A.E. Pennebaker Co. v. Fuller

691 F. Supp. 938, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7733, 1988 WL 76273
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedJuly 5, 1988
DocketNo. A-C-87-49
StatusPublished

This text of 691 F. Supp. 938 (A.E. Pennebaker Co. v. Fuller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A.E. Pennebaker Co. v. Fuller, 691 F. Supp. 938, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7733, 1988 WL 76273 (W.D.N.C. 1988).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

ROBERT D. POTTER, Chief Judge.

THIS MATTER came on to be heard before the undersigned without a jury in Asheville, North Carolina on May 10 and 11, 1988. Plaintiff was represented by E. Glenn Kelly, Esq., and Defendants were represented by William E. Greene, Esq.

The Court heard the testimony of the witnesses and arguments of counsel and has examined the Exhibits admitted into evidence and the “Statement of Uncontroverted Facts” signed by the attorneys for Plaintiff and Defendants. Based thereon, the Court makes Findings of Fact as set out hereinafter.

Plaintiff’s Exhibits are identified by the symbol “PX” and Defendants’ Exhibits are identified by the symbol “DX.”

FINDINGS OF FACT

(1) Albert J. Smith (hereinafter “Smith”) was President and principal shareholder of both Southern Tile and Marble, Inc. (hereinafter “Southern”) and Pioneer Metal Products, Inc. (hereinafter “Pioneer”) at all times during the period of the transactions between the parties to this lawsuit.

(2) R. Bruce Fuller (hereinafter “Fuller”) and Rema C. Butler “for value received” executed a Mortgage Note dated November 26, 1975 in the amount of $200,000.00 (PX 9) with interest at 9% per annum payable to the order of Southern in monthly installments of $2,276.00 each, commencing February 1, 1976, and continuing until the interest and principal is paid in full, each installment to be applied first to interest and the balance to principal (hereinafter “Fuller Note”). The Fuller Note was secured by a Deed of Trust of the same date, including real and personal property (PX 10). The amortization schedule for the Fuller Note is set out in DX 24.

(3) Southern executed a Note in the amount of $52,500.00 dated January 8,1980 (DX 20), payable to the order of Defendant Robert H. Davis (hereinafter “Davis”), a Security Agreement (PX 12), and an agreement (PX 13). The Note provided for [940]*940monthly payments of $950.00 to be applied first to interest and then to principal commencing February 8, 1981 and continuing through December 8, 1983. On January 8, 1984 the balance of principal and interest was due and payable.

The Note further provided for payments not to exceed $1,000.00 a month without penalty for prepayment. Prepayment penalty was 15% interest for one year on unpaid balance at time of prepayment.

The Security Agreement securing the Note included as collateral the Fuller Note dated November 25, 1975, secured by a Deed of Trust recorded in book 853 at page 93 of the Buncombe County Registry. (PX 12).

There was also an agreement between Southern and Davis dated January 8, 1980 (PX 13) which provided that if Southern was in default to Davis that Davis may deduct from Fuller’s payment any amount by which Southern was in default to Davis. When Davis had been paid in full the agreement would be null and void.

Fuller was notified by Southern’s letter dated January 8, 1980 to make all future monthly payments to Robert H. Davis (PX 14).

(4)On February 20, 1980, Southern executed a Note payable to the order of Davis for $79,000.00, with interest only to be paid for one year from date, payment in equal monthly installments of $1,500.00 beginning March 20, 1981 and running through February 20, 1984, and the balance of principal and interest payable on or before February 20, 1984. The Note provided for a prepayment penalty in the amount of interest for one year on the unpaid balance at the rate of 15% per annum. (PX 11). The $79,000.00 Note included the $52,500.00 debt (DX 20). Davis’s check, dated February 20, 1980 (DX 26), was made payable to Smith, but Smith received it on behalf of Southern and Pioneer.

The February 20, 1980 Note was accompanied by a Security Agreement (DX 27) dated February 20,1980 including as collateral the $200,000.00 Fuller Note (PX 9) and Deed of Trust recorded in Book 853 at page 93 (DX 10), both of which Davis already had possession.

(5) On May 9, 1980, Southern and Pioneer executed a Promissory Note to A.E. Pennebaker Co., Inc. (hereinafter “Pennebaker”) for $300,000.00, payable ninety days after the date, or thirty days from the date of demand by Pennebaker in writing, whichever is later (PX 1). The Note was secured by a Deed of Trust of even date (DX 7), a Security Agreement dated April 10,1980 (PX 2), and a Security Agreement-Receivables (PX 3) dated April 1, 1980 executed by Smith, Pioneer, Southern and Pennebaker (PX 1, 2, 3). Southern and Pioneer also executed an assignment “for the purpose of securing any advances made by Creditor to Debtors and the payment thereof” dated May 9, 1980, which assigned the Fuller Note and Deed of Trust to Pennebaker, subject to previous assignments thereof to Davis (PX 4).

The Security Agreement, dated April 10, 1980 (PX 2), included as collateral an assignment of Deed of Trust in the face amount of $158,000.00, “subject to a prior assignment for security purposes of said Note and Deed of Trust to Robert H. Davis, dated January 8, 1980.” The Assignment (PX 4) contained the further paragraph: “It is further understood that this assignment is made subject to a previous assignment to Robert H. Davis of said Note and Deed of Trust.” (PX 4).

(6) Davis executed an affidavit dated May 7, 1980, (PX 15) stating in substance that he was the noteholder of a Promissory Note secured by a Deed of Trust to Southern dated November 26, 1975 (the Fuller Note) in the original principal amount of $200,000.00, that the Mortgage Note was secured by a Deed of Trust recorded in Book 853 at page 93, Buncombe County Registry, and that the balance owing Davis as of May 7, 1980 was $79,000.00. The affidavit further stated that he was aware that the original Note and Deed of Trust in the amount of $200,000.00 was to be pledged to Pennebaker, and ... “shall be subordinate and junior to any and all claims that I have in the aforementioned [941]*941Note and Deed of Trust to Southern” (PX 15).

(7) Fuller executed an affidavit that as of May 1, 1980 the balance due on his $200,000.00 Note to Southern was $153,-175.68. (PX 16).

(8) Southern, Pioneer, Smith, and Gerald Downs individually executed a Note dated June 24, 1981, payable to the order of Pennebaker in the amount of $510,000.00 payable on demand at any time after ninety days from date. Also executed on the same date were a Deed of Trust on real property, a Security Agreement, and Security Agreement-Receivables. (PX 5, 6, 7; DX 45). On October 15, 1983, Pioneer and Southern executed an addendum No. 1 to Security Agreement-Receivables (PX 8). The reference to the Fuller Deed of Trust in Paragraph 2.e. of PX 6 includes the statement: “It is understood that such assignment is subject to a prior assignment by Debtors to secure an indebtedness to another party of approximately $72,-000.00.”

(9) On January 12, 1982, Southern executed and delivered to Pennebaker a Deed which is recorded in Deed Book 1288 at Page 584, Buncombe County Public Registry (DX 8), and which describes the same property as in the Deed of Trust from Southern dated May 9, 1980 securing $300,-000.00 to Pennebaker (DX 7).

(10) Smith executed a Note dated May 1, 1982 payable to the order of Robert H. Davis in the amount of $25,000.00 in equal monthly installments of $776.00 until May 1, 1984 at which time the remaining principal and interest was due. (PX 17).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
691 F. Supp. 938, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7733, 1988 WL 76273, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ae-pennebaker-co-v-fuller-ncwd-1988.