79 Md. 192 | Md. | 1894
Lead Opinion
delivered the opinion of the Court.
This case involves a question of considerable importance. Thomas J. Shryock & Co. drew their check for a hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty-five cents on the Third National Bank of Baltimore, payable to the order of John E. Reese. Reese endorsed it in these words: “Pay to the order of J. S. Ditch & Brother.” The next endorsement was in these words: “For deposit to the credit of J. S. Ditch & Brother.” Signed per T. P. Cassidy. It was admitted that Cassidy had due authority from Ditch & Brother to make and sign this endorsement.
In Tyson and Rawls vs. Western National Bank, the draft deposited was endorsed in these words: “For collection for account of Tyson and Rawls, Greenville, N C.” This Court held that this endorsement was not adequate to pass to the holders, the title to the draft, and that the evidence in the case did not show any other way by which it could have been passed. The Court also held that it was the clear understanding between the parties that Tyson and Rawls (the depositors) should not obtain an absolute and unconditional credit in consequence of the deposit. It being our opinion that Nicholson & Sons acquired title to this check, we must declare our carefully considered judgment. If other tribunals for whose learning and ability we entertain the greatest respect, have arrived at conclusions different from our own we do not feel called upon to abandon the deliberate convictions which we entertain. But we do not assume that there is a great contrariety in the opinions of the Courts on this question. A great many cases have been brought to judgment; but their facts have been diversified in great variety. It has always been held that the bank and the depositor could make their own contracts. Sometimes they have been made in express terms; and sometimes they have been inferred from the acts and conduct of the parties, and the regular and established course of dealing between them. It can readily be seen how broad a field of inquiry has been spread out before the Courts, and what diversities of facts and combinations of facts would probably be presented for their consideration. Among the great number of cases which have been earnestly pressed upon us, we will cite three in which the effect of an endorsement “for deposit” was considered. The first is National Commercial Bank vs. Miller & Co.,77 Alabama, 168. In this case the bank brought an action against Proskaner, and sued
John Ditch testified that “he regarded all the checks deposited by him as having been deposited for collection; otherwise why should they have to make good those which might be returned? ” The legal character and attributes of the deposit depend upon the endorsement and upon what was said and done at the time the deposit was made, and upon the regular and uniform course of dealing between the parties. The testimony of the witness was his opinion on a question of law. An exception was filed to it, and it was undoubtedly incompetent. The check on the day it was received by Nicholson & Sons was endorsed by them u for deposit ” and deposited in the Western Bank, where they kept an account. It was passed to their credit, subject to their check, and on the same day they largely overdrew their account. Later in the day they made an assignment for the benefit of their creditors, and it became known that they were totally insolvent. Although Nicholson & Sons acquired title to the check in the manner which we have stated, it is quite true that in a controversy with their trustee, Ditch & Brothers might successfully impeach the transfer for fraud and set it aside. But the question with the Western Bank stands on different grounds. It is a bona fide holder of a negotiable instrument for value, without notice of any facts which would invalidate the title of the endorsers from whom they obtained it. AJI commercial principle and usage require that such a title should be protected.
At the request of Ditch & Brothers the payment of this-check was stopped by the order of Shryock & Company, the drawers. Shryock & Co. filed a bill of interpleader in Circuit Court No. 2 of the city of Baltimore, and the Court
Decree affirmed, with costs.
I sat in the former argument of this case, and I have examined the briefs of counsel filed, and I wish to state that I concur in the opinion of the majority.
Henry Page.
Dissenting Opinion
delivered the following dissenting opinion, in which Robinson, O. J., and Roberts, J., concurred:
While the amount involved in this appeal is not large, yet the questions presented are important. The controversy here, as in the case of Tyson & Rawls vs. Western National Bank,77 Md.,412,recently decided by this .Court, grows out of the conflicting claims of the Western Rational Bank of Baltimore, and one of the depositors of Richolson & Sons, bankers in that city, who failed several years ago.
The check which is the subject of this litigation was dated January 13th, 1892, and was drawn by Thomas J. Shryock & Co. on the Third Rational Bank of Baltimore to the order of John E. Reese, who, on the day of its date, endorsed it to J. S. Ditch & Bro., who on the following day endorsed it as follows: “For deposit to the credit of J. S. Ditch & Bro., per Cassidy.” Cassidy is a clerk of Ditch & Bro., and there is no question as to his authority to endorse. So endorsed, this check, with several others, amounting in the aggregate to $929.75, was deposited by one of the Arm of Ditch & Bro. in the bank of Richolson & Sons a short time before noon on the 14th January, 1892. The deposit was at once credited by the Richol
Upon the bill, answer and testimony, the Court below decreed that the property in the check in question passed from Ditch & Bro. and vested in the Nicholsons, and that the latter conferred a perfect title upon the Western Bank. Prom this decree Ditch & Bro. have appealed,’ and the question is whether the Western Bank has a valid legal title.
