National City Bank of New York v. Henry Hotchkiss No 459 Henry Hotchkiss v. National City Bank of New York No 460

Decision Date03 November 1913
Docket NumberNos. 459 and 460,s. 459 and 460
Citation34 S.Ct. 20,231 U.S. 50,58 L.Ed. 115
PartiesNATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK, Appt., v. HENRY D. HOTCHKISS, as Trustee in Bankruptcy of Henry S. Haskins et al. NO 459. HENRY D. HOTCHKISS, as Trustee in Bankruptcy of Henry S. Haskins et al., Appt., v. NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK NO 460
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

Mr. John A. Garver for the National City Bank.

[Argument of Counsel from pages 51-54 intentionally omitted] Messrs. Abram I. Elkus, Wesley S. Sawyer, and William A. Barber for hotchkiss.

Mr. Justice Holmes delivered the opinion of the court:

This is a suit by a trustee in bankruptcy to recover certain securities alleged to have been transferred to the defendant bank by way of preference. The plaintiff had a judgment in the district court (200 Fed. 287, 299) and in the circuit court of appeals (120 C. C. A. 92, 201 Fed. 664). Both parties appeal; the plaintiff, upon a subordinate question as to its right to elect damages instead of a return of the securities.

The case arose upon what is known in New York as a clearance loan. Brokers need large sums to clear or pay for the stocks that they receive in the course of the day, and as the stocks must be paid for before they are received and can be pledged to raise the necessary funds, these sums are advanced by the banks. They are returned later on the same day by making deposits to the borrower's account and drawing a check to the order of the bank. Perhaps such a general course of dealing might be arranged so as to give a lien on the loan or its proceeds until payment, but the question whether such a lien has been created rarely, if ever, has arisen, the whole business being finished in a few hours. It is, however, the main issue in this case.

The bankrupts were brokers in partnership, and at 10 o'clock on January 19, 1910, had assets exceeding their liabilities by nearly half a million dollars. These assets consisted largely in the stock of a coal and iron company in which there was a pool. Before 12, there was a break in the market, the stock went down, and at about noon the suspension of the firm was announced. A petition in involuntary bankruptcy was filed at 10 minutes after 4 on the same day. At about 10, the bank made a clearance loan to the bankrupts of $500,000 in the usual way, to enable them to meet their current obligations and to get the stocks deliverable on that day, the bank receiving demand notes, and both parties acting in good faith. The sum was credited in the deposit account of the firm, in addition to $54,319.98 already there, and soon after the bank certified and subsequently paid checks amounting to $535,920.74. During the day the firm made deposits which are not in question, but there remained due upon the loan $166,166.69. Officers of the bank, noticing the drop in the stock, went to the firm, demanded payment or securities to make good the obligations to the bank, and were told of the suspension and that a petition in bankruptcy would be filed. After two hours' discussion the securities in queston were delivered between 2 and 3 P. M., but the officers were told that the delivery was a preference. Some of the securities bore no relation to the loan; others, and it may be assumed for purposes of argument, most, had been released by the money thus obtained.

In dealing with transactions of this kind we may go far in giving them any form that will carry out the mutually understood intent. Sexton v. Kessler & Co. 225 U. S. 90, 96, 97, 56 L. ed. 995, 999, 1000, 32 Sup. Ct. Rep. 657. But if the intent was doubtful or inconsistent with the legal effect of dominant facts, it must fail. For instance, apart from possible exceptions, a man cannot retain a domicil in one place when he has moved to another, and intends to reside there for the rest of his life, by any wish, declaration, or intent inconsistent with the dominant facts of where he actually lives and what he actually means to do. Dickinson v. Brookline, 181 Mass. 195, 92 Am. St. Rep. 407, 63 N. E. 331. In the present case it is agreed that it was expected and understood that no portion of the clearance loan was to be used for any purpose other than to clear securities. But, on the other hand, by consent of the bank, as it seems, the loan was put into the general deposit account, which was drawn upon for general purposes; at least, to the extent of the balance above the loan; the securities released were not kept separate, but were used like any other; and no separate account was kept of money received from deliveries of stock so released. What happened as between these parties was simply that all moneys received in the course of the day, from whatever source, went into the firm's deposit account with the bank. So that, even if we take it, as a corollary of what was understood, that the use of the clearance loan was expected to enable the firm to repay the loan, it does not appear to have been expected that the proceeds...

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