First Mississippi Bank of Commerce v. Latch

433 So. 2d 946
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 25, 1983
Docket53772
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 433 So. 2d 946 (First Mississippi Bank of Commerce v. Latch) 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
First Mississippi Bank of Commerce v. Latch, 433 So. 2d 946 (Mich. 1983).

Opinion

433 So.2d 946 (1983)

FIRST MISSISSIPPI BANK OF COMMERCE
v.
Ray LATCH, d/b/a Waterway Construction Co.

No. 53772.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

May 25, 1983.
Rehearing Denied July 13, 1983.

Price, Krohn & McLemore, James E. Price, Corinth, for appellant.

James H. Mathis, Corinth, for appellee.

Before BROOM, P.J., and HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, JJ.

DAN M. LEE, Justice, for the Court:

This is an appeal from the Circuit Court of Alcorn County wherein First Mississippi Bank of Commerce (FMBC), plaintiff/appellant, instituted legal proceedings to collect on several promissory notes executed by Ray Latch, individually, and Ray Latch d/b/a Waterway Construction Company (Latch), defendant/appellee.[1] Latch, by way of counterclaim, sought recovery from FMBC for its alleged breach of an oral agreement to extend a line of credit in the amount of $50,000 to his business. Latch alleged that FMBC's failure to extend this *947 credit resulted in his inability to complete a contract with the Corps of Engineers as well as the repossession of various items of equipment used in his business. Latch admitted his indebtedness to FMBC for the amounts alleged. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Latch and assessed his damages at $81,000. From this amount a $30,076.84 set-off was ordered representing principal and interest owed to FMBC by Latch. Judgment was therefore entered for Latch in the amount of $50,925.16. FMBC has appealed to this Court from the verdict of the jury and judgment thereon. We reverse in part and remand.

Appellee was the owner and operator of a successful grocery business in Corinth in 1975. In the spring of that year the Hickmans (appellee's father-in-law and brother-in-law) approached him about borrowing $9,000 to complete a construction job for the Soil Conservation Service. After the job was completed, appellee participated in the profits which were reaped therefrom.

Following the successful completion of this job, appellee agreed to go into business with the Hickmans under the name of Waterway Construction Company. Although appellee had no experience in the earth-moving business, he did have a good credit standing which the Hickmans sorely lacked. After striking their agreement, appellee went to FMBC where he met with Bill Tidwell. During their discussions, appellee informed Tidwell that the partnership would require the purchase of some new equipment so as to be able to bid on certain jobs and that during slack periods they would also need financial help to stay operational. At the conclusion of their meeting, Tidwell orally agreed to loan appellee up to $50,000 at 10% interest. It was agreed that on small loans all that would be required was appellee's signature while on the larger contractual jobs which were bonded, FMBC would receive an assignment of the proceeds under the job. Each note would be for a period of 6 months with an option to renew for an additional six months.

Appellee was asked to open a business checking account at FMBC from which FMBC had permission to apply the funds therein to any notes coming due. Appellee and Hickman also opened a personal checking account at the bank. Following their meeting, Tidwell sent a letter dated March 31, 1975, to Barksdale Bonding Co. recommending appellee for bonding. An SBA guarantee was also discussed; however, the bank's commitment was not contingent thereon.

After meeting with Tidwell appellee made several purchases of needed equipment to be used in his new business endeavor. On April 4, 1975, appellee purchased a 305 Koehring Dragline from Scribner Equipment Co. for $68,662.50. An installment note of $91,574.78 was executed after a $3,000 downpayment. Monthly notes equaled $2,210 payable on the tenth of each month except for the months of January, February and March. In the summer of 1975 appellee purchased two C-6 Euclid bulldozers from Case Power & Equipment Co. for approximately $23,000. An installment note was executed with monthly payments of roughly $1,000. In September of 1975, appellee purchased a Poclaine Track Excavator. This piece of equipment cost between $60,000 and $70,000. An installment note was executed with monthly payments in the amount of $1,900. Tidwell was contacted for verification of appellee's credit standing prior to each of these purchases.

On May 20, 1975, Tidwell sent another letter to Barksdale Bonding Co. informing Barksdale of appellee's unused $50,000 line of credit at FMBC. Following this letter, Barksdale bonded appellee on more than one occasion. Barksdale also required that an indemnity agreement be executed by appellee. On June 3, 1975, appellee called upon Tidwell for a loan in the amount of $2,500. They continued to seek SBA guarantee; however, their efforts proved unsuccessful.

At this point appellee had only performed minor jobs in an attempt to earn enough money to keep equipment payments current. *948 In the fall of 1975, appellee received invitations from the Corps of Engineers to bid on various projects. Appellee relayed this information to Tidwell, asserting that if they were successful in their efforts of securing a government contract, they would need $15,000 to $25,000 to begin the job. Tidwell informed appellee he could count on the bank. Appellee thereafter submitted bids on the three projects on November 6, 1975. Appellee was declared the low bidder on one of the projects ($41,000).

On November 7, 1975, appellee was contacted by K.E. McLaughlin, comptroller for the Corps of Engineers. McLaughlin asked for a showing of financial ability due to appellee being a new contractor as a condition precedent to the award of the contract. The following Monday, appellee met with Bill Tidwell who sent a letter dated November 10, 1975, to K.E. McLaughlin informing him of appellee's unused $50,000 line of credit with the bank. Appellee was thereafter awarded the construction contract on November 14, 1975. The contract required that appellee execute a performance bond in the amount of $41,075 and a payment bond in the amount of $25,537.50.

On November 14, or 17, appellee again met with Tidwell to secure a $15,000 loan to mobilize their equipment and to bring equipment payments current. Tidwell, however, informed appellee that FMBC could only loan him $12,500 because the bank had overextended itself in general. Appellee at first refused Tidwell's offer. Appellee's attempts to secure financing at other banks in the area proved unsuccessful due to the banks' previous dealing with the Hickmans. Appellee finally obtained a $3,000 loan from the Commercial Credit Bank. He then went back to FMBC where he executed an assignment of the proceeds to the contract and accepted the $12,500 loan.

Appellee's equipment was subsequently moved to the construction site in Vidalia, Louisiana, on December 22, 1975. While the contract originally called for completion in 40 working days, appellee was granted a 111-day extension due to rain. The adjusted completion date was May 11, 1976. Appellee was unable to obtain additional financing from FMBC until April 8, 1976, when he was loaned $1,255. However, at this point, appellee's dragline and excavator had been repossessed. Appellee tried to complete the job with borrowed equipment. He obtained a $1,500 loan from FMBC on April 29, 1976. In spite of his efforts, appellee was unable to complete the contract as scheduled and the same was terminated on August 10, 1976.

According to appellee, he would have been able to complete the contract if an additional $35,000 had been loaned to him by the bank.

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Bluebook (online)
433 So. 2d 946, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-mississippi-bank-of-commerce-v-latch-miss-1983.