Court Opinion

ID: 9850484
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:58:03.582877+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:37.959269
License: Public Domain

Felton, Chief Judge,
dissenting. I concur in Judge Jordan’s dissent. I think that the question of whether the duress was waived is a jury question, both on the theory of the law of the case and because the law of the case is the correct law. The majority opinion says that one of the defendants admitted in his deposition that defendants paid a credit of $300 each on the note it is claimed was procured by duress. I think that statement is incorrect due to a misinterpretation of the deposition by the majority. I quote the part of the deposition in the record later.
This deposition under the law is supposed to be construed in favor of the defendants, not against them. I think that a jury could interpret the deponent’s statements to mean that the defendants intended to make their payments, not on the note they claimed was void because obtained by duress, but on “the 1963 account,” meaning on whatever amount they truly owed the bank. It is true that the deponent’s testimony is contradictory but it shows that some of it should not be. It shows the confusion of the deponent. It could also show the meaning of what he was trying to say. For instance, once or twice he first stated that the credits were on the note sued on and then quickly changed his statement and tried to explain that they tried to make the payments before the renewal note was signed and the bank would not let them. That is a strange and unusual occurrence and the jury should have a look at it plus the other parts of the deposition. Another illustration of the confusion of the deponent is that he deposed that the defendants’ *785answer was that the payments were paid on the note sued on. That answer is .not true and the answer shows it to be untrue. The part of the deposition used on the motion for a summary judgment is as follows and it speaks for itself: “A.—In ’63, we signed a note for $3,068, that’s what we contended to sign. Q. Now was that a consolidation of the ’62 note and the 1961 note? A. Yes, sir, all the way through. Q. Then that was all the money that you owed them at that time $3,068—whatever the amount of the note, what it was? A. Yes sir, that’s what they said it was. Q. That was all of the amount that you owed? A. Yes, sir. Q. That was a consolidation of the 1962, 1961 and all back?—A. —’59— Q. That brought it all up to date at that time, on June 22nd, 1963? A. That’s right, the ’59 note was $2,000, the 1960 note was $2,000 and I paid a payment on the ’60, which left $1,700 which I renewed. Q. Well, you and Erastus signed that note on June 22nd, 1963? A. Yes, sir. Q. And that brought all your notes together and you only owed them this one note, and that’s all that they contended, is that right? A. Well— Q. I am talking about the note now, disregarding the amount of the note, if it was $3,600 or $3,068? A. That’s right. Q. If you signed this note June 22, 1963, that was a consolidation of all your past indebtedness? A. All the past indebtedness, both of us. Q. And you and Erastus owe no more than this note, is that correct? A. That was all, that was all, yes sir. Q. Did you make any payments on this note? A. On the— Q. June 22, 1963 note? A. Yes sir— no we didn’t because—in ’63—in ’62—in ’63 we had a $700 check there. Q. Now in your answer, Felton, you allege that you paid them on October 15, 1963, that you paid them $300 on this note? A. Well it was—-he and I together— Q. Each of you— A. Paid $300. Q. I am talking about you now, you allege in your answer that on October 15, 1963, that you paid $300 on this note, is that correct? A. Yes, sir, that’s correct, yes, sir. Q. That was paid on this note, is that correct? A. And $300— Q. And you also allege that Erastus paid $300 on this note on October 15, 1963? A. That’s right. Q. Did you all go to the bank together? A. Yes, sir. Q. And each paid $300? A. Yes, sir, we had check for $700, *786we just split the check, the check was for $707.70. Q. This was credited on this note because all your past notes had been consolidated into this one note? A. Yes sir, yes, sir. Q. And you knew that this was being credited on this one note, didn’t you? A. Well o- on this $3,068 note? Q. Yes. A. Yes, sir. Q. Even though you had signed this note unwillingly? A. I did—we did, yes we did. Q. You did sign it unwillingly? A. Yes, sir. Q. But you did make the payment of $300 on it? A. Well—we had to because we had given the note. Q. You did make the payment? A. When we sent this payment down there before this note was signed, they refused to take the $700, and later on they sent word for us to come by and they would give us a statement then, and we carried this check back there and then after we had signed the note, they taken that check and given us credit on the ’63 account up there, yes, sir. . . Q. Then, the only transaction that you or Erastus have had since June 22, 1963, with the Rentz Banking Company was payments of $300 of each on October 15, 1963, is that correct? A. That’s right. Q. And this was credited on your note dated June 22, 1963? A. That’s right. . . Q. Then June 22, 1963, you renewed that note, you and Erastus renewed that note? A. That’s right. Q. Forgetting about the duress a minute, that note was in the amount of $3,658.55— A. $3,068, that’s what it supposed to have been. Q. You have seen a copy of the note, haven’t you? A. I’ve seen a copy of it, but that $3,600— Q. You’ve seen a copy of that note haven’t you—By Mr. Crockett: Wait, he hasn’t finished answering that. A. We signed a note for $3,068. Q. The note that is attached to the petition is for $3,658, isn’t it? A. Well on the suit but the note calls for $3,068. Q. You mean the suit was filed for $3,068? A. The suit was filed for $6,000—• I mean for $3,668, but the note say $3,068. Q. Now that note that you signed was to consolidate all of your past debts? A. Everything from— Q. Your 1961 notes and all of this? A. From the 1959 notes, right on up. Q. And that was all you owed the bank at that time? A. At that time; yes, sir. Q. And that was all that you and Erastus owed the bank at that time? A. Yes, sir. Q. Coming up to your transaction *787since, the note was executed on June 22nd, —one more thing on this, you stated that there was several people at the time you executed this note, is that correct? A. Yes, sir. . . Q. Now, the transactions that you have had since June 22, 1963, on October 15, 1963, you and Erastus, both made a payment of $300 each, is that correct? A. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.”
In my opinion the ruling by the majority is based on false premises. (1) There is no admission in the answer that credits were paid to be applied on the note sued on. (2) The answer simply shows that the credits paid were paid to the bank after the note (allegedly procured by duress which is admitted by the bank for the sake of the summary judgment proceeding) was signed. The consequence of the payments of credits after the note was signed is not that they were paid to be applied on the note. A jury could find that under the circumstances shown the credit was to be applied on the true amount of indebtedness to the bank. The majority ruling means that a payment to the bank of a credit after the note was executed is either an admission that the credit was paid to be applied on the note or that the paj^ment after the note was signed had the effect of being a credit to be applied on the note simply because the credit was paid after the note was signed. I say that both of these conclusions are wrong. The depositions of one of the defendants, construed in his favor on summary judgment, mean that the payments of credits were made to be applied to the correct indebtedness to the bank and not on a note which the defendants were forced to sign for more than the amount due. What is said above is true despite the fact that the defendant making the deposition was in error as to the amount of the note signed and as to what was admitted in the answer. The record shows that truth as to these matters and the facts do not demand a finding that the defendant was wilfully swearing falsely. It is plain that he was mixed up and confused about some of the facts.
I am authorized to say that Bell, P. J., concurs in this dissent except that portion which is grounded on the law of the case. Jordan and Panned, JJ., concur in this dissent.