Sumner v. First Union National Bank

Beasley, Judge.

Appellant Benjamin Carmichael Sumner sued the appellee bank and certain of its officers and employees to recover damages for defamation and emotional distress. The complaint alleged that the bank had knowingly caused a false financial report that Sumner’s checking account had been involuntarily closed to be published by Cheque Inquiries, Inc., an out-of-state credit reporting agency also named as a defendant, for the purpose of injuring his personal and business reputation. These charges arose during the pendency of prior litigation between Sumner and the bank’s predecessor,…