United States v. Minnesota Mut Inv Co
| Decision Date | 24 May 1926 |
| Docket Number | No. 348,348 |
| Citation | 70 L.Ed. 911,46 S.Ct. 501,271 U.S. 212 |
| Parties | UNITED STATES v. MINNESOTA MUT. INV. CO |
| Court | U.S. Supreme Court |
Messrs. Blackburn Esterline, of Chicago, Ill., William D. Mitchell, Sol. Gen., of Washington, D. C., and Gardiner P. Lloyd, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., for the United States.
Mr. Edwin H. Park, of Denver, Colo., for defendant in error.
[Argument of Counsel from pages 212-214 intentionally omitted] Mr. Chief Justice TAFT delivered the opinion of the Court.
The Minnesota Mutual Investment Company is a corporation of South Dakota, doing business in Colorado. It sued the United States for $571.26, under the Tucker Act (Judicial Code, § 24, par. 20 (Comp. St. § 991)). Its claim arises under the following circumstances: In a cause pending in the United States District Court for Colorado, the Investment Company was plaintiff, and McGirr and others were defendants. The plaintiff was required to place in the registery of the court $15,143.92, which the clerk of the court immediately deposited in the First National Bank of Denver, Colo., designated by the court as one of its depositaries. The money remained in the bank to the credit of the court from June 7, 1918, until May 6, 1920, when it was returned to the Investment Company. During that period the bank paid interest on this deposit of 2 per cent. per annum, semiannually into the United States Treasury for the use of the government. The petition alleges that for a long series of years prior to this, interest paid by the bank on such court funds had been added to the deposit for the benefit of the party adjudged to own it, but that shortly before this deposit the Secretary of the Treasury, by regulation, required all United States depositaries having court funds to pay interest at 2 per cent. to the Treasurer of the United States for its use.
The petition avers that the United States was not interested in the sum of money so deposited, had no right, title, or interest therein, directly or indirectly, and that the interest so paid was and is the property of the plaintiff, and was received by the United States for the use and benefit of the plaintiff, and judgment was asked therefor.
The United States filed a demurrer to the complaint, which was overruled. It then answered alleging that the United States, through its proper officers, had entered into a contract concerning the payment of interest upon all government deposits, including the court funds, carried with the bank by virtue of its designation as a depositary of the United States, under the regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Treasury under authority conferred upon him by the laws of the United States; that this contract considered of an offer made on behalf of the United States and its acceptance by the First National Bank by its President, and that accordingly $571.26 was paid to the United States by the bank; that in consideration of such payment the United States allowed the bank the use of all government deposits held on deposit, allowed the bank the prestige and advertising connected with its handling of such government deposits, kept safe in its custody the collateral security pledged by the bank to secure the deposits, and supervised the depositary in all matters in connection with the deposit. Accompanying the answer was the correspondence claimed to em- body the contract between the United States and the bank. A demurrer to the answer of the defendant was sustained, and the judgment for $571.26 followed. Direct appeal to this court was allowed to the United States under the Tucker Act (Act of March 3, 1887, §§ 4 and 9, c. 359, 24 Stat. 505 (Comp. St. §§ 1574, 1172)), because taken before the taking effect of the Act of February 13, 1925 (43 Stat. 936, c. 229, § 14).
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
National Mut Ins Co of District of Columbia v. Tidewater Transfer Co Inc
...and wholly dependent upon whether an Act of Congress has authorized the suit, see United States v. Minnesota Mutual Investment Co., 1926, 271 U.S. 212, 217, 46 S.Ct. 501, 502, 503, 70 L.Ed. 911, a question arising under the laws of the United States, as that phrase is used in Art. III, is c......
-
Hughes Transp. v. United States, 525-52.
...L.Ed. 1099; Merritt v. United States, 58 Ct.Cl. 371, affirmed 267 U.S. 338, 45 S.Ct. 278, 69 L.Ed. 643; United States v. Minn. Investment Co., 271 U.S. 212, 46 S.Ct. 501, 70 L.Ed. 911; Baltimore & Ohio R. R. v. United States, 57 Ct.Cl. 140, affirmed 261 U.S. 592, 43 S.Ct. 425, 67 L.Ed. 816.......
-
United States v. Gregory Park, Section II, Inc.
...Tire & Rubber Co. v. United States, 276 U.S. 287, 293, 48 S.Ct. 306, 72 L.Ed. 575 (1928); United States v. Minnesota Mutual Investment Co., 271 U.S. 212, 46 S.Ct. 501, 70 L.Ed. 911 (1926); Merritt v. United States, 267 U.S. 338, 340-341, 45 S.Ct. 278, 69 L.Ed. 643 (1925); G. T. Fogle & Co. ......
-
Hercules Inc. v. U.S.
...71 S.Ct. 153, 95 L.Ed. 152, and, in any event, may not be entertained by this Court, see United States v. Minnesota Mutual Investment Co., 271 U.S. 212, 217-218, 46 S.Ct. 501, 502-503, 70 L.Ed. 911. Pp. 24 F.3d 188 (C.A.Fed.1994), affirmed. REHNQUIST, C.J., delivered the opinion of the Cour......