Scouton v. Stony Brook Lumber Co.
Scouton v. Stony Brook Lumber Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This is an action of assumpsit for money loaned. The defendant company was incorporated .in 1910, with an authorized capital stock of $200,000, divided into shares
Some of the notes given by Carter to raise the money were endorsed by plaintiff, who also furnished $5,000 of his own; which amount, with the balance of the $91,-000 was turned over to Blackman at the meeting on August 4th. So far as appears, Mr. Blackman paid all the debts and liabilities of the old company and retained the balance as the price of his stock. The only question
Some of the funds turned over to Blackman were for his stock and the balance for corporate indebtedness. The jury found this $5,000 was a part of the latter; that being so, the corporation received the benefit of the loan. Conceding that the president- and secretary were not authorized to execute the note, yet the company got the money, which it cannot retain and repudiate the agency by which it was secured. Upon this question we adopt the following from the opinion of the court below: “If plaintiff’s money was loaned and used for such purpose it is of no consequence that the election of officers was irregular, or that one of them was absent at the time of such, loan, or that the treasurer did not execute the note. Such irregularities give way to the principle that a party cannot avail himself of the benefit of his agent’s act and repudiate his authority — in the application of which it is held that a corporation which has received the benefit of a note irregularly issued cannot escape liability thereon by showing it was not executed by the proper officers: Hartzell v. Ebbvale Mining Co., 239 Pa. 602; Pannebaker v. Tuscarora Valley R. R. Co., 219 Pa. 60; Presbyterian Board v. Gilbee, 212 Pa. 310; Penn. Natural Gas Co. v. Cook, 123 Pa. 170; MacGeorge v. Chemical Mfg. Co., 141 Pa. 575. And a director of a company, suing, is not denied the application of such rule: Kendall v. Klapperthal Co., 202 Pa. 596.”
The defendant’s obligation arises from the receipt of the money by it, and the note, although defectively executed, is evidence as tending to establish the loan. See Wojciechowski v. Johnkowski, 16 Pa. Superior Ct. 444. A corporation may lawfully borrow money to pay its indebtedness and when used for that purpose the obligation to repay is undoubted. The fact that the loan in
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Scouton v. Stony Brook Lumber Company
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Corporations — Principal and -agent — Execution of note without signature of treasurer — -Use of money to pay corporate 'debts — Estoppel — Failure to mention loan in corporate minutes — Corporate or personal loan — Conflicting evidence — Case for jury. 1. A party cannot avail himself of the benefit of his agent’s act and repudiate his authority. 2. A corporation which has received the benefit of a note irregularly issued cannot escape liability thereon by showing it was not executed by the proper officer; -and a director of a company, suing, is not denied the application of such rule. 3. A corporation may lawfully borrow money to pay its indebtedness and when used for that purpose the obligation to repay is un5 doubted, and the fact that the loan did not pass through the hands of the treasurer is not controlling, nor is the absence of any reference thereto in the corporate minutes. 4. The president of a corporation who owned or controlled a majority of its capital stock agreed to sell his entire holdings to the holder of the balance of the stock for $50,000, on condition that all the liabilities of the company be met at the time of the transfer. The liabilities amounted to $41,000, including a sum of $6,500 owing the president for back salary. The purchaser employed plaintiff as attorney to assist in obtaining the sum of $91,000, of which sum plaintiff himself advanced $5,000. When the deal was consummated the company was reorganized with the purchaser of the stock as president, and plaintiff and three others as directors. In an action against the corporation for the recovery of the $5,000 advanced by plaintiff the evidence was conflicting as to whether such sum was a loan to the corporation and used in part payment of the former president’s salary or whether it was a loan to the purchaser of his stock. Plaintiff offered in evidence a note for such amount to plaintiff’s order, and executed by the new president and secretary in the corporate name, although it was not signed by the treasurer and the evidence was conflicting as to whether he had consented to the making of the'note. None of the $91,000 turned over to the former president passed through the hands of the treasurer, and no mention of the loan was made on the corporate minutes. Held, (1) defendant’s obligation arose from the receipt of the money by it, and the note, although defectively executed, was properly admitted in evidence, and (2) the case was for the jury and a' verdict for the plaintiff will be sustained.