DH Cattle Holdings Co. v. Smith

195 A.D.2d 202, 607 N.Y.S.2d 227, 22 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 799, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 261
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 13, 1994
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 195 A.D.2d 202 (DH Cattle Holdings Co. v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DH Cattle Holdings Co. v. Smith, 195 A.D.2d 202, 607 N.Y.S.2d 227, 22 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 799, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 261 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Asch, J.

Defendant is a professional football player. He hired BP&M Sports, Inc. (BP&M) in 1983, to act as his agent in connection with contract negotiations and the management of his financial affairs. At that time he was a 22-year-old college senior who had been selected in the first round of the National Football League (NFL) draft.

BP&M arranged for defendant to invest in a number of tax shelters. On or about December 1, 1983, BP&M, after assuring defendant that it was a "safe investment”, had defendant execute a $490,500 promissory note payable to California Dreamstreet (CD), a California cattle breeding joint venture, along with a related security agreement. Other than being advised of the general nature of the enterprise, at that time, defendant was not provided with any detailed information or documentation.

The note required payment of stated amounts of principal and interest on dates from 1984 through September 1, 1988. Subsequent payments of principal and interest were to be made as animals or semen were sold from defendant’s herd of dairy cattle, but in no event later than December 31, 1989. All principal and interest remaining unpaid at the end of the note’s term were unconditionally due and payable by the defendant as of that date. The maker was entitled to a grace period of 30 days with respect to each of the above payments.

Defendant contends that he was concerned that Messrs. Black and Paliafito (principals of BP&M) appeared unwilling to provide him with copies of the note and security agreement and "repeatedly sidestepped” his requests for information about the CD venture.

[204]*204However, after finally receiving several of the venture documents, defendant claims to have become alarmed at seeing the name "Michael Trope” crossed out in several places and replaced with references to CD or BP&M. Defendant had been warned by his friends about Trope, and understood that this individual had been banned from representing NFL players because of his allegedly ruinous financial deals. After defendant confronted his agents, and they continued to be evasive, though denying Trope’s involvement, he replaced them and stopped making payments on the note. Defendant concedes that he paid only $40,336.20, with the last payment on January 29, 1985, missing all payments starting with the September 1, 1985 installment.

Thereafter, upon an IRS audit of defendant’s tax returns, his investment in CD was found to be a sham transaction and an illegal tax shelter. Moreover, defendant’s manner of entering the transaction was found to be not prudent. He had no prospectus, offering plan, or information regarding the note, and, at the time of the IRS audit, could not produce the note or even a copy thereof. The appraisal of the cattle had been received by defendant almost a year after he had entered into the deal, and even then placed a value on the cattle in only a general way. As a consequence, defendant’s entire 1983-1986 tax credit arising from the CD venture was disallowed.

After defendant’s suspicions about Mr. Trope were allegedly substantiated, in April 1986, defendant entered into a settlement with him as to the BP&M investments by which defendant assigned Trope his rights in CD and Trope assumed defendant’s liability on the note. Defendant asserts that the settlement agreement is confidential.

Meanwhile, on July 18, 1985, Cooperative Céntrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. (Rabobank), a Dutch bank, loaned $10 million to a CD affiliate, West Brook Holsteins, Inc. (WB), pursuant to a revolving credit agreement. The principal collateral for the loan was promissory notes pledged to Rabobank by WB and CD pursuant to separate pledge agreements.

In connection with Rabobank’s increasing the loan to WB by $5 million and taking additional collateral, on August 26, 1986 they amended their revolving credit agreement. WB and CD pledged additional promissory notes, including the note in issue herein, to Rabobank, and Rabobank took possession of the notes (which had been indorsed in blank).

The Rabobank officer who supervised the loan (Roger L. [205]*205Barr) averred that at the time of this transaction Rabobank "took the Note in good faith and without any notice that it was overdue or dishonored or of any defense against it or claim to it on the part of any person” and that, indeed, both CD and WB specifically assured Rabobank to that effect and did so in their pledge agreements as well.

In addition, the corporate president of both CD and WB executed separate certificates accompanying the August 26, 1986 amendment stating that the representations and warranties in the original pledge agreements and the amendment remained accurate and no event of default had occurred as of that date.

Despite the foregoing warranties, defendant asserted in the IAS Court that on the basis of correspondence in Rabobank’s files, Rabobank "may have known” about the IRS audit and defendant’s claimed defenses to the note. In support of his position, defendant cited the presence of (1) an October 18, 1985 letter from CD to defendant demanding payment and threatening default proceedings; (2) an October 25, 1985 letter from CD to its corporate affiliate, Dreamstreet Holsteins, Inc., stating that its author "know[s] of no reason for [defendant’s] refusal to pay”; (3) an October 25, 1985 telegram to CD from defendant’s attorneys stating that "we have advised Mr. Smith that he has substantial grounds upon which to terminate his relationship with California Dream Street and to obtain a refund of all moneys invested therein * * * any action taken by you as threatened in your October 18, 1985 letter will leave us with no recourse but to pursue legal remedies in law on behalf of Mr. Smith”; and (4) a June 9, 1986 letter to CD from another law firm representing defendant asking for the documents relating to the cattle venture in order to provide them to the IRS with respect to defendant’s tax audit.

However, Mr. Barr, the Rabobank officer who supervised the loan denied that this correspondence had been reviewed by or furnished to Rabobank prior to its taking possession of the note executed by defendant. Defendant has not submitted any evidence to the contrary.

On August 19, 1988, Rabobank notified Dreamstreet Holsteins, Inc. of a default and that the bank intended to enforce collection of the collateral set forth in the pledge agreements and amendments. By agreement dated September 30, 1988, Rabobank assigned all of its rights in the CD loan documents to plaintiff, its wholly owned subsidiary.

[206]*206Plaintiff commenced the instant action in November 1991, seeking to obtain $727,422.86, representing principal of $450,163.80 and interest of $277,259.06 (at the annual default rate of 10%) in payment of the note, plus attorneys’ fees. The answer asserted that plaintiff was not a holder in due course because Rabobank, plaintiff’s transferor, had taken the note with notice that it was overdue and with notice of "certain defenses thereunder”, and had not taken the instrument in good faith. The Statute of Limitations, illegality, fraud and discharge were claimed defenses.

Defendant moved for summary judgment on the Statute of Limitations defense. Plaintiff, inter alia, cross-moved for summary judgment on the grounds that Rabobank was a holder in due course of a negotiable instrument and plaintiff stood in its shoes by virtue of the "shelter” provision of UCC 3-201 (1).

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Bluebook (online)
195 A.D.2d 202, 607 N.Y.S.2d 227, 22 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 799, 1994 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dh-cattle-holdings-co-v-smith-nyappdiv-1994.