Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. Pablo Eguía & Sons, Inc.

822 F. Supp. 46, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7411, 1993 WL 180002
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedMay 28, 1993
DocketCiv. No. 91-1772(PG)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 822 F. Supp. 46 (Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. Pablo Eguía & Sons, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Georgia-Pacific Corp. v. Pablo Eguía & Sons, Inc., 822 F. Supp. 46, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7411, 1993 WL 180002 (prd 1993).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

PEREZ-GIMENEZ, District Judge.

In this diversity action, the Court must presently determine which statute of limitations applies to certain commercial transactions conducted by the parties to this litigation: the three year one provided by Article 942 of the Commerce Code or the fifteen year one provided by Article 1864 of the Civil Code. The Court must also determine whether a surety agreement executed by the parties applies to the instant dispute. These endeavors must be performed by zealously resorting to Civil Law principles.1

[48]*48I. Background

The undisputed facts prompting this litigation are essentially as follow. Plaintiff, Georgia Pacific (“GP”), a Georgia corporation with its principal place of business therein, is a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of household products throughout the United States. Defendants are four Puerto Rico corporations with their principal places of business in the Island.2 On September 23, 1981, defendant Pablo Eguia & Sons, Inc. (“Eguia”) and GP entered into a contract naming Eguia GP’s Puerto Rico representative for the sale of Dovallette brand tissue products. See Plaintiffs Exhibit A. On the same date, all defendants executed a guaranty for the full and prompt payment and discharge of all invoices issued by GP pursuant to the Eguia representation contract. See Plaintiffs Exhibit B. Paragraph two of the guaranty provides:

The undersigned agree that, whenever such invoices and the obligations represented thereby remain unpaid in whole or in part for more then ninety (90) days, the undersigned, without G-P [Georgia Pacific] first having to proceed against or make demand upon customers of products, will pay upon demand all sums then due or to become due to G-P on such invoices and obligations and any losses, costs, attorney’s fees or expenses which may be incurred by G-P as a result of such default by such customers or default by any of the undersigned.

Paragraph three of the guaranty provides:

“This Guaranty shall only terminate when the obligations of the undersigned are satisfied. This Guaranty shall not automatically terminate upon termination of the Sales Representation Agreement or the License Agreement referred to therein.”

Paragraph five provides:

Notwithstanding the ninety (90) day period referred to in Article 2 hereof, the guaranty obligation of the undersigned and the right of G-P to demand immediate performance of this Guaranty by the undersigned shall accrue and mature immediately in the event any customer or products is adjudged insolvent or bankrupt, or by judicial determination is placed under the control of receivers, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors or any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding is commenced with respect to such customer.

The guaranty agreement between the parties expired on November 1987 and was never renewed. See Defendants’ Exhibit A.

From 1981 to 1989 GP sold bathroom tissue to numerous local retailers via Eguia. See Plaintiffs Exhibit C, Defendants’ Exhibit B. Defendants, pursuant to the guaranty, presently owe GP at least $213,906.77, amount representing a myriad of unpaid invoices. See October 16, 1992 Stipulation (docket # 10). However, they refuse to pay said sum on the ground that the limitations period to bring said action has expired.

On June 17, 1991, GP filed a complaint before this Court seeking payment of the above mentioned sum. The parties have cross moved for partial summary judgment.3 Since at this juncture no factual controversies exist, the Court may enter summary [49]*49judgment in favor of the party with the applicable law on its side. See Sheinkopf v. Stone, 927 F.2d 1259, 1261-62 (1st Cir.1991). The Court’s attention thus shall be wholly devoted to answering two legal issues raised in the parties’ memoranda:

(i) what is the applicable statute of limitations in this controversy?
(ii) in light of the surety agreement executed by the parties, are defendant’s liable for invoices pertaining to Eguia’s clients that filed bankruptcies after November 1987?

II. Discussion

(i) Applicability of the Commerce Code

As a threshold matter, it is necessary for this Court to determine whether the transactions involving GP and the defendants were mercantile in nature so as to apply the Commerce Code, 10 L.P.R.AApp. I § 1001 et seq., thereto.4 From the sales representation agreement (Plaintiffs Exhibit A) it appears that the relationship between GP and Eguia was as follows. Eguia would generate orders of GP’s products from local buyers. Seventy five percent of the merchandise would then be shipped by GP from the mainland and twenty five percent would be shipped from Eguia’s warehouse in Puerto Rico.

GP’s products were sold to two types of customers: “direct” or “warehouse.” “Direct customers” are those who made purchases in quantities equal to the capacity of a containerized van. These customers were directly invoiced by GP. “Warehouse customers” are those who made purchases of less than van load quantities. These customers were directly invoiced on GP’s behalf by Eguia.

Eguia would sell GP’s merchandise to retailers at the rates set by GP. See Plaintiffs Exhibit C, Defendants’ Exhibit B (GP’s unpaid invoices). As compensation for its work, GP paid Eguia a 4% commission for the sale of those products shipped from the mainland and a 4.5% commission for that of those stored in Eguia’s warehouse.

Article 2 of the Commerce Code, 10 L.P.R.A.App. I § 1002, states that “Commercial transactions shall be considered those enumerated in this Code and any of a similar character.” We must thus look to the Commerce Code to see if any of the transactions between the parties are enumerated therein.

Article 243 of the Commerce Code, 10 L.P.R.A.App. I § 1701, defines a commercial purchase and sale as follows:

“A purchase and sale of, personal property for the purpose of resale, either in the form purchased or in a different form, for the purpose of deriving profit in the resale, shall be considered commercial.”

See Reece Corp. v. Ariela, 88 J.T.S. 103, 6140. In the case at bar, it is evident that there was not an all-encompassing purchase and sale transaction scheme between GP and Eguia. However, purchase and sale transactions abound in the sales from GP (via Eguia) to the retailers since the latter’s purpose was to derive profit from the resale of bathroom tissue. These sales are hence clearly governed by the Commerce Code. Our inquiry however does not come to an end here.

In Pacheco v. National Western Life Ins. Co., 88 J.T.S. 93, 6073, the Commonwealth Supreme Court discussed the novel theory of “actos de comercio por relación.5” According to Spanish commentators, certain acts civil in nature become commercial when performed in conjunction with an act of commerce. The Court, applying said theory, concluded that a distribution contract is an act of commerce.

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822 F. Supp. 46, 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7411, 1993 WL 180002, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/georgia-pacific-corp-v-pablo-eguia-sons-inc-prd-1993.