The general question of the relations between depositors and banks as regards their respective rights in and title to negotiable paper deposited by the former with the latter, is much embarrassed by a conflict of authority. But after all, as we said in Tyson & Rawls, supra,the conflict is more apparent than real. It will be found that the views expressed by the highest tribunals in this country and England, when carefully examined, differ not so much in the principles announced as in the facts to which these general principles have been from time to time applied. In most of the cases in which it has been held that the. title to negotiable paper passed to the bank from a depositor, such paper was endorsed in blank or made payable to the bank. After stating the general rule that when a customer deposits money to the credit of his account, the bank becomes debtor and he is creditor, we said in the case just cited: “The consideration which a depositor receives for his money is the absolute and unconditional contract of the bank to pay his checks to the ex
If such an endorsement as tMs can be held to pass title to commercial paper, it must be so either because such is the clear meaning of the words used or because of some artificial or technical, but well known and settled, meamng given to the language of the endorsement by the custom and usage of banks and their customers, wMch indicates a transfer of title was intended, though not expressed. Of course, it is not, and could not be contended in this case that there is any such custom, for there is no evidence to sustain any such contention. What, then, is the fair and legal construction of this endorsement? In the first place, we start with the presumption that the depositor does not intend to part with title to his paper, subject to be rebutted only by evidence of an express contract to the contrary, of of facts from wMch such contract must be in
In Freeman vs. Exchange Bank, 87 Ga.,45, an endorsement precisely like the one we are considering was held to be restrictive. The endorsement was “For deposit to the credit of S. A. Brown & Co.” The endorsers deposited
“Pay S. V. W. or order, for account of Miners Nat. Bank of Georgetown.” White vs. National Bank, 102 U. 658. “Pay to P. or order only.”Power vs. Finnie, 4 Call (Pa.), 411. “Pay T. W. or order for our use, value received on account.” Wilson vs. Holmes, 5 Mass., 543. “ Pay to order of W. H. & Co., account First Nat. Bank of Chicago.” First National Bank of Chicago vs. Reno County Bank, 3 Fed. Rep., 261. “ Credit my account, J. B. S. Cashier.” Lee vs. Bank, 1 Bond (Ohio), 387.
We think, therefore, that looking at the endorsement itself, without regard to any „course of dealing between
And in Balbach vs. Felinghuysen, 15 Fed. Rep., 675, one of the cases to which reference is made in the note to the section just cited, it was held that even when the check is endorsed to the bank and credit is given for it as cash on the customer’s pass-book and the books of the bank, these facts are not conclusive evidence that title passes to. the bank, for two reasons say the Court: (11 “ Because such credit was only conditional, and, if the check should be dishonored, it would be charged back to the customer, which is inconsistent with ownership in the bank; and (2) because this practice of banks to credit such deposits at once and to allow the depositor to draw
As between Ditch & Bro. and the Nicholsons, without regard to the restrictive character of the endorsement, no title to the check passed to the latter. No consideration was paid by them; and they were, and they knew they were, insolvent when the check was deposited. “ The acceptance of a deposit by a bank irretrievably insolvent constituted such a fraud as entitled the depositor to reclaim his draft or the proceeds.” Fuller, C. J. St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Co. vs. Johnston, supra.
We have neither found nor been referred to any authority which sustains the contention of the appellee, unless the section in Morse on Banking (sec. 577), cited in the opinion of the learned judge below, can be so considered. But when this section is examined, and especially when it is ascertained that the sole authority(Nat. Commercial Bank vs.Miller & Co.,77 Ala., 168) which Mr. Morse cites to sustain it, does not seem to support the contention of the appellee, we may well hesitate before adopting the construction which it has placed, upon Mr. Morse’s language. It would seem more reasonable to construe this section (577) to mean that when a check is endorsed “for deposit,” under the circumstances therein set forth, the bank may have the check certified, instead of actually collecting the money. And so the author says in the last clause of the section. In the case just cited (Nat. Commercial Bank, vs.Miller & Co.) it was held that title passed to the bank
There is a wide distinction between Bank vs. Miller & Co. and the case under consideration. There the check was endorsed, deposited, and collected; but here there has been no collection — no payment of the check either in cash or its equivalent.
