Barker Development Co. v. Unibank & Trust Co.

314 N.W.2d 175, 1981 Iowa App. LEXIS 491
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedOctober 27, 1981
Docket2-65239
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 314 N.W.2d 175 (Barker Development Co. v. Unibank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barker Development Co. v. Unibank & Trust Co., 314 N.W.2d 175, 1981 Iowa App. LEXIS 491 (iowactapp 1981).

Opinions

CARTER, Judge.

Defendant bank appeals from a judgment for plaintiff-lessor in this suit to collect for rental obligations purportedly incurred by the bank as an assignee of a commercial lease. On appeal, the bank asserts that much evidence of the assignment to it was inadmissible under the statute of frauds and that the admissible evidence was not sufficient to support a finding that the bank assumed the obligation for further rental payments under the lease.

On April 20, 1972, plaintiff, Barker Development Company, entered into a written agreement with Paul M. Kennedy, Sr., d/b/a Kennedy Auto Market (Kennedy) for the lease of a building, owned by plaintiff, to Kennedy. The lease included an option to extend the term for an additional five years. On November 1, 1976, Kennedy, with plaintiff’s written consent, “assign[ed], transfer[ed], set over and delivered] to Breitbach Auto and Truck Sales, Inc., that certain lease agreement.” That same day, Breitbach accepted the “assignment” and agreed to fulfill all the terms and conditions thereof. Plaintiff, however, did not release Kennedy from liability under the lease. In July of 1976, the defendant bank (hereinafter “the bank”) began to provide “floor plan” financing for Breitbach’s auto dealership and, in connection with a loan agreement, required Breitbach to give the bank security interests in certain of its assets. Defendant further required Breitbach to give, as collateral, an “assignment” of the lease for the premises. An instrument was executed on July 28, 1976, wherein plaintiff and Breitbach agreed to 1) extend the lease another five years as of July 1, 1977, 2) discharge Kennedy from liability during the extended period, and 3) assign the lease to the bank. In this instrument, Breitbach further “covenanted” with the bank for Breitbach to fulfill obligations in the lease and to hold the bank harmless therefrom.

Plaintiff consented to the extension “provided that the lessee or its assign are not on default on the terms and conditions of said lease.” The bank was not a signatory of that instrument.

In the fall of 1976, Breitbach experienced financial difficulties and shortly thereafter went out of business. Pursuant to the security agreements, the bank took possession of Breitbach’s assets and continued the business on the leased premises. The bank hired William Cubbage to manage the operation until he was prepared to take over the business on his own. Expenses for December, 1976, and January, 1977, including lease payments, were paid by checks written on Breitbach’s account at the bank. These checks were drawn by William D. Cubbage, “for uniBank & Trust.” Cubbage, in the meantime, formed Hawkland Motors, Inc., which started paying rent on the premises in February, 1977.

In May of 1977, the bank desired to assign its interest, as lessee, to Hawkland Motors, Inc. The lease provided that it could not be assigned without the consent of the plaintiff. Plaintiff agreed to the assignment by the bank to Hawkland in the writing which contained the assignment, [177]*177but it was therein stated “this consent does not release the Assignor from the obligation to make payment of rent due thereunder and to perform other obligations to be performed by the Lessee thereunder.” The instrument containing the assignment of the lessee’s interest and the plaintiff’s consent to such assignment bears the signatures of plaintiff, an officer of the bank, and Hawkland.

In October, 1977, Hawkland went out of business. Shortly thereafter the bank filed a petition seeking foreclosure of its security interests and appointment of a receiver to take possession of Hawkland’s assets. From November, 1977, through April, 1978, the bank paid the rent on the premises; rent for May, 1978, was paid by the court-appointed receiver. After Hawkland's liquidation that same month, the receiver delivered the keys to the premises to plaintiff. Thereafter, both parties advertised the premises for lease. As a result of plaintiff’s efforts, the City of Iowa City leased the premises for the months of February and March, 1979. Plaintiff subsequently entered into a five year lease with Elmer Peters commencing May 1, 1979.

Plaintiff filed this action on July 27,1978, and, after several amendments to the petition, trial to the court was held on March 19 and 20, 1980. Judgment was entered against the bank for $33,924.36 on May 19, 1980. This appeal followed.

I. Scope of Review. Since this is an action at law, our review is on assigned error only. Iowa R.App.P. 4.

II. Statute of Frauds. In its first assignment of error, the bank argues that trial court erred in admitting oral evidence for purposes of establishing its acceptance of the lease assignment because such evidence was incompetent under the statute of frauds, section 622.32, The Code.

Section 622.32 states:

Except when otherwise specially provided, no evidence of the following enumerated contracts is competent, unless it be in writing and signed by the party charged or by his authorized agent:
1. Those made in consideration of marriage.
2. Those wherein one person promises to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of another, including promises by executors to pay the debt of the decedent from their own estate.
3. Those for the creation or transfer of any interest in lands, except leases for a term not exceeding one year.
4. Those that are not to be performed within one year from the making thereof.

The duration of the lease in the present case exceeds one year and, therefore, it appears to fall under subsection 3 unless the contract giving rise to defendant’s assumption of the obligations contained in the original lease is exempted from the provisions of this statute.

In this regard, section 622.33 provides: The provisions of subsection 3 of section 622.32 do not apply where the purchase money, or any portion thereof, has been received by the vendor, or when the vendee, with the actual or implied consent of the vendor, has taken and held possession of the premises under and by virtue of the contract, or when there is any other circumstance which, by the law heretofore in force, would have taken the case out of the statute of frauds.

While it has been held that part performance or payment of rent under an oral lease for a term of more than one year will not take the case out of the statute of frauds (see, e.g., Snater v. Walters, 250 Iowa 1189, 1199, 98 N.W.2d 302, 308 (1959)), we believe that a different result should follow with respect to establishing the acceptance by a third party of a written lease signed by the original lessor and lessee. While not discussing the application of the statute of frauds, the court in Central State Bank v. Herrick, 214 Iowa 379, 240 N.W. 242 (1932), held that such acceptance could be shown by acts and conduct. We conclude in the present case that the conduct of the bank is sufficient to place the case without the statute of frauds for purposes of proving acceptance of the obligations of the written lease by the bank as assignee of the lessee’s interest.

[178]*178Plaintiff’s evidence of the bank’s acceptance of an assignment of the lessee’s interest under the lease is also not precluded by the statute of frauds for two other reasons.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
314 N.W.2d 175, 1981 Iowa App. LEXIS 491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barker-development-co-v-unibank-trust-co-iowactapp-1981.