Smith v. Funston
Smith v. Funston
Opinion of the Court
This action is based on allegations of fraud, deceit, and embezzlement. At the trial the plaintiff asked, not alone for a money judgment, but for a fraud or tort judgment. The plaintiff went to trial under his complaint, and the following facts were established: That in the early part of 1921 Geo. E. Funston was president of the International State Bank of Sioux
When plaintiff rested its case, the defendants moved the court to direct the jury to return a verdict in favor of defendants and each of them upon all of the issues for the following reasons: ’
“First. That the undisputed evidence shows that the note for $15,000 mentioned in the complaint herein, and made the -basis for this cause of action, was not an accommodation note, but was given for a valuable consideration.
“Second. That there is no showing of any intent on the part of defendants to defraud the bank, and no evidence of fraud, embezzlement or unlawful acts on the part of defendants is shown as alleged in the complaint. ■
“Third. That the undisputed evidence shows that the directors, and each -of them, had knowledge of the two loans that the notes secured. The second1 mortgage was, on three separate occasions, approved by said -board of directors, which removes -the case from the consideration of the jury.
“Fourth. That the evidence is entirely insufficient to show any fraud, embezzlement or unlawful acts on the part of the defendants, which would entitle the plaintiff to obtain a fraud judgment as prayed for in his complaint.
“Fifth. The evidence is entirely insufficient to sustain the cause of action set out in plaintiff’s complaint.
After which the case was. reopened, and the defendants separately .moved the court to instruct the jury to- return a verdict' in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiffs on the ground
The jury returned a verdict against plaintiff and in favor of all the defendants upon all of the issues, and thereafter the court entered judgment for all of the defendants, and dismissed plaintiff’s complaint upon its merits and for -defendants’ costs. It is from such judgment and an order denying a new trial that appellant appeals.
Assignment No. 21, pertains to the principal point in the case of whether or not the Keith note for $15,000 was an accommodation note. We think not. Section 1733, R. C.-1919, defines an accommodation party as follows:
“An accommodation party is one who has signed the instrument as maker, drawer, acceptor, or indorser, without receiving value therefor and, for the purpose of lending his name to some other person. Such a person is liable on the instrument to a ■holder for value, notwithstanding such holder at the time of taking the instrument knew him- to be only an accommodation party.”
8 C. J. 225:
“Accommodation paper is paper to which an accommodation party has put his name without -consideration. It follows that the paper is not accommodation paper if there is an accommodation-accruing to the accommodation party for the signing, and the fact that the consideration fails does not make the paper accommodation paper.”
The facts as disclosed by the record are that said Geo. E. Eunston owed said bank $15,000; that he wished to remove such' indebtedness; that his mother-in-law, Mina Keith, who was, financially responsible, and a good bank risk for $15,000, was willing to take up his notes in said amount, which she did, receiving in consideration therefor a note for $15,000, signed by said Eunston and Genevieve K. Eunston, his wife. It was agreed between them that, if for any reason the note was not paid, the amount of it should be deducted from said Genevieve K. Eunston’s share of
Assignment of error No. 1 relates to the affairs' of the bank' prior to the placing of the Keith note in the bank, and was entirely irrelevant.
Assignments Nos. 2 and 3 deal with issues outside of the case, and we fail to find any prejudicial error therein.
Assignments 5-18, inclusive, predicate error in ,rulings upon testimony. On ah issue of fraud' the admission and rejection of testimony is within the discretion of the trial court, and becomes error only when there is abuse of such discretion. First Nat. Bank v. Harvey, 137 N. W. 365, 29 S. D. 284. We have examined these assignments carefully, and fail to find that there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial court.
Assignment No. 19 predicates error in the instructions to the jury. We fail to find that the instructions were in any manner prejudicial to appellant.
Assignment No. 20 relates to the insufficiency of the evidence, and does not merit any consideration, in view of the conclusion of this court.
The judgment and order denying a new trial are affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SMITH, Superintendent of Banks v. FUNSTON
- Status
- Published