Agristor Credit Corp. v. Schmidlin

601 F. Supp. 1307, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1653, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23210
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedJanuary 23, 1985
DocketCiv. 83-1847-RE, 83-1848-RE
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 601 F. Supp. 1307 (Agristor Credit Corp. v. Schmidlin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Agristor Credit Corp. v. Schmidlin, 601 F. Supp. 1307, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1653, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23210 (D. Or. 1985).

Opinion

AMENDED OPINION

REDDEN, District Judge:

These two actions have been consolidated for pretrial purposes. Plaintiff in No. 83-1847, Agristor Credit Corporation (ACC), brought this action for breach of contract and replevin. Plaintiff in No. 83-1848, Agristor Leasing (AL), is suing for breach of a lease and replevin. Plaintiffs and various third-party defendants have now moved for summary judgment.

BACKGROUND

I. No. 83-1847

Plaintiff ACC brought this action against defendants George and Enola Schmidlin. Defendants are dairy farmers who live in Banks, Oregon. Plaintiff contends that defendants are in default under the terms of a contract for the sale of a “Harvestore system,” an automated dairy feeding system. Plaintiff has previously repossessed the Harvestore system, and now seeks damages for defendants’ failure to make payments under the contract between the parties.

Defendants responded to this action by filing a counterclaim against plaintiff, as well as a third-party complaint against A.O. Smith Corporation (A.O. Smith), A.O. Smith Harvestore Products, Inc. (AOSHPI), 4-J *1310 Harvestore Systems, Inc. (4-J) and Dennis Messoline. In their counterclaim and third-party complaint, the Schmidlins allege that what they bought from ACC was a feeding system for their cattle, and that use of the system led to a significant decline in the milk production of their dairy herd and caused many of their cattle to become sick or die. The Schmidlins assert claims against ACC and the various third-party defendants on the following theories: strict liability, deceit, breach of warranties and negligence.

II. No. 83-1848

Plaintiff AL brought this action against Robert and Loretta Larson, who are also Oregon dairy farmers. Plaintiff contends that defendants are in default under the terms of two leases of Harvestore feeding systems. As in No. 83-1847, defendants have acquiesced in the repossession of the feeding systems, but have filed a counterclaim and a third-party complaint. The third-party defendants are A.O. Smith, AOSHPI, 4-J and Ted Williams. The Larsons raise the same claims that the Schmidlins raise in the other action.

FACTS

In June 1982, the Schmidlins purchased a dairy feeding system from West Coast Agri Systems, Inc. (West Coast) under a retail installment contract. West Coast’s interest was assigned to ACC.

AOSHPI manufactured the feeding system purchased by the Schmidlins. At the time of the sale, West Coast operated an Albany, Oregon dealership, and employed defendant Messoline as a salesman. West Coast had previously purchased the dealership from 4-J. 4-J has since reacquired the dealership.

The Schmidlins began discussing the possible purchase of a Harvestore system with representatives of West Coast in February 1982. The Schmidlins signed a contract to purchase the equipment from West Coast on June 14, 1982. The agreed purchase price was 84,906.30, payable in 120 monthly installments beginning July 14, 1982. The Schmidlins have not made payments under the contract since November 1982. ACC brought this action in December 1983.

In March 1980, the Larsons leased a Harvestore system from AL, which system AL acquired from Columbia Harvestore Systems, Inc. (Columbia) pursuant to the Larsons’ purchase order. In November 1981, the Larsons leased a second Harvestore system from AL, which system AL acquired from West Coast, pursuant to the Larsons’ purchase order. Ted Williams was the salesman involved in the 1980 lease arrangements, while he was employed by Columbia. 4-J is the current operator of a dealership previously operated by Columbia and West Coast.

In March 1980, the Larsons applied to AL for credit and authorized AL to purchase a feeding system. AL accepted the credit application and the system was installed on the Larsons’ farm. AL and Larsons entered into a second lease in the fall of 1981.

The Larsons made the monthly payments required under the lease agreements through September 1982. In November 1982, AL and Larsons entered into Lease Payment Deferral Agreements deferring rental payments to July 1, 1983. Defendants failed to make the payments due on that date, and have made no subsequent payments.

DISCUSSION

I. The Standard

A motion for summary judgment should be granted where (1) there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party has the burden of establishing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Murphy, 626 F.2d 633, 640 (9th Cir.1980). All reasonable doubts as to the existence of a genuine issue of material fact should be resolved against the moving party. Hector v. Weins, 533 F.2d 429, 432 *1311 (9th Cir.1976). In addition, the inferences to he drawn from the underlying facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion. United States v. Diebold, 369 U.S. 654, 655, 82 S.Ct. 993, 994, 8 L.Ed.2d 176 (1962). Where different ultimate inferences can be drawn, summary judgment is inappropriate. Sankovich v. The Life Insurance Company of North America, 638 F.2d 136 (9th Cir.1981).

II. Analysis

As noted previously, the legal claims asserted in these cases are virtually identical. I therefore consider both cases together, except where particular issues require that they be analyzed individually.

A. Plaintiffs’ Claims

ACC seeks summary judgment on its claim for breach of contract. The Schmidlins have admitted that they executed the contract and failed to make the payments required under it. Defendants assert the validity of their counterclaims against plaintiff, but have failed to come forward with any evidence suggesting that plaintiff is not entitled to judgment on its breach of contract claim. Therefore I grant plaintiff ACC’s motion for summary judgment on this claim. I will determine the amount of the judgment following the sale of the repossessed equipment.

AL seeks summary judgment on its claim for breach of the two leases. The Larsons admit the execution of the leases and their failure to make all of the payments required under them. They, too, have failed to show that there is a question of fact as to plaintiff’s claims. I grant plaintiff AL’s motion for summary judgment as to these two claims.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Luckey v. Alside, Inc.
245 F. Supp. 3d 1080 (D. Minnesota, 2017)
Spolnik v. Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America
94 F. Supp. 2d 998 (S.D. Indiana, 2000)
Carpenter v. Land O' Lakes, Inc.
880 F. Supp. 758 (D. Oregon, 1995)
Cooley v. Big Horn Harvestore Systems, Inc.
813 P.2d 736 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1991)
AgriStor Leasing v. Bertholf
753 F. Supp. 881 (D. Kansas, 1990)
Krank v. A.O. Smith Harvestore Products, Inc.
456 N.W.2d 125 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1990)
Myers v. A.O. Smith Harvestore Products, Inc.
757 P.2d 695 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1988)
Agristor Leasing v. Farrow
826 F.2d 732 (Eighth Circuit, 1987)
Agristor Leasing v. Gene E.
634 F. Supp. 1208 (D. Kansas, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
601 F. Supp. 1307, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1653, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23210, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/agristor-credit-corp-v-schmidlin-ord-1985.