Plymouth County Bank v. Gilman
Plymouth County Bank v. Gilman
Opinion of the Court
The defendant, for a complete defense and counterclaim to this action, upon his overdue promissory note for $412, executed and delivered to plaintiff on the 18th day of January, 1875, alleged in his answer, and introduced evidence for the purpose of proving, damages sustained largely in excess of plaintiff’s claim, on account of the negligence of plaintiff in failing and neglecting to enforce the collection of certain secured notes owned by the defendant, and indorsed over to, and left with, plaintiff for collection and collateral security. This appeal is by the defendant from a judgment entered upon a verdict in favor of plaintiff for the full amount remaining unpaid upon the principal note, according to its terms, and from an order overruling a motion for a new trial.
The question not being raised in the additional abstract, respondent’s motion to strike out appellant’s bill of exceptions and all the evidence contained in his abstract, because the particular errors relied upon are not specified in said bill of exceptions, cannot be considered, for the reasons stated in Peart v. Railway Co., on appeal from the taxation of costs, decided at this term, and reported in 67 N. W., at page 837. Concerning these collateral notes, aggregating $1,150, left with respondent when the note in suit was executed, appellant testified, in effect, that it was' agreed between himself and respondent’s cashier that in consideration of a collection fee agreed upon, the bank would proceed at once to collect said collateral notes, one of which was at the time past due, and apply the proceeds, so far as necessary, to the satisfaction of the $412 note, and pay the balance over to appellant. Respondent’s cashier, with whom the business was transacted, testified that the notes in question were merely transferred to the bank to secure the payment of appellant’s $412 note, and that nothing
In the present case appellant introduced no evidence tending to support the allegations of negligence contained in his answer, and solely relied upon as a defense to the action, unless the attorney's failure to conduct a foreclosure suit in an orderly manner may be attributed to some act or omission on the part of respondent. Proof of an attorney’s negligence occurring subsequently to the receipt of business transmitted to him for professional attention is no evidence that he was not formerly a lawyer of reputed learning and ability; and in this case there is no evidence to support an inference that respondent, a nonresident, without actual knowledge, was in any manner negligent or unjustified in placing confidence in the attorney selected, who was presumed to be reputable, in the absence of anything to the contrary. As the record stood, it was not error to instruct the jury that “the bank would fulfill its requirement of reasonable diligence if it placed these notes fairly, honorably and judiciously in the hands of reputable attorneys to collect, and they would not be responsible for any neglect of those attorneys, but responsible merely for their right and proper conduct and judicious management in the selection of those attorneys.” Although the decisions are conflicting, we believe the true rule to be that where notes collectible through the agency of attorneys only, and by the foreclosure of a mortgage upon property at a distant point, are deposited in a bank as collateral security, with no instructions or express arrangement as to their collection, transmission, or proceedings to en
Belying upon these collateral notes as security, the bank loaned its money to appellant, who was charged with a knowledge that, in case of default either on his part or on the part of the makers of such notes, a foreclosure of the mortgage given to secure such collaterals would require services which must be rendered by a non-resident attorney at law personally unknown to the bank, and in no manner connected with that institution; and to hold it liable for more than a reasonable exercise of care and prudence in the selection of attorneys of good repute would, without an adequate consideration, subject respondent to all the liability of a collection agency which advertises and undertakes, as a matter of express contract, to collect in distant places, through its own agents and attorneys there located, but as truly its representatives as the officials in charge of the home office. The amount due upon a promissory note dated Natchez, Miss., and transmitted by the payee from Illinois to a bank at that point for collection was lost by reason of the failure of a notary public, in whose hands the same was placed by the bank for presentment, demand, and notice to endorsers; and it was held in a suit against the bank (Britton v. Niccolls, 104 U. S. 757) that the latter was not liable for the manner in which the notary public performed his duties. That the court looks with disfavor upon descisions that have enunciated a contrary doctrine is very evident from the language employed by Mr. Justice Field, who,
That appellant was injured by the negligence of respondent, occasioned by a tardy foreclosure of the mortgage given to secure the collateral notes, was the theory of the defense; and, in mitigation of damages, respondent was very properly permitted to introduce in evidence certain deeds, by "which the mortgaged premises were, together with other real property contiguous thereto, conveyed to appellant, before a foreclosure of the mortgage could have been completed by the exercise of ordinary care and vigilance upon the part of the attorney to whom the business was intrusted. The court did not err in denying appellant’s application to open and close the argument to the jury. Comp. Laws, § 5047.
While every assignment of error has received regardful attention, the view we have taken renders unnecessary a consideration of other questions discussed in the briefs of counsel. The j udgment appealed from is affirmed.
Reference
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- Syllabus
- 1.A motion to strike out appellant’s bill of exceptions and all the evidence contained in his abstract, because the particular errors relied upon are not specified in the bill of exceptions, cannot be considered, the question not being raised in an additional abstract. 2. Evidence of a lawyer’s negligence in collecting a note transmitted to him for professional attention is not evidence that he was not a lawyer of reputed learning and ability, so as to render the person sending the note to the lawyer negligent in employing him. . 3. A bank with whom notes secured by a mortgage on land in another state are left as collateral, without any express agreement on the part of the bank to collect the collateral notes when due, is not liable for the negligence of the lawyer employed by it to collect the notes, provided it selected an attorney having the reputation of being competent and reliable.