First National Bank v. New Castle
First National Bank v. New Castle
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On September 19, 1898, John Blevins, now deceased, was treasurer of the City of New Castle. On that day he negotiated a loan, in the name of the city, from the First National Bank of New Castle, where he kept his account as city treasurer. The amount of the loan was $5,431.49, and he executed and delivered to the bank a note of which the following is the material part:
“New Castle, Pa., Sept. 19, 1898.
$5,431.49. Four months After Date, For Value Received I hereby promise to pay to The First National Bank of New Castle, Penn’a, or order at said bank Fifty four hundred thirty-one & 49-100 Dollars, with interest at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum after due, having deposited with said bank as collateral security for the payment of this note, and also as collateral security for all other present or future demands of any and all kinds of the said bank against the undersigned due or not due, or that may be hereafter contracted, including any indorsement made or that in future may be made by me the following property, viz: Sundries cert’s of indebtedness of City of New Castle, Pa., for $5,431.49, and interest.” The obligation was signed “City of New Castle, John Blevins, Treasurer.” This contract or loan was made without the knowledge of the city and without any authority from it; but the bank, after the death of Blevins, who was a defaulter, brought suit against it for money advanced to it, and there was a recovery in the court below. On appeal by the city the judgment against it was reversed, for reasons to be found in the opinion of this court in First National Bank v. New Castle, 224 Pa.
On that opinion let the judgment be affirmed. It is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- First National Bank of New Castle v. New Castle
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Municipalities — City treasurer — Borrowing money — Certificates of indebtedness — Collateral security — Notice—Banks and banking. Where a city treasurer without any authority from the city executes to a bank a promissory note which he signs with the name of the city followed by his own name as treasurer and recites in the note that he has deposited “sundry certificates of indebtedness of the city” as collateral security, the bank, in an action against the city on the certificates of indebtedness, but not on the note, cannot- recover where it appears that the certificates had been endorsed in blank by the original holders, and there is nothing to show that the certificates were the individual property of the treasurer. In such a ease the bank is presumed to have known at the time the loan was made that the certificates were the property of the city which the treasurer had no authority to pledge.