James River National Bank of Jamestown v. Weber
Decision Date | 27 January 1910 |
Citation | 124 N.W. 952,19 N.D. 702 |
Court | North Dakota Supreme Court |
Appeal from District Court, Stutsman county; Burke, J.
Action by the James River National Bank of Jamestown, N.D., against Fried Weber. Judgment for plaintiff, and defendant appeals.
Affirmed.
F Baldwin, for appellant.
One paying money without compulsion, claimed by another as a matter of right, and paying with full knowledge of the fact cannot recover it. Wyman v. Farnsworth, 3 Barb. 369; N.Y. & C. R. Co. v. Marsh, 2 Kern 308, 1 Wait's Law & P. 702; Mowatt v. Wright, 1 Wend. 355; Morton v. Ostrom, 33 Barb. 256; Forest v. Magor, 13 Abb. 350.
Money paid by one under a mistake of facts, which he had means of knowing, cannot be recovered. Winddiel v. Carroll, 16 Hun. 101 to 103; See Vol. 39 Cent. Dig. Col. 438, Sec 267; Peterborough v. Lancaster, 14 N.H. 382; Gooding v. Morgan, 37 Me. 419; Pensacola Ry. v Braxton, 16 So. 317; McArthur v. Luse, 5 N.W. 451; Wheeler v. Hatheway, 24 N.W. 780; Simmons v. Looney, 24 S.E. 677; Wiles v. McIntosh Co. 10 N.D. 594, 88 N.W. 710; Wessel v. Mortgage Co., 3 N.D. 160, 54 N.W. 922; Frederick v. Douglas Co., 71 N.W. 798; Anderson v. Cameron, 97 N.W. 1085.
John Knauf, for respondent.
Where one pays money under a mistake of right and duty, with no obligation to pay, and the recipient no right to receive, it may be recovered, whether the mistake is of law or fact. Northrup's Ex'rs. v. Graves, 19 Conn. 548, 50 Am. Dec. 264; U. N. Bank v. Sixth N. Bank, 43 N.Y. 452; Mfgrs. N. Bank v. Perry, 144 Mass. 313; 2 Morse on Banks and Banking, 272 Col. 426, Cent. Dig. Vol. 39.
Overdrafts created by mistake, where payee of check is not damaged, and has fraudulently induced the check to be honored, may be recovered. Mowatt v. Wright, 1 Wend. 355, 19 Am. Dec. 508; Bulow v. Goddard, 9 Am. Dec. 663; Bull v. City of Quincy, 52 Ill.App. 186; Reynolds v. Rochester, 4 Ind. 43; Sheard v. Sears, 119 Mass. 143; Ely v. Padden, 13 N.Y.S. 53; Sleep v. Heymann, 57 Wis. 495, 16 N.W. 17; Whiting v. Bank, 77 N.Y. 365; Continental Nat'l. Bank v. Tradesmen's Nat'l. Bank, 36 App.Div. (Hun N.Y.) 112; Burkhalter v. Second Nat'l. Bank, 42 N.Y. 538; Mutual Savings Institution v. Enslin, 46 Mo. 200; Citizens' Bank v. Graflin, 31 Md. 507.
Money received under a mistake of fact or law or which the recipient has no right in good conscience to retain, may be recovered. Kane v. Morehouse, 46 Conn. 300; Culbreath v. Culbreath, 50 Am. Dec. 375; City of Covington v. Powell, 59 Ky. 226; City of Louisville v. Henning, 64 Ky. 381; McMurtry v. Ky. Central Ry. Co. 1 S.W. 815; Foster v. Kirby, 31 Mo. 496.
This case originated in the district court of Stutsman county, and comes here on appeal from a judgment in plaintiff's favor. As the complaint discloses, the action is for the recovery of $ 319.71 with interest, which sum, it is alleged, was, on December 27, 1905, paid by plaintiff to defendant through mistake, induced by false representations made by defendant to plaintiff's officers. The answer puts in issue the material allegations of the complaint, and alleges facts tending to show that such payment was voluntarily made. A jury was expressly waived, and the cause submitted to the court, and after both parties had submitted their testimony, the court made its findings of fact and conclusions of law in plaintiff's favor, and ordered a judgment accordingly. The material portions of the findings are as follows:
It is well settled that the findings of fact of the trial court in cases of this character are entitled to, and will be given, the same weight in this court as the verdict of a jury. As said by the present Chief Justice of this court in Ruettell v. Insurance Co., 16 N.D. 546, 113 N.W. 1029: An examination of the testimony serves to convince us that the findings of the trial court are amply supported by the evidence. Indeed, appellant's counsel does not seriously contend to the contrary.
The whole controversy arises over the item of $ 319.71, which sometime prior to October 7, 1905, was deposited in said bank to defendant's credit by one Ogilvie. Plaintiff contends that defendant drew two checks against his account for this sum, which were paid by it. One on October 7th, and the other on December 27th. Defendant admits drawing both of such checks, but contends that the one on October 7th was not paid. Whether this first check was paid or not is the vital question in dispute. If it was paid, as contended by plaintiff, then it is undisputed that the check of December 27th overdrew defendant's account, the exact amount of such check. Both of such checks were introduced in evidence, and are marked paid on their face, with the dates of such payments "October 7, 1905," and "December 27, 1905," respectively. In addition to this the witness Mattison, teller of plaintiff's bank, positively testified to the payment of both checks on the dates above mentioned. Regarding the first check, he testified: Regarding the other check this witness testified: ...
To continue reading
Request your trial