Wilson's Estate
Wilson's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This appeal is by the widow and minor child of Charles E. Wilson, deceased, from the decree of the Orphans’ Court of Philadelphia County, allowing the claim of the Quaker City National Bank against decedent’s estate for $12,000, on a note for that amount, dated January 18, 1911, and signed — “Continental Telephone & Telegraph Co., C. E. Wilson, Receiver.”
On December 1,1911, Wilson procured a personal loan of $8,005, from the Quaker City National Bank of Philadelphia. This indebtedness he paid off December 7, by negotiating a new loan of the same amount for the Continental Telephone & Telegraph Company, of which company, on January 10, 1911, he was appointed receiver. About three weeks later a domiciliary receiver of the company was also appointed, in New Jersey, the home of the corporation. On January 18,1911, Wilson,
The New Jersey court subsequently sold the property of the Continental Telephone & Telegraph Company, including the balance of unexpended funds in the hands of Wilson. The latter never filed an account, but, after his death, which occurred March 27,1913, his administratrix filed an account of the receivership, showing a nominal sum on hand; whereupon the court directed all books, paper, etc., to be turned over to the domiciliary receiver, upon his paying stated sums as compensation for the receiver and his counsel. There having been no funds in the jurisdiction for payment of creditors, the Quaker City Bank presented its claim for $12,000 on the note against Wilson’s estate, on the ground that he was personally liable.
From the foregoing statement of facts it appears the estate of the corporation benefited by the proceeds of the loan, and no personal benefit accrued to the receiver. There are no allegations of fraud or improper conduct on his part in his dealing either with the funds of the company, or with the payee of the note. The latter acted with knowledge of all the facts, and was aware that Wilson was negotiating the loan in his official capacity, and without authority from the court. There was no concealment or misrepresentation of the facts alleged, and the officers of the bank, in dealing with the receiver,
In the present case there was no agreement that the receiver was to be bound in his individual capacity, as was suggested by the court in the above case, as a possible precaution. On the contrary, the attempt is to hold the receiver personally liable after the claimant was disappointed in not receiving payment out of the corpora
Even though the receiver acted without authority from the court in the first instance, his acts were subsequently ratified and approved by the court when his
Decree reversed.
Reference
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- Syllabus
- Receivers — Promissory notes — Unauthorized note — Liability of receiver — Individual liability. 1. In the absence of fraud or concealment, or an intention or, agreement to assume liability, the receiver of a corporation is not personally liable whenever he does an act in excess of his authority. 2. The principle which holds that one dealing with a receiver is hound to know the limits of his authority, and contracts with him at his peril, does not sanction the shifting of the liability to the receiver, personally so long as he acts fairly and in good faith and conceals or misrepresents nothing. 3. The receiver of a corporation negotiated a loan from a hank and gave a promissory note signed with the name of the corporation, and his own name as receiver; he was unauthorized to borrow money or make notes. After the death of the receiver, his administratrix filed his account, as receiver, which was approved by the court, and in which she charged his estate with the money received from the hank, and took credit for payments made on account of the corporation. At the audit of the estate of the decedent receiver, the hank presented its claim for the amount of the promissory note; the Orphans’ Court allowed the claim on the ground that as the receiver was not authorized by the court to make the note, so as to hind the estate of the insolvent corporation, he bound himself. Held, error, and the judgment was reversed.