Bullock v. Green

80 So. 2d 37, 224 Miss. 278, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 492
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 16, 1955
DocketNo. 39544
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 80 So. 2d 37 (Bullock v. Green) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bullock v. Green, 80 So. 2d 37, 224 Miss. 278, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 492 (Mich. 1955).

Opinion

McGeegee, C. J.

This is a suit filed by E. Ray Bullock and wife Shelly Q. Bullock to set aside and cancel a deed of trust executed in favor of the Southland Oil Company on February 5, 1952, and which was assigned for a valuable consideration, long after maturity, to the appellee B. Pat Green. The ground on which the cancellation was sought was that the complainants signed the deed of trust under duress to avoid allegedly threatened criminal prosecution of Mr. Bullock by the beneficiary named therein. From a decree in favor of the said assignee, finding that the instrument was not executed under duress, this appeal is prosecuted.

On and prior to December 19, 1951, the appellant E. Ray Bullock was the distributing agent of the South-land Oil Company of Yazoo City, Mississippi, for petroleum products, automobile tires, etc., at Collins in Covington County. On that date he had become indebted to the Southland Oil Company for the sum of $6,949.77. The indebtedness had accrued by reason of the failure of the said Bullock to remit to the Southland Oil Company [282]*282the proceeds, less his commissions, of the sales of these commodities which had been sent to him on consignment. The books of this distributing agent had not been audited subsequent to April of that year, and when the accumulated indebtedness had reached the sum of $6,-949.77, and Mr. J. F. Aldridge, a representative of the Southland Oil Company, and Mr. Marble, one of its attorneys, went to Collins on December 19, 1951, and discussed with the distributing agent the amount of his indebtedness to the Company with the view of ascertaining what plan could be worked out for the payment of the amount then due, an agreement was reached whereby Mr. Bullock was to execute a note for the indebtedness then due and to be secured by a deed of trust on one G. M. C. truck, one Plymouth automobile, and 80 acres of farm land.

Thereupon Messrs. Aldridge and Marble went to the county courthouse with Bullock, where they remained in the car while Bullock went in the courthouse and prepared or caused to be prepared the deed of trust. He then signed the note and deed of trust, and was allowed to continue as distributing agent for the Company in Covington County. The deed of trust was not placed of record for the reason that, according to the testimony of Mr. Aldridge, its recordation might interfere with Bullock being able to obtain a loan on his residence property in Collins, the proceeds of which was to be applied to the indebtedness.

According to the testimony of Mr. Aldridge and Mr. Marble they did not go into the courthouse with Mr. Bullock at the time the deed of trust was prepared for the reason that they did not desire to give any publicity to the situation which necessitated the taking of the security, pending the collection of an account receivable in the sum of approximately $1,300 and the consummation of a loan on the debtor’s residential property.

On February 5, 1952, Mr. Aldridge returned to Collins and while there he learned from Mr. Bullock that the [283]*283loan on Ms residence had been obtained but that the check had been applied to an indebtedness due a local bank; and that the bill receivable in the sum of approximately $1,300 which had been owing by the County to the said Bullock had in the meantime been paid to him, and he further found on that date that the indebtedness of Bullock to the Southland Oil Company had reached the total sum of $8,247.40 by reason of the failure of this distributing agent to deposit to the credit of the Southland Oil Company in a local bank the proceeds of other sales made since December 19,1951, less his commissions.

In view of the condition then existing, Mr. Aldridge advised the Company of the facts and with the result that the Company sent Mr. Marble back to Collins where he and Mr. Aldridge reached an agreement with Bullock that the latter would give a new note for the $8,247.40 and a deed of trust on his residential property in addition to the property covered by the first deed of trust, and that in consideration of his doing so he would be given a further chance to try to pay off this indebtedness out of his commissions each month, upon the ■ theory that he would earn enough profit from a pulpwood business to defray his living expenses. They then went to the courthouse, where Aldridge and Marble remained in the car while Bullock went in the courthouse and either prepared or caused to be prepared the deed of trust of February 5, 1952. On account of the homestead being included in that deed of trust Mr. Marble advised Mr. Bullock that it would be necessary for his wife to sign the same.

It appears that Mrs. Bullock had gone to Laurel to visit her parents that afternoon and would not return to Collins until after 5 o’clock. In the meantime Marble returned to Jackson and was not present when the Bullocks signed the deed of trust on February 5, 1952, before John B. Pope, a notary public, in the presence of Mr. Aldridge, who had remained in Collins for the return of [284]*284Mrs. Bullock in order for her to join her husband in the execution of the deed of trust late that afternoon.

Mr. Marble testified that while he was not present when Mrs. Bullock returned to Collins and signed the deed of trust, there had been no mention made throughout the day as to any proposed criminal prosecution of Mr. Bullock, and that neither was there any threat of prosecution on December 19,1951, in connection with the execution of the first deed of trust. He stated in substance that the desire of the Southland Oil Company, as well as that of Mr. Aldridge and himself, was to work out a plan whereby Mr. Bullock could pay off the indebtedness, and that this was made clear to him.

The debtor was permitted, under a subsequent agreement that he should apply only $400.00 per month of his commission as distributing agent on the debt, to continue the operation of the business as a local distributor until March 19, 1953, when his agency was terminated and he was then replaced by the appellee B. Pat Green, who then purchased the $8,247.40 note and deed of trust on which there was at that time a balance due of $4,028.46.

Mr. Aldridge testified that when Mrs. Bullock returned from Laurel to Collins that Mr. Bullock called her to one side and that they had a conversation but that he, the witness, did not hear what was said. Mrs. Bullock testified that Mr. Aldridge said to her immediately before the deed of trust was signed, “I have some papers for you to sign. Let’s go across the street to the Pope Company.” And that he further said, “Go ahead and sign these papers and we won’t prosecute Ray for embezzlement. ’ ’ But Mr. Aldridge emphatically denied that he said anything to Mrs. Bullock about “prosecution” or “embezzlement.” When questioned specifically about the statement that he is alleged to have made to her, he was asked, “Q. Did you have any conversation of a similar sort with her? A. None whatever other than a friendly greeting. Q. Did you mention prosecution or embezzlement to her? A. No, sir. Q. Or no related [285]*285word? A. No word that would come near it.” He further testified that Mrs; Bullock appeared to be at ease and carefree and that she did not make any protest to him about signing the deed of trust. She testified that her husband told her before she left for Laurel that day that “I may be in jail when you get back.”

Although the bill of complaint filed by both Mr. and Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
80 So. 2d 37, 224 Miss. 278, 1955 Miss. LEXIS 492, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bullock-v-green-miss-1955.