Commercial Securities Co. v. Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc.

77 So. 2d 591, 1955 La. App. LEXIS 607
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 4, 1955
DocketNo. 8217
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 77 So. 2d 591 (Commercial Securities Co. v. Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commercial Securities Co. v. Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., 77 So. 2d 591, 1955 La. App. LEXIS 607 (La. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

HARDY, Judge.

This is a case which requires the adjudication of a conflict between the holder of a chattel mortgage on a 1954 Plymouth automobile, plaintiff in suit, and the third opponent who claims title by purhase of the vehicle. Plaintiff appeals from judgment in favor of third opponent in the principal sum of $1,700, together with the additional sum of $200 as attorney’s fees. Third opponent-appellee has answered the appeal, alleging failure of citation or service of the petition or motion o'f appeal and praying the amendment of the judgment to the extent of allowing legal interest on the amount thereof from date of judicial demand until paid.

The facts in the instant case are without dispute and the case is submitted by joint motion of counsel on the facts as stipulated and certain pertinent exhibits attached thereto.

We set forth the pertinent facts as revealed by the stipulation of counsel as follows:

In the early part of October, 1953, the Chrysler Corporation shipped to its dealer, Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., of Alexandria, Louisiana, four new 1954 model Plymouth automobiles, among them being a 1954 Savoy Club Sedan, Motor No. P25-9032, which is the vehicle involved in this suit. Under the terms of an existing financing agreement Commercial Securities Company, Inc., was obliged to honor drafts of the Chrysler Corporation for the dealer’s cost of all automobiles sold and shipped to Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc. On or about Saturday, October 10, 1953, Commercial Securities Company was notified by an officer of the Guaranty Bank & Trust Company of Alexandria that the said bank held for collection drafts of the Chrysler Corporation in the total amount of $7,318.59 covering the dealer’s cost on the four Plymouth automobiles. The drafts were paid to the bank by Commercial Securities Company on October 13, 1953 and at the time Commercial Securities prepared a note and chattel mortgage, of the type generally [593]*593known as a “floor plan” mortgage, in the principal amount of $1,648.96 covering the new Plymouth automobile above described. The mortgage was actually executed by Hugh Roberson, on behalf of Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., at or about 9:00 o’clock, A. M., October 15, 1953. On the same date the mortgage was mailed to the Commissioner of Vehicles in Baton Rouge and was filed and entered by the Commissioner in the Register of Floor Plan Mortgages at 2:46 P. M., October 16, 1953.

On the morning of October 15, 1953, at some time prior to 11:00 o’clock, one Dua J. Miller, acting as agent of Benoit Motor Company, the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer located in the Town of Welch, Louisiana, delivered to Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., at its place of business in Alexandria, check of the Benoit Motor Company in the amount of $1,652.81 in full payment of the purchase price of the above described Plymouth Sedan, which vehicle was then delivered by Hugh Roberson Motors to Miller, together with a car invoice of Hugh Roberson Motors. Following this transaction the automobile in question was driven by another employee of Benoit Motor Company to Welch, where it was placed in the showroom of said company at or about 12:00 noon October 15, 1953. The check of Benoit Motor Company which was given in payment for the purchase price of the Plymouth automobile, and which is filed as an exhibit in the record, evidences that it was endorsed by Hugh Roberson Motors “for collection” ; was delivered to Guaranty Bank & Trust Company of Alexandria on October 20, 1953 and was paid by the drawee bank October 22, 1953. These facts obviously form the basis for contention of plaintiff’s counsel that the purchase by Benoit Motors was not actually perfected until after the sale to Chaisson. While this conclusion appears to be justified by logical deduction from the above stated facts, it cannot be accepted, inasmuch as the relationship of these facts to the issues of the instant case were not established by the stipulation of counsel.

On October 20, 1953 the automobile was sold and delivered by Benoit Motor Company for a total consideration of $2,524.55 to Eldridge Chaisson. On the same date Chaisson purchased a 1953 Louisiana license plate for the automobile and made application to the Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Revenue at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for issuance of certificate of title.

On November 23, 1953, Commercial Securities Company, Inc., obtained judgment against Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., and Hugh Roberson, individually and in solido, in the sum of $1,648.96, recognizing the lien and privilege on the Plymouth automobile described and ordering the issuance of writs of fieri facias and the seizure and sale of said automobile to satisfy the amount of judgment.

Writ of fieri facias issued on November 25, 1953 out of the Ninth Judicial District Court in and for the Parish of Rapides, directed to the Sheriff of the Parish of Jefferson Davis, ordering said sheriff, by seizure and sale of the described automobile, to make up the amount of the judgment, with interest, attorney’s fees, etc.

The described automobile was seized by the Sheriff of Jefferson Davis Parish on November 27, 1953, in the possession of Eldridge Chaisson, and on December 8, 1953 the said Chaisson filed an affidavit of ownership of the described vehicle, which was followed on December 17, 1953 by the filing of a petition of third opposition.

On December 18, 1953 Commercial Securities Company posted a bond in the principal sum of $5,000 with the Sheriff of Jefferson Davis Parish, and on December 19th the described automobile was appraised in the amount of $2,250.00 and sold to Commercial Securities Company at public auction for the sum of $1,500.

Commercial Securities Company, Inc., as defendant in the proceedings of third opposition, filed answer to the merits thereof on January 19, 1954. Azenor Buller, Sheriff of Jefferson Davis Parish, after filing exceptions of no right and no cause of action to the petition of opposition on January 19, 1954, thereafter filed answer to [594]*594the merits of the opposition on February 24th, reserving all rights under his exception.

The only remaining material facts essential to the consideration of the question presented appear to be that the form provided by the Commissioner of Vehicles for use in connection with transfers between dealers, designated as Revenue Form VEH-17, was not executed by Hugh Roberson Motors, Inc., at the time of the transfer of the automobile to Benoit Motor Company on October 15, 1953, and that on November 4, 1953, Commercial Securities Company and the Associate Discount Corporation of Lake Charles, through which latter company third opponent was handling his financing of the automobile, were notified by the Motor Vehicle Division that a floor plan mortgage was recorded against the Plymouth automobile involved, but this information was never conveyed to Chais-son.

The only issue here presented requires a determination of the effect of the entry of the floor plan mortgage as against Chais-son, intervenor and third opponent, under the provisions of the Vehicle Certificate of Title Law, LSA-R.S. 32:701 et seq.

On behalf of third opponent it is contended that he obtained clear and unencumbered title to the Plymouth automobile involved in this proceeding inasmuch as the floor plan chattel mortgage was not filed and entered by the Commissioner of Vehicles until the day following the purchase from and delivery by Hugh Roberson Motors to Benoit Motor Company, third opponent’s vendor.

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Bluebook (online)
77 So. 2d 591, 1955 La. App. LEXIS 607, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commercial-securities-co-v-hugh-roberson-motors-inc-lactapp-1955.