If, however, the section (577) we have just referred to is to have the construction given to it by the appellee, there would be a striking conflict between it and section
In Bolles on Bank Collections, sec. 8c., Ed. 1893, the author cites the case of City of Somerville vs. Beal, 49 Fed. Rep., 790, to sustain the view that an endorsement for “ deposit ” with credit and conditional right to draw, transfers title; but this case was taken by appeal to the IT. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and is reported in 50 Fed. Rep., 647. And in the Court last named the contrary-doctrine was held and ably maintained by an elaborate opinion, from which we have already quoted to show that such an endorsement is restrictive, and does not pass title. And in the case oí Metropolitan National Bank vs. Loyd, supra, cited by the appellee to sustain its contention, the credit given by the bank to the depositor was an absolute one. “Admitted circumstances,” say the Court, “show it was the intention of the parties to make the transfer absolute,” and “the bank charged itself with a debt absolutely due to Murray,” the depositor. But here, as we have seen, there is not only no absolute credit, but “the credit entry of cash was a mere delusion.” And as was said in Beal vs. City of Somerville, supra, if the appellee bank had shown that the depositor had a legal right to draw against the checks from the moment of the deposit, so absolute that the bank could not lawfully suspend it by notice or otherwise, pending the collection, this would tend to support its position throughout. But on the contrary, the provisional or mere pretense of a credit, such as
If, however, the check in question had been endorsed in blank, or to the order of the Mcholsons, a very different question would have been presented. Then the legal effect of such endorsement to pass title to bona fide holders for value, according to the settled rules of commercial law, and the rights of innocent third parties, if any had intervened, would be properly considered, as was done in Metropolitan Bank vs. Lloyd and in many other cases since. “The views of the Supreme Court of the United States,” says Mr. Daniel, 1 Neg. Inst., sec. 340, “ seem to embody the true logic of the question. ‘ The bank transmitting the paper endorsed in blank is ostensibly the owner. It has been agreed by implied contract arising from usage that the avails shall be applied to balances against it. With this understanding its correspondent undertakes the collection and applies the avails. And then when the contract has been executed it would seem to be in contravention of the universally recognized principle which controls the negotiation of commercial paper to permit a third party who had declared by his endorsement that he had parted with his title to come in and assert it.’ ” The same view is expressed by us in Tyson & Bawls and constitutes what Putnam, J., in Beal vs. City of Somerville, calls the doctrine of “ reputed ownership,” which he says is recognized by the Supreme Court of U. S. in St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Co. vs. Johnston, supra. If, therefore, the depositor does not intend to pass title he should not use the forms of endorsement which are universally used for that purpose, but should adopt some other form, such as “for collection,” which we held in Tyson & Rawls,supra, does not, without more, pass title, or “for deposit to credit of,” which we think, as used in this case, is equally restrictive.
Of course, if the depositor is awarded even the gratui
It has been suggested it was against public policy and contrary to the interests of commerce, to hold this endorsement to be restrictive. But we do not think so. On the contrary, in our opinion it would be for the best interests of the public, the banks and commerce, if all endorsements except those which are in full or in blank should be declared restrictive. And such was the opinion of Lord Tenterden in the case of Sigourney vs. Lloyd and others, 8 Barn. & C., 622. In the case just cited the endorsement, was “ Pay to Williams or his order for my use.” “ I cannot see,” says Lord Tenterden, “that the interests of commerce will be prejudiced by our holding thar such an endorsement is restrictive. On the contrary, I think the interests of commerce will be thereby advanced.” When this case was taken up on appeal Lord Chief Justice Best said: “No inconvenience can possibly arise to the commercial interests of the country by limiting the operation of an endorsement so expressed. The only effect will be to make persons more cautious in transactions of this nature in the future. Unless the words for my use have no meaning, it is obvious, upon looking at the endorsement, that enquiry was necessary to have been made, and if a meaning can be found for those words, the Court must apply them so as to meet the object and intention of the endorser.” 3 Moore & Payne, 229.
The commercial world is well acquainted with the forms of endorsement universally used to transfer paper, and when these forms are not used the owner of the paper ought not to be deprived of his interest therein by any •course of reasoning, however ingenious it may be.
Our conclusion is that the legal effect of this endorsement was to give notice to the Western Rational Bank that J. S. Ditch & Brothers were the owners of the check, and that the Richolsons were only agents to collect the proceeds of the same and deposit them to the credit of J. S. Ditch & Brothers.