indemnity, and (2) that at the time of the execution of the chattel mortgage set out in the petition it was agreed between plaintiff and the defendants that none of the sureties on the note secured by the mortgage should have any rights under the mortgage unless the same should be by the plaintiff assigned to them, and that on sale of the property covered the proceeds should be first applied on the notes secured thereby other than those on which Clayton was
The circuit court, on trial, sustained a demurrer to the first paragraph of the reply, and overruled a demurrer to the second paragraph. As part of its evidence, and in support of the second paragraph of the reply, the plaintiff introduced its chattel mortgage which contains the following stipulation: “And the proceeds of sale shall be applied, after paying all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the mortgagee, its agents or assigns in that behalf, to the payment of any or all of said notes; and if not sufficient to pay all of said notes, then to be applied on either of said notes or divide the proceeds among the several notes in such proportions as it may elect at the option of the party of the second part without notice, whether said notes are due or not due by the terms thereof, the whole being made due by the consent of the party of the first part hereby given on his violating any of the conditions or covenants of this chattel mortgage; all notes being declared due as above provided, any deficiency arising after applying the proceeds of said sale as above specified the mortgagors agree to pay forthwith to said mortgagee, its successors or assigns. Where any of the notes mentioned in this chattel mortgage are endorsed or guaranteed by any third party, it is agreed and understood that said endorsers or guarantors, shall have no rights under this chattel mortgage, unless same is assigned to them, and that on sale of the property as herein provided the proceeds shall be applied on notes not so guaranteed or endorsed until the same are fully paid.”
It appeared further by' the uncontradicted testimony that the steam traction engine with attach
The court thereupon found for the defendant Clayton as to his alleged suretyship, and in his favor and against plaintiff as to the distribution of the fund, and ordered that the fund, after payment of costs, be applied pro rata upon all the notes set out in the petition.
The defendant offered no testimony. No separate finding of facts was made, but there is no substantial dispute as to the evidence, which is all set out in the bill of exceptions.
Hpon this state of facts what are the rights of the parties?
'It will be noticed that we are not called upon to consider any right or contention of the Hogans for they are in default here as well as in the courts below. The simple question presented by the record is whether or not the surety Clayton has any standing to insist upon a pro rata distribution of the proceeds of the sale of the mortgaged property. We are of the opinion that he has not and will undertake to state briefly some grounds for that conclusion. Clayton must be held to have understood fully
But another consideration leads to the same conclusion, and would seem to leave no doubt as to the rule which should prevail. Clayton asks to participate in the proceeds of the sale of the mortgaged property; that is, he seeks the aid of the Thresher ■Company’s mortgage for his own protection. The
It is urged that there is neither justice nor equity •in applying the fund to these notes not given for the debt created in the purchase of the engine, whose sale produced the fund, to the exclusion in part, or
Again it is insisted that the option respecting the appropriation of payments came too late, and that it could not he exercised after the bringing of the suit, the notes all being then due' by the election ■of the holder. Such has been the view of some courts. But we do not understand that there is any iron-clad rule on the subject. So long as the delay, if there he such, works no prejudice to the other party, we see no reason for holding that the •delay in and of itself ought to deprive the plaintiff of a right clearly guaranteed by its contract. No word or phrase in the petition is calculated to mislead Clayton, hut the claim is distinctly made that whatever right Clayton had is subordinate to that of the plaintiff. It would seem equitable, and in consonance with well-established principles, that where a fund is to he distributed, a demand of priority is not too late if made any time before trial. Indeed, in analogy to the rule as to demands in lieu of homestead, it would seem that it may he made any time before the actual order of distribution. In this case it was distinctly made in the reply, thus taking issue with the claim of a pro rata distribution set up in the answer, and, we think, was in abundant time. It was in no sense “misconduct to the surety’s prejudice.” Gaston v. Barney, supra; Philpot v. Jones, 2 Ad. & El., 41.
We are of opinion that the fund, after payment of costs, should be applied on the notes other than those on which Clayton is surety. The judgment of the circuit court will be reversed and the cause remanded with direction to render judgment in conformity with this opinion.
Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.