Arbona Bros. v. Pabón & Ramírez

23 P.R. 628
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedApril 4, 1916
DocketNo. 1380
StatusPublished

This text of 23 P.R. 628 (Arbona Bros. v. Pabón & Ramírez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arbona Bros. v. Pabón & Ramírez, 23 P.R. 628 (prsupreme 1916).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Wolf

delivered the opinion of the court.

On April 26, 1915, the firm of Arbona Brothers filed a suit in the District Court of Bonce against Pabón & Ramí-rez for a debt, and apparently at the same time obtained an attachment to secure the effectiveness of the judgment. The latter firm was duly summoned, but failed to appear, and judgment by default was entered against them on May 26, 1915, for the sum of $772.92. Before that day, namely, on May 7, 1915, the complainant firm, alleging that some of the goods attached were perishable, obtained another order to sell the said goods at public auction. Pursuant to this latter order, toward the end of May of said year the marshal sold the goods at public auction for the sum of $1,000 and deposited the proceeds a few days later in the District Court of Ponce, where, we infer from the record, they still remain.

On May 26, 1915, the same day, on which the judgment by default was rendered, the firm of Pabón & Ramírez was adjudged bankrupt by the District Court of the United States for Porto Rico, Mayagliez Division, the petition in bankruptcy having been filed on May 6, 1915. In the bankruptcy proceedings the creditors met before José Benet, referee in bankruptcy, and as the result of that meeting Thomas Boothby, Jr., was named trustee in bankruptcy. The said Thomas Boothby, Jr., on June 11, 1915, appeared before the District Court of Ponce, alleging among other things that the judgment of that court against the firm of Pabón & Ramírez would be executionable on the 26th day of June and prayed that the [630]*630proceedings be stayed, Ms action being based upon various sections of the Federal Bankruptcy Act which we shall presently discuss.

On June 15, 1915, the District Court of Ponce rendered an order suspending the proceedings. On July 2, 1915, the said trustee again appeared in the District Court of Ponce and asked that the sum of $1,000, the proceeds of the auction sale, and the other goods attached but not sold, be turned over to him. On July 19, 1915, the court passed an order granting the petition of the trustee and on July 20, 1915, an appeal was taken from that order. It may have some slight bearing on the case that no appeal was taken from the order staying the proceedings in the case.

Evidently the trustee was proceeding under the theory that any preference obtained by a creditor within four months before the filing of the petition in bankruptcy was rendered void or voidable by reason of section 67, c or /, of the Federal Bankruptcy Act. The appellant, however, maintains that under that act it is necessary to show that the debtor was insolvent at the time of the alleged preference and that the creditor had reasonable cause to believe the said debtor insolvent.

Section 3 of the Bankruptcy Act provides:

“§3. Acts of bankruptcy.• — a. Acts of bankruptcy by a person shall consist of his having °(1) conveyed, transferred, concealed, or removed, or permitted to be concealed or removed, any part of his property with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud his creditors, or any of them; or (2) transferred, while insolvent, any portion of his property to one or more of his creditors with intent to prefer such creditors over his other creditors; or (3) suffered or permitted, while insolvent, any creditor to obtain a preference through legal proceedings, and not having at least five days before a sale or final disposition of any property affected by such preference vacated or discharged such preference; or (4) made a general assignment for the benefit of his creditors, or, being insolvent, applied for a receiver or trustee for his property or because of insolvency a receiver or trustee has been put in charge of his property under the laws of [631]*631a State, of a Territory, or of the United States; or (5) admitted in writing his inability to pay Ms debts and Ms willingness to be adjudged a bankrupt on that ground. (Amendment of 1903 in italics.)
“c. It shall be a complete defense to any proceedings in bankruptcy instituted under the first subdivision of this section to allege and prove that the party proceeded against was not insolvent as defined in this act at the time of the filing the petition against him, and if solvency at such date is proved by the alleged bankrupt the proceedings shall be dismissed, and under said subdivision one the burden of proving solvency shall be on the alleged bankrupt.”

Under this section as quoted, insolvency is a prerequisite for the first three acts of bankruptcy, but it is not a prerequisite for the fourth and fifth, namely, when the debtor has made a general assignment for the benefit of his creditors or admitted in writing his inability to pay his debts, and his willingness to be adjudged a bankrupt on that ground. Insolvency under the Federal Bankruptcy Act, with certain limitations, means excess of liabilities over assets.

Now, it has generally been held by the courts that where a man has been adjudged a bankrupt on any one of the first three grounds the insolvency of said bankrupt is conclusively presumed by reason of the adjudication, inasmuch as the creditors are given ample time to combat his being declared a bankrupt between the date of the petition and the adjudication itself. Cook v. Robinson, 194 Fed. 785; In re Dempster, 172 Fed. 353; Corbett v. Riddle, 209 Fed. 811; Collier on Bankruptcy, p. 963, note 214a; In re Federal Biscuit Co., 214 Fed. 221. Likewise, it has generally been held that all creditors are considered parties to the petition in bankruptcy. However, we have not been able to find that insolvency is presumed where a debtor has been declared a bankrupt by means of the fourth and fifth acts of bankruptcy. Indeed, the authorities seem to indicate the contrary. Loveland on Bankruptcy, §437; Collier on Bankruptcy, p. 963&; McNeel v. Folk, 83 S. E. 192; In re Alabama Coal & Coke [632]*632Co., 210 Fed. 940; Sheppard-Strassheim Co. v. Black, 211 Fed. 643; In re Louisell Lumber Co., 209 Fed. 784.

The appellant maintains, as we have seen, that to void a preference it is necessary not only to prove insolvency, but also to show that the creditor had reason to believe such insolvency. Section 67c, as amended by the Acts of 1903 and 1910, reads as follows:

“o.

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Related

Cook v. Robinson
194 F. 785 (Ninth Circuit, 1912)
McNeel v. Folk
83 S.E. 192 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1914)
Dempster v. Waters Pierce Oil Co.
172 F. 353 (Eighth Circuit, 1909)
Armour & Co. v. Miller
209 F. 784 (Fifth Circuit, 1913)
Corbett v. Riddle
209 F. 811 (Fourth Circuit, 1913)
In re Alabama Coal & Coke Co.
210 F. 940 (W.D. Kentucky, 1913)
Sheppard-Strassheim Co. v. Black
211 F. 643 (Seventh Circuit, 1914)
In re Federal Biscuit Co.
214 F. 221 (Second Circuit, 1914)

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Bluebook (online)
23 P.R. 628, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arbona-bros-v-pabon-ramirez-prsupreme-1916.