Folk v. Continental Can Co.

97 F.2d 322, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 3767
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedJune 6, 1938
DocketNo. 4302
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 97 F.2d 322 (Folk v. Continental Can Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Folk v. Continental Can Co., 97 F.2d 322, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 3767 (4th Cir. 1938).

Opinion

NORTHCOTT, Circuit Judge.

. This is an action at law, brought in January, 1935, in the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of South Carolina, at Aiken, by the Continental Can Company, Inc., a New York corporation, here referred to as. the plaintiff, against the South Carolina Packing Corporation Cooperative, a South Carolina corporation, here referred to as the Cooperative, T. H. Tuten, J. L. Folk, W. Fred Lightsey, J. B. O’Neal and R. H. Pollock. The Cooperative filed an answer and set up a counterclaim. Appellants J. L. Folk, W. Fred Lightsey, and J. B. O’Neal, here referred to as the defendants, also filed an answer. Of the other defendants named in the complaint R. H. Pollock had not been served with process and T. H. Tuten had died.

[323]*323The object of the action was first to recover the sum of $2,954.11, with interest from August 1, 1931, and attorney’s fee, alleged to be due the plaintiff from the Cooperative on a note the payment of which, it was charged, had been guaranteed by the individual defendants and for a second cause of action to recover $604.03 on an account alleged to be due the plaintiff from the Cooperative.

A trial was had in October, 1937, and at the conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence a motion was made on behalf of the three individual answering defendants for a nonsuit. This motion was refused by the court as to the first cause of action and granted as to the second cause of action. At the conclusion of all the evidence the court directed a verdict for the plaintiff and judgment was entered against the Cooperative, J. L. Folk, W. Fred Lightsey and J. B. O’Neal. From this action of the court below the three individuals brought this appeal.

The sole question involved is whether the defendants are liable as guarantors for the debt represented by the'note sued on.

The South Carolina Packing Company was a Delaware corporation, domesticated in South Carolina, and operated a canning business at Fairfax, South Carolina. In March, 1929, this company entered into a written contract with the plaintiff to buy cans to be used in packing food products. The contract was to run until December 31, 1931. The plaintiff requiring security a written guarantee was given by the five directors on May 13, 1929. The guarantee was for the debts of the Packing Company to the plaintiff and included all notes evidencing such debts with clauses waiving notices of default, extension of time, etc., and was to continue in force until a written notice was given the plaintiff of its termination. This guarantee read as follows:

“Know all men, that in consideration, of One Dollar and other good and valuable considerations, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned do hereby jointly and severally guarantee to the Continental Can Company, Inc., of New York, N. Y., the payment to it for merchandise ordered by and sold and delivered to and/or for the payment of closing machine leasals, insurance charges, and charges for machine parts and installation of can runway incurred by South Carolina Packing Corporation, Fairfax, South Carolina, together with all expenses of collection including reasonable attorneys fees.
“The undersigned do hereby jointly and severally expressly waive notice of default in the payment of any indebtedness guaranteed hereby and do furthermore expressly waive the necessity of presentment of any note or notes evidencing any such indebtedness and waive notice of default in the due and punctual payment or in the nonpayment of any such note, and does consent that said indebtedness or any portion thereof may be extended from time to time.
“This guarantee to continue until written notice of revocation is served upon the Continental Can Company, Inc., at its office in New York, N. Y., by the undersigned.
“Dated at Fairfax, South Carolina, this 13th day of May, 1929.
/s/ R. H. Pollock
“Witness W. M. Lightsey (Seal)
/s/ T. H. Tuten
“Witness W. M. Lightsey (Seal)
/s/ W. Fred Lightsey
“Witness W. M. Lightsey (Seal)
/s/ J. L. Folk
“Witness W. M. Lightsey (Seal)
/s/ J. B. O’Neal
“Witness W. M. Lightsey (Seal).”

On May 14, 1930, the South Carolina Packing Corporation Cooperative was organized and received a charter from the State of South Carolina. The new company took over the assets of the Delaware company. The officers and directors of the Cooperative were substantially the same as those of the old company. The charter of the Delaware company was surrendered in October, 1930.

Under the written contract with the Packing Company the plaintiff shipped five cars of cans on the following dates, May 28, May 31 (two cars), June 5 and June 7, 1930. Upon request of an officer of the Packing Company, who was also an officer of the new company, the cars were released to the Cooperative, the new company. The agreed price of the cans was charged on the books of the plaintiff to the Delaware Company and not to the Cooperative. On September 18, 1930, the Cooperative company executed three notes in settlement of this account against the old company. Two of these notes were for $2,954, each and the third note was for $2,954.11. They were due in thirty, sixty and ninety days. The first two notes were paid; the last note, renewed from time to time, is the note sued upon here.

On May 25, 1931, the note still being unpaid and the Cooperative wishing to con[324]*324tinue its business with the plaintiff, the following letter was written the credit manager of the plaintiff:

“South Carolina Packing Corporation Cooperative
“Fairfax, S. C.
“May 25th, 1931.
“Mr. Nelson Schuster, Credit Manager, Continental Can Company, Baltimore, Md.
“Dear Sir: We wish to say we appreciate your offer to extend our guarantee you hold for cans that have not yet been paid for; and also that you will ship us three (3) carloads of cans to begin this season’s pack with, on open billing.
“We will guarantee that all obligations to the Continental Can Company will be paid on or before October 1st, 1931.
“This agreement is made with the understanding the current year’s credit to be taken care of promptly upon receipt of funds for hypothecated goods with the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank.
“Thanking you for this concession, we beg to remain,
“Yours very truly,
“South Carolina Pkg. Corp. Cooperative.
“By T. H. Tuten,
“T. H. Tuten, Pres. & Treas.
“By T. H. Tuten, Director
“By J. L. Folk, Director
“By W. Fred Lightsey, Director
“By H. McM. Williams, Director
“By J. M. Thomas, Director
“By Joe L. Folk, Director

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Bluebook (online)
97 F.2d 322, 1938 U.S. App. LEXIS 3767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/folk-v-continental-can-co-ca4-1938.