Dallas Bank & Trust Co. v. Frigiking, Inc.

692 S.W.2d 163, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1334, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7001
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 16, 1985
Docket05-83-01487-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 692 S.W.2d 163 (Dallas Bank & Trust Co. v. Frigiking, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dallas Bank & Trust Co. v. Frigiking, Inc., 692 S.W.2d 163, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1334, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7001 (Tex. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

STEPHENS, Justice.

Dallas Bank & Trust Co. appeals from a judgment in a suit brought by Frigiking Inc., to recover funds paid to Dallas Bank by Ivins Industries, Inc., a mutual customer. We affirm in part and reverse and render in part.

In 1978 Ivins gave both Frigiking and First National Bank of Euless a security interest in its inventory and the proceeds of that inventory. Frigiking’s security interest was given and perfected prior to the interest given to First National. First National assigned its interest to Dallas Bank. Both Frigiking and Dallas Bank then extended credit to Ivins based on their security interests.

On February 15, 1980, Ivins filed a petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Prior to filing for relief Ivins paid Dallas Bank a total of $140,801.36. All the payments were by check. Subsequent to its petition for relief, Ivins, as debtor in possession, continued to pay Dallas Bank. The post-petition payments totaled $26,413.61. Ivins then converted from Chapter 11 reorgani *165 zation to Chapter 7 liquidation, and a trustee was appointed. The trustee then liquidated the existing inventory by auction and placed the proceeds in two trustee’s accounts.

The trial court found: (1) that Dallas Bank was entitled to the pre-petition payments because it received them in the ordinary course of business as a holder in due course; (2) that Frigiking was entitled to the post-petition payments; and (3) that Frigiking was entitled to the proceeds held in the trustee’s accounts.

Dallas Bank contends that the trial court erred in awarding Frigiking the post-petition payments and the proceeds in the trustee’s accounts. By crosspoints, Frigiking contends that the trial court erred in denying its recovery of the pre-petition payments.

On appeal, Dallas Bank challenges the jurisdiction of our state courts to determine the parties’ interests in the funds. It contends that since the payments were made both during the ninety days preceding Ivins filing a petition for relief in bankruptcy and after the filing of that petition, the payments are property of the estate, over which the bankruptcy court has exclusive jurisdiction. We disagree.

The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, the Code, gave the bankruptcy courts broad jurisdictional authority. 1 Under the Code, the bankruptcy courts were granted: 1) original and exclusive jurisdiction of all cases under Title 11; and 2) original but not exclusive jurisdiction of all civil proceedings arising under Title 11 or arising in or related to cases under Title 11. 28 U.S.C. § 1471. The determination of priorities between two competing secured parties is a related proceeding determined by state law and, therefore, not subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court. Further, § 1471(d) provides that a federal district court or a bankruptcy court may, in the interest of justice, abstain from hearing a particular proceeding arising under Title 11. It further provides that such abstention, or a decision to abstain, is not reviewable by appeal or otherwise. The record reflects that Dallas Bank sought to remove this cause of action to the bankruptcy court. Its petition was denied and the suit was remanded to this state’s district court for an adjudication of the issues. This order of remand terminated the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court. Browning v. Navarro, 743 F.2d 1069, 1078 (5th Cir.1984). The termination of jurisdiction was complete and non-reviewable when the bankruptcy court mailed a certified copy of its order to the district clerk of Dallas County. Browning, 743 F.2d at 1077-78. We conclude, therefore, that jurisdiction properly lies in the courts of this state.

Next, we consider Dallas Bank’s contention that it is entitled to the liquidation proceeds held in the trustee’s accounts because the trial court erred in finding that, as a matter of law, Frigiking’s security agreement and financing statement were unambiguous and that, as a matter of law and as a matter of fact, Ivins and Frigiking both intended for Frigiking to have a general security interest in all of Ivins’ inventory. Dallas Bank urges that the extraneous evidence shows that Ivins and Frigik-ing only intended for Frigiking to have a limited security interest in Frigiking products. We disagree. Both the security agreement and the financing statement stated Frigiking had a security interest in:

All automotive air conditioning and/or recreational vehicle air conditioning and/or truck cab air conditioning units which bear the trade name “Frigiking” along with parts and accessories now or hereafter sold by Secured Party to Debt- or, together with all accounts receivable and proceeds resulting from sale or disposal of Debtor’s inventory together with all additions accessions and substitutions thereto or therefor, and all similar property hereafter acquired. (Emphasis added).

*166 The financing statement contained the additional statement, “[Products of collateral are also covered.”

Whether a contract is ambiguous is a question of law. R & P Enterprises v. LaGuarta, Gavrel & Kirk, Inc., 596 S.W.2d 517 (Tex.1980). A contract is only ambiguous when, after applying proper rules of interpretation to an instrument, it remains uncertain which one of two meanings is the intended one. A written instrument is not ambiguous if is so worded that a court may properly give it certain or definite legal meaning. P & P Enterprises, 596 S.W.2d at 519. We conclude that the trial court properly determined that the security agreement and the financing statement were not ambiguous in this instance. We further conclude that the extraneous deposition testimony introduced by Dallas Bank to prove the intent of the parties is not controlling and that the trial court properly found that the intent of the parties, as expressed by the instruments, was to give Frigiking a security interest in all of Ivins’ inventory. When a contract is not ambiguous it is the responsibility of the court to give effect to the intent of the parties as expressed therein. It is the objective, not subjective, intent that controls. City of Pinehurst v. Spooner Addition Water Co., 432 S.W.2d 515 (Tex.1968). Since the trial court properly found that Frigiking has a general security interest in Ivins’ inventory and the proceeds of that inventory, we conclude that the trial court properly determined that Frigiking was entitled to, or had a superior security interest in, the proceeds from the trustee’s auction. Dallas Bank’s points of error relating to this issue are overruled.

Dallas Bank next contends that the trial court erred in concluding that it did not take the post-petition payments free of Fri-giking’s security interest as a holder in due course. We agree. The requirements of a holder in due course are set out in TEX. BUS.

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692 S.W.2d 163, 41 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1334, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 7001, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dallas-bank-trust-co-v-frigiking-inc-texapp-1985.