Minnehaha National Bank v. Toohey
Minnehaha National Bank v. Toohey
Opinion of the Court
This original proceeding in mandamus .is brought to compel the defendant, as treasurer of the independent school district of the city of' Sioux Falls, to honor and pay a certain warrant issued by the school board of said school district in payment for certain government 'bonds known as “Liberty Bonds,” and which bonds had theretofore been subscribed for by said school district.
It appears from the affidavit filed by plaintiff and upon which the application for a peremptory writ of mandamus is 'based that on the 8th day of November, 1917, the hoard of education- of said school1 district, pursuant to a resolution theretofore adopted, issued to the plaintiff a warrant on -the defendant in payment for said Liberty Bonds; that said warrant, on its face, was drawn against the “bond interest and sinking fund” of said' school district; and that at the time said warrant was presented' to defendant there were sufficient of the funds named in said warrant 011 hand to pay the same in full.
Under the provisions of section 125, c. 119, Taws of 1913, the city treasurer of the City of Sioux Falls is ex officio treasurer of the Independent school district of the city of Sioux Falls without any liabilities or obligations other than those imposed upon him as such city treasurer, except such as are impliedly imposed upon him in his capacity as treasurer of the school district. Nor is he required to give any official bond other than that furnished as city treasurer. By section 60, c. 119, Laws of 1913, the city treasurer, upon assuming that office, is required to furnish a bond “conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties- of the office and the payment of all money received by such officer, according to law and such ordinance of such -city.” This provision of law, applied to defendant as treasurer of the school district, would -require him to pay out all money belonging ta the school district according to law and the resolutions of the school board; and the lawful manner, or at least one lawful manner, of paying out the money belonging to the school district, is upon- warrants regularly issued for a lawful purpose by the school board.
From this it follows that, when the warrant involved in this case was presented to him for payment, it was his duty to pay it, unless there is some provision of law that requires that the bonds to be paid for with the -proceeds of said warrant be- deposited with him before or at the time he pays out the money.
From the fact -that the Legislature required securities that are taken as collateral only to be deposited with the treasurer, and di-d not require securities that were purchased and owned by the school district to- be deposited with him, it may fairly be inferred that the Legislature did not intend that such securities should be deposited with the treasurer, but intended to leave the s-ch-ool board free to select a custodian- for the latter class of securities. And, as the treasurer is not m-adfe the legal custodian of such bonds, he is not liable on his official bond for the safe-keeping thereof, an-d was not warranted in refusing to pay the s-aid warrant except upon the condition that the -bonds purchased with t-h-e proceeds -thereof be -deposited with him. When the warrant was presented to him for payment, it was his duty to pay it. The warrant, when paid, will take the place of that amount of ca-sE in his- settlement with the school board, and will relieve 'him from liability for the amount -of cash paid out on said warrant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MINNEHAHA NATIONAL BANK OF SIOUX FALLS v. TOOHEY, City Treasurer
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published