Gruszka v. Mitchell Street State Bank
Gruszka v. Mitchell Street State Bank
Opinion of the Court
The following opinion was filed November 11, 1924:
The defendant makes two contentions in support of the judgment of the circuit court: First, that the delivery of the book, accompanied by the letter of April 5/10, 1920, constituted an assignment by the plaintiff of his
(1) Plaintiff is entitled to recover the deposit unless he parted with his title thereto by reason of the delivery of the pass-book, accompanied by the letter of April 5/10, 1920, to the Polish bank. On the part of the defendant it is claimed that this transaction amounted to an assignment, and in support of that contention the following cases are cited: Pierce v. Boston Sav. Bank, 129 Mass. 425; Kimball v. Leland, 110 Mass. 325; Frentz v. Schwarze, 122 Md. 12, 89 Atl. 439; Laing v. Durand, 84 N. J. Eq. 404, 93 Atl. 884; Hill v. Stevenson, 63 Me. 364, 18 Am. Rep. 231; Stacks v. Buten, 141 Wis. 235, 124 N. W. 403.
Sec. 2319c, Stats., is referred to. This section provides:
“No gift, sale, assignment, or transfer of any saving fund bank book . . . shall be valid unless the same shall be in writing and the same or a copy thereof delivered to the bank issuing such bank deposit book.”
It is argued that the enactment of this section is a recognition of the common-law rule in the state of Wisconsin. There is very little evidence in regard to the nature of the transaction between the plaintiff and the Polish bank. Plaintiff says:
“I sent the deposit book and receipt for war savings stamps and Liberty bonds to the Mitchell Street State Bank on the 1st day of March, 1920, through a bank in Poland.”
Reference to the letter itself indicates that the Polish bank was a mere agency, employed by the plaintiff for the purpose of sending the pass-book to the Mitchell Street State
(2) The defendant having failed to repay the plaintiff the amount of the deposit with interest and having delivered the bonds and stamps without authority from the plaintiff to a third party, the plaintiff is clearly entitled to recover the amount of the judgment awarded him in the civil court.
The plaintiff having revoked the authority conferred upon the defendant by the letter of April 5/10, 1920, it
By the Court. — Judgment of the circuit court is reversed, and cause remanded with directions' to enter judgment for the plaintiff in accordance with this opinion.
The respondent moved for a rehearing and to amend the mandate.
On February 10, 1925, the motion for a rehearing was denied, and the motion to amend the mandate was granted; without costs, and the mandate amended so as to read:
By the Court. — Judgment appealed from is reversed, with costs, and cause remanded for further proceedings according to law.
Reference
- Status
- Published