Wesseling & Brackmann, Pc v. Huntington Bancshares Financial Corporation

2018 WL 1176334 (2018)

Free access to 20,000 Casebriefs

Nature Of The Case

This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

Facts

Jason Walter contacted P through the Internet regarding legal services. Brackmann, an attorney and partner in P, responded and began communicating with through e-mail and telephone. Walter retained P's services, telling Brackmann that he wished to sell a drilling rig with the assistance of a Michigan attorney. P received a letter of intent outlining the terms of sale for the rig. The letter included a cashier's check in the amount of $380,000 made out to P and specified that $200,000 was to be wired to a company called JMS International, LLC. P deposited the check in its Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) with D. Walter provided Brackmann with instructions for completing the wire transfer, and Brackmann initiated a phone call with D to determine the status of the check. He spoke with bank teller Heidi J. McClintic, and asked if the check had cleared the account. Brackmann testified that McClintic explicitly answered: 'The check is cleared. You're good to go.' Based on McClintic's response, Brackmann completed the paperwork for the wire transfer. Brackmann learned that the check had been dishonored. D attempted to stop the wire transfer but $58,155.20 remained lost. P sued D, alleging that it should be liable for the unrecovered funds because it falsely represented that the fraudulent check had cleared. D moved for summary judgment in that UCC 4-207, barred recovery because P breached its warranty that the cashier's check it deposited was authentic, and D accepted the check in good faith. The court granted the motion holding that D acted in good faith because its employees engaged in commercially appropriate conduct, its employee gave P information that was technically accurate, and the bank made every effort to recover funds lost as a result of the fraudulent cashier's check accepted and deposited by P. P appealed.

Issues

The legal issues presented in this case will be displayed here.

Holding & Decision

The court's holding and decision will be displayed here.

Legal Analysis

Legal analysis from Dean's Law Dictionary will be displayed here.

© 2007-2025 ABN Study Partner

© 2025 Casebriefsco.com. All Rights Reserved.