Banking and Finance Law Commons^™

Bankruptcy-Set-Off-Bank Deposits, A. E. Anderson S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Endorsers of a corporation's notes caused the corporation to make deposits in the payee bank in the regular course of business, knowing the corporation to be insolvent, and the bank took over the deposits within four months of adjudication in bankruptcy. It was contended that under the amended definition of "transfer" as set out in section 1 (30) of the Bankruptcy Act of 1938, this transaction resulted in a voidable preference to the endorsers under section 60. The trial court rejected this contention. On appeal, held, affirmed. Although the 1938 amendment gave a broader significance to the term "transfer" …

Banks And Banking - Immunity Of National Banks From State Escheat Statute, Spencer E. Irons

Michigan Law Review

A Michigan statute provided that bank deposits, in the possession or control of insolvent banks, which have remained inactive for a period of seven years or more shall escheat to the state. In a suit for a declaratory judgment, filed by the Attorney General of Michigan, against the receiver of an insolvent national bank and the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States, the federal district court held that the receiver must turn over deposits coming within the terms of the statute. Held, the statute is invalid if so applied, since it would constitute an unlawful interference with …

Banks And Banking -Trusts - Right Of Bank To Sell Participating Trust Certificates In Self-Owned Property, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

In 1923 the trust company entered into a transaction with the land company by which the land company borrowed $130,000 with which it purchased a city property for slightly less than that amount and gave title to the trust company as security for the loan. Through a series of loans later negotiated the trust company came to have an investment of $150,000 in the property. In 1926 the trust company made an agreement with the land company pursuant to which the trust company declared itself trustee of the property at an appraised value almost fifty per cent above the purchase …

Fraudulent Conveyances - Contingent Creditors - Bank Stockholders' Double Liability, Charles V. Beck Jr.

Michigan Law Review

A holder of bank stock conveyed real estate to her daughter in consideration of love and affection, leaving the grantor with no other assets than the bank stock. At the time, the bank stock had a market value of eleven dollars a share, and the bank was advertising for depositors; there was nothing in the record to indicate insolvency. About two years later the bank closed, and the superintendent of banks assessed the stockholders the amount of their statutory double liability. When the transfer was discovered the superintendent brought action to set aside the conveyance as fraudulent to the creditors …

Some Problems Arising Out Of Deposits To Pay Principal And Interest On Bonds, Paul P. Lipton

Michigan Law Review

Since Lawrence v. Fox contracts students have been puzzled by the numerous and varying relations that may arise when A, the debtor, delivers money to B to pay C, his creditor. Equally puzzling and much more complicated are the rights and relations of the obligor, trustee and bondholders with respect to sums deposited with the trustee to pay principal and interest on bonds.

The insolvency during recent years of many large trust companies that had been named as trustees in indentures securing corporate bonds, having on hand at the time of their failure large sums of money which …

Banks And Banking - Relationship To Customers - Principal Or Creditor, Charles E. Nadeau

Michigan Law Review

A collection agreement permitted plaintiff to clear items through defendant bank in return for maintaining a balance of $10,000 which was not subject to check. All items received immediate credit, and twice weekly defendant bank remitted, in New York exchange, all amounts in excess of $10,000. On insolvency of defendant bank, plaintiff sought a preferred claim on the basis that the bank was its agent for collection. Held, where, as here, the bank may use the funds before remittance, or where the depositor may withdraw any part of the funds, the relationship is that of debtor-creditor and not of …

Trusts -Tracing Principles Applicable Where Funds Of Two Or More Cestuis Are Wrongfully Commingled, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Public funds of a school district, of the village of Vassar, and of ten other municipalities were deposited in defendant bank without securing the deposit bond required by statute. After defendant bank had been declared insolvent, the school district intervened and sought to have the amount of its deposit impressed upon the cash assets of the bank as a trust, on the ground that the bank became a trustee ex maleficio. The total of the illegal deposits was greater than the cash on hand and the credits established in solvent correspondent banks at the time the receiver took over the …

Banks And Banking - Collections - Trust Or Debt, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A certificate of deposit issued by A bank and owned by plaintiff was presented for collection in a routine clearance transaction between defendant bank and A bank. A bank paid for the several items presented with other items and a draft. The draft was dishonored. After both banks closed, defendant bank collected the amount of the draft from A bank as a preferred claim. Plaintiff seeks full payment of the certificate of deposit. Held, payment terminated the agency for collection and gave rise to a debtor-creditor relation, and, for this purpose, payment by draft was equivalent to any other …

Banks And Banking - Reorganization Under Enabling Statutes Requiring Less Than Unanimous Agreement - Effect On Special Deposits

