Bellows International, Ltd. v. Caribbean Liquors, Inc.

44 V.I. 3, 2001 WL 210011, 2001 V.I. LEXIS 1
CourtSupreme Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedJanuary 10, 2001
DocketCivil No. 370/1998
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 44 V.I. 3 (Bellows International, Ltd. v. Caribbean Liquors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bellows International, Ltd. v. Caribbean Liquors, Inc., 44 V.I. 3, 2001 WL 210011, 2001 V.I. LEXIS 1 (virginislands 2001).

Opinion

MEYERS, Judge

MEMORANDUM OPINION

(January 10, 2001)

The Plaintiff, Bellows International, Ltd. (Bellows) has moved the Court for summary judgment pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P 56(c). Plaintiff contends that it is entitled to summary judgment against Defendant Caribbean Liquors, Inc. (Caribbean Liquors), Defendant Kent E. Bernier (Bernier), and against Defendant Alfred H. Lockhart (Lockhart). For the reasons set forth below, Plaintiffs motion will be granted.

[5]*5FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Bellows, a Virgin Islands corporation, granted Caribbean Liquors, also a Virgin Islands corporation, a line of credit wherein Caribbean Liquors agreed to pay Bellows in full for all goods sold and delivered to it.1 As an inducement to extend credit and as security, Bernier executed a Personal Guaranty agreeing unconditionally to pay Bellows all sums due by Caribbean Liquors, including interest and costs of collection and legal fees. Subsequently, during the period of October 1994 through December 1996, Bellows sold and delivered to Caribbean Liquors goods totaling One Hundred Seven Thousand Thirty-Two Dollars and Thirty-Three Cents ($107,032.33).

On December 12, 1994, Bernier executed and delivered to Bellows a Mortgage Note (Note) in which Bernier promised to pay Bellows the principal amount of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) including interest. Also on December 12, 1994, Lockhart executed and delivered to Bellows a First Priority Mortgage (Mortgage) on real property described as Parcel No. 11-E Estate Thomas, No. 6E New Quarter, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, in the principal amount of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) with interest. The purpose of the Mortgage was to secure payment of the aforementioned Note, and to secure the extension of a revolving line of credit to Bernier and Caribbean Liquors in the maximum principal amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) with interest.

Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment rests upon the assertions that

(1) Defendants Caribbean Liquors and Bernier failed to pay the amount owed to Bellows for goods sold and delivered; thus, they jointly and severally owe the Plaintiff the principal sum of One Hundred Seven Thousand Thirty-Two Dollars and Thirty-Three Cents ($107,032.33) with prejudgment interest; and (2) Bernier defaulted on payments due on the Note and now owes the Plaintiff One Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Eight Cents ($174,999.98) plus prejudgment interest together with costs, expenses, and attorney's fees. Additionally, Plaintiff asserts that Lockhart is in default under the terms and conditions of the Mortgage by virtue of Defendants Caribbean Liquors and Bernier's failure to make timely [6]*6payments to Bellows as required by the terms of the Mortgage and Note. Plaintiff avers, therefore, that it is entitled to foreclose on the property securing the debt to satisfy up to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) principal of the debt, plus interest, costs, and fees incurred.

In opposition to Plaintiffs motion, Lockhart asserts that the Mortgage was a contract of guaranty and is, therefore, invalid because it fails to recite any consideration between Caribbean Liquors or Bernier and himself for the execution of the mortgage to Bellows. Bellows, on the other hand, argues that Lockhart is a surety, whose role is to pass consideration on to the principal debtor. Bellows therefore insists it is irrelevant whether he received consideration for his mortgage. Defendants Caribbean Liquors and Bernier have not responded to Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment.

STANDARD FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Under Fed. R. ClV. P 56(c), summary judgment is proper "if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." The plain language of this rule mandates entry of summary judgment, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to make a showing sufficient to establish existence of an element essential to that party's case, and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. Aviation Assocs. v. Virgin Islands Port Authority, 26 V.I. 24, 32 (Terr. Ct. 1990), (quoting Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 91 L. Ed. 2d 265, 106 S. Ct. 2548 (1986)).

The party moving for summary judgment has the burden of demonstrating that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." Kress, Dunlap & Lane Ltd. v. Downing, 286 F.2d 212, 4 V.I. 227 (3d Cir. 1960). However, when a motion for summary judgment is made and supported by the pleadings and affidavits, an adverse party may not rest on the mere allegations or denials in his pleadings. Rather, the adverse party must present some evidentiary matter showing there is a genuine issue of material fact that is worth bringing to trial, or else summary [7]*7judgment, if otherwise appropriate, may be entered against him. Carino v. Golden, 1983 V.I. LEXIS 51 (Terr. Ct. 1983).

This standard provides that the mere existence of some alleged factual dispute between the parties will not defeat an otherwise properly supported motion for summary judgment; the requirement is that there be no genuine issue of material fact. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247-248, 91 L. Ed. 2d 202, 106 S. Ct. 2505 (1986). Further, the failure of the non-moving party to controvert facts supporting a summary judgment motion is that such facts are deemed admitted. Zurita v. Virgin Islands Daily News, 578 F. Supp. 306, 20 V.I. 488 (D.V.I. 1984).

In analyzing the evidence submitted, the court should grant summary judgment when it can conclude that no reasonable trier of fact could find for the nonmovant on the basis of evidence presented in the motion and the response. Matsushita Elec. Indus., Ltd. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 89 L. Ed. 2d 538, 106 S. Ct. 1348 (1986).

DISCUSSION

In support of its motion for summary judgment, Plaintiff argues that judgment should be granted in its favor because the Defendants have defaulted on debts owed to the Plaintiff. Plaintiff also contends that, in assuming the role of a surety, Lockhart is not required to receive consideration for the executed mortgage. Lockhart, on the other hand, claims that the Mortgage is a contract of guaranty which requires consideration to be valid, and that no consideration was received at the time of the execution of the contract.

A. The executed Mortgage is a surety contract, which does not require that the surety be given consideration.

As this case involves distinguishing between a guaranty contract and a suretyship, a discussion of the aforementioned is warranted. As a general rule, a suretyship is distinguishable from a guaranty.

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Bluebook (online)
44 V.I. 3, 2001 WL 210011, 2001 V.I. LEXIS 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bellows-international-ltd-v-caribbean-liquors-inc-virginislands-2001.