Court Opinion

ID: 9620119
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 05:38:42.769395+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:08:32.494195
License: Public Domain

*49Judge MARTIN (Harry C.)
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the majority. I find the transaction is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. By paying the check without the endorsement of plaintiff, defendant bank tortiously converted the check and plaintiff is entitled to recover its value. Construction Co. v. Trust Co., 266 N.C. 648, 147 S.E. 2d 37 (1966). Under N.C.G.S. 25-3-419(2), the measure of liability where a non-drawee bank tortiously converts a check is presumed to be the face amount of the instrument. This portion of the Uniform Commercial Code is a codification of the law in North Carolina prior to the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code. With respect to the measure of damages, it is stated in Construction Co.: ''Prima facie, this is the face value of the paper converted.” 266 N.C. at 653, 147 S.E. 2d at 41. Therefore, I find that under the law both before the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code and thereafter, plaintiff had a presumption in its favor that it was entitled to recover as damages the face amount of the check. Defendant bank has failed to rebut this presumption.