Michigan Law Review

The plaintiff issued drafts to the defendant bank under a special agreement that they were to cover certain checks already cashed or to be cashed. When a balance of such drafts stood at $2,000 in favor of the plaintiff, the defendant bank became insolvent. A North Dakota statute provided that if eighty per cent of the deposit creditors agreed to a plan of reorganization, and such plan was approved by the state bank examiner and the secretary of the guarantee fund commission, it was to be held binding on all other unsecured creditors. Eighty per cent of the depositors of …

Bank Reorganization And Recapitalization In Michigan, Ellis B. Merry

Michigan Law Review

On January 2, 1933, 420 state and 68 national banks were operating in Michigan. On February 13, the Governor of Michigan proclaimed a banking holiday for eight days which was extended in effect on February 22. On March 4, the President proclaimed a national banking holiday until March 9. Under the provisions of the President's proclamation lifting the national banking holiday, 198 state and approximately 30 national banks were reopened by the appropriate authorities as "sound" banks. State bank conservators assumed the management and custody of 215 state banks which did not open, on appointment by the Commissioner of the …

Bills And Notes-Warranty Of Qualified Indorser -When Instrument "Valueless"

Michigan Law Review

In an action based upon the vendor's warranty in the sale of a note as set forth in the N.I.L., sec. 65 (4), it being alleged that the maker was insolvent and the mortgaged property worth much less than the debt at the time of the transfer of the note and that both such facts were known to the transferor, held, a ruling sustaining a demurrer should be affirmed. Leekley v. Short, (Iowa 1933) 249 N. W. 363.

Constitutional Law - Bank Reorganization Legislation - Composition With Depositors And Other Creditors, Maurice S. Culp

Michigan Law Review

Twenty States and the federal government now have laws permitting the reorganization and reopening of insolvent or failing banks. The usual statute provides for the reorganization of a bank upon some plan approved by a large majority of the general creditors of the institution; the plan must also have the approval of state banking officials and of a court of general jurisdiction, although the last is by no means a universal requirement. The reorganization, when approved, becomes binding upon all depositors and general creditors of the bank regardless of consent. By the terms of a few statutes, non-assenting creditors are …

Banks And Banking -Trust Funds - Deposits For A Special Purpose

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff had an arrangement with defendant bank whereby receipts of certain of plaintiff's branch stores were to be deposited daily with defendant, and the latter was to transmit each day by draft to a bank in Pittsburgh for plaintiff's credit all sums in excess of a dormant balance of $2,000. Drafts covering two days' deposits were in process of transmission to the Pittsburgh bank when defendant bank was taken over by the Comptroller of the Currency. The deposits represented by these drafts were made at a time when defendant's officers and directors knew the bank to be insolvent, though negotiations …

Bills And Notes - What Constitutes A Reasonable Time In Presenting A Check For Payment

Michigan Law Review

Defendant delivered to the plaintiff, at about 10 o'clock A. M., a check drawn on the B bank. The next morning at 10:30 o'clock the plaintiff's agent went to drawee to cash the check. As there was "a run" being made on the bank that day, the agent was forced to stand in line. After waiting from 10:30 o'clock in the morning to 1 o'clock in the afternoon, he left without cashing the check. The next day the bank failed to open its doors. In an action by the plaintiff to recover the debt covered by the check, the defendant …

Trusts -- Self-Dealing Of The Trustee -- Right To Look Through The Corporate Entity

Michigan Law Review

One Northrop was appointed by the court as guardian, receiving $2,500 which he deposited in defendant bank of which he was the president, the general manager, and of which he was in complete control. Subsequently he exchanged this deposit for a mortgage owned by the bank. The bank became insolvent, and plaintiff, as substituted trustee, brought this action to have a preference adjudged out of the bank's assets in favor of the ward. Held, plaintiff could ignore the mortgage transaction but could only claim as a general creditor of the bank. Ottawa Banking and Trust Co. v. Crookston State …

Trusts - Tracing Of Assets - Preference

Michigan Law Review

Public funds were unlawfully deposited in the insolvent bank. At the time the bank closed the cash in its own vault was less than the amount of public funds deposited but it did have, at the time of closing and at all times before, deposits in correspondent banks which, taken with the cash in its own vault, exceeded the amount of the public funds unlawfully deposited. Held, that the unlawful deposit of the public funds, the bank knowing them to be public funds, created a trust of those funds in the hands of the bank, which trust was impressed …

Failed Banks, Collection Items, And Trust Preferences, George Gleason Bogert

Michigan Law Review

About 1,200 banks failed in the United States during the year 1930, and failures for the years 1921-1929 averaged over 600 a year. Each of these bank failures doubtless involved several problems regarding collection items. In each case it was almost inevitable that there should be found among the assets in the hands of the defunct bank several items held for collection but not yet collected, and also that a number of items should have been collected but no effective remittance made on account of such collection. There thus arose a series of controversies between the banks or individuals which …