Gulfco Finance Co. v. Boyd

702 So. 2d 342, 1997 WL 674762
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 29, 1997
Docket29975-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 702 So. 2d 342 (Gulfco Finance Co. v. Boyd) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gulfco Finance Co. v. Boyd, 702 So. 2d 342, 1997 WL 674762 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

702 So.2d 342 (1997)

GULFCO FINANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Robert L. BOYD, a/k/a Robert Boyd and Joan A. Boyd, a/k/a JoAnn A. Boyd, Defendants-Appellants.

No. 29975-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

October 29, 1997.
Writ Denied February 6, 1998.

*343 S.P. Davis, Sr., Shreveport, for Defendants-Appellants.

Rogers & Hearne by Fred A. Rogers, III, W. Lake Hearne, Shreveport, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

Before MARVIN, C.J., and WILLIAMS and CARAWAY, JJ.

MARVIN, Chief Judge.

In this action seeking a deficiency judgment after a foreclosure sale by executory process of an automobile purchased partially on credit, the debtors, Robert and Joan Boyd appeal a summary [deficiency] judgment granted on the creditor's motion.

The Boyds primarily attack the foreclosure sale on the grounds that the car was not properly appraised and also complain that the trial court should have been bound by its earlier ruling on Gulfco's exception of no cause of action to the Boyds' reconventional demand for damages. The trial court earlier denied in part Gulfco's no cause of action, reasoning that an appraisal on the date of the sale of secured property rendered the appraisal invalid and served to defeat a later action for a deficiency judgment. The trial court's grant of the summary judgment reached the opposite conclusion. Gulfco answered the appeal to seek additional attorney fees.

We amend to increase attorney fees and affirm the amended summary judgment.

FACTS

The automobile, a 1988 Chrysler, was purchased by Boyd in 1990 under La. R.S. Title 10-9, Commercial Laws [a UCC Financing Statement], and served as security for credit given by Gulfco Finance Co., Inc. The Boyds obligated themselves on a secured promissory note and mortgage on the car to Gulfco for $15,311, payable in 36 consecutive monthly installments, the last 35 of which were $424. A UCC-1 Financing Statement in accord with Title 10-9 [Commercial Laws— Secured Transactions adopted in 1988] was executed and recorded with the Office of Motor Vehicles, Department of Public Safety.

Alleging the Boyds' failure to pay monthly installments after August 31, 1993, Gulfco instituted this action by executory process in the Shreveport City Court, alleging an outstanding balance of $2,652. The Chrysler was seized and after advertisement was sold at a Marshal's sale on December 1, 1993, producing net proceeds of $1,072. The Boyds made no formal appearance in that action, but responded to the later deficiency judgment action with a reconventional demand for damages for wrongful seizure and sale.

The Boyds alleged they were unable to appraise the car because the Shreveport City Court offices were closed on the scheduled date for appraisal, and they were never notified of a new appraisal date. The "Notice to Appoint Appraisers" given to the Boyds stated the appraisal date was the Friday [November 26, 1993] before the sale. Because the Shreveport City Hall was closed on that date, a legal holiday, the Boyds asserted they were unable to appraise the car. The car was appraised on the date of the sale, December 1, but not by the Boyds.

After Gulfco's exception of no cause of action to the Boyds' reconventional demand was sustained in part [wrongful seizure] and denied in part [defect in appraisal], Gulfco moved for summary judgment. In their exception of res judicata the Boyds argued that the partial denial of Gulfco's no cause of action exception was a final judgment which barred relitigation of the issue of Gulfco's entitlement to a deficiency judgment. The *344 res judicata exception was overruled by the trial court. Relying on Ford Motor Credit Co. v. Melancon, 95-1221 (La.App. 3d Cir. 6/19/96), 677 So.2d 145 [security interests created under Chapter 9 of the Louisiana Commercial Laws (10:9-101, et seq.) are not governed by Louisiana's deficiency judgment laws], the trial court concluded that a deficiency judgment is not barred by an appraisal defect and granted Gulfco's motion for summary judgment. The court awarded Gulfco $600 in attorney's fees.

The Boyds complain that the trial court should not have granted summary judgment because genuine issues of material fact exist as to whether Gulfco is entitled to a deficiency judgment and as to whether the issue of that entitlement had been previously litigated through the denial of Gulfco's exception of no cause of action. These "issues," however, in our view, are not of material "facts," but are clearly issues of law.

DISCUSSION

For support of their appraisal argument, the Boyds mistakenly rely on Massey-Ferguson Credit Corp. v. Douglas, 448 So.2d 817 (La.App. 2d Cir.1984), writ denied, 450 So.2d 360 (La.1984), a case which was decided before Title 10-9 was adopted in 1988.

We agree that the financing agreement between the Boyds and Gulfco is a Title 10-9 security interest. La. R.S. 10:9-102(1)(a) states that Chapter 9 applies "to any transaction (regardless of its form) which is intended to create a security interest in personal property or fixtures including goods..." (emphasis ours) "Personal property" is defined in La. R.S. 10:9-102(4)(d) as "movable property." The term "goods" is defined in Chapter 9's definitions section as including "all things which are movable at the time the security interest attaches ..." La. R.S. 10:9-105(1)(h). "Goods" is also classified in La. R.S. 10:9-109(1) as including "consumer goods" when "they are used or bought for use primarily for personal, family or household purposes." An automobile falls under the categories of both personal property and goods. Ford Motor Credit Co. v. Melancon, supra, at 149. In addition, specific references to motor vehicles are made in other sections of the Commercial Laws.[1]

According to La. R.S. 10:9-203(1), three things must occur in order for a security interest to attach or become enforceable against the debtor: value must be given, the debtor has to have rights in the collateral, and either the security agreement contains a description of the collateral or the collateral is in the secured party's possession pursuant to an agreement. The Boyds received "value" because they borrowed $15,311 from Gulfco, as evident by the promissory note. The Boyds granted a security interest in collateral that they had rights in, the car. The act of mortgage executed by the parties is a "security agreement" as it is simply "an agreement which creates or provides for a security interest." La. R.S. 10:9-105(1)(l). The vehicle is described in the act of mortgage by its make, model year and serial number. A description is sufficient if it "reasonably identifies what is described." La. R.S. 10:9-110. A Chapter 9 security interest in the car was created by the contract between the Boyds and Gulfco.

A security interest in an automobile is perfected by filing a financing statement with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles. La. R.S. 10:9-401(1)(a). La. R.S. 10:9-402 sets forth the formal requirements for financing statements.

The UCC-1 Financing Statement between these litigants, which states that it is the "LOUISIANA APPROVED FORM UCC-1, SECRETARY OF STATE W. FOX McKEITHEN," substantially complies "with the requirements of this Section [and] is effective even though it contains minor errors which are not seriously misleading." La. R.S. 10:9-402(8).

By Act 137 of 1989, the legislature amended provisions of the Deficiency Judgment Act and articles of the Code of Civil Procedure.

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Bluebook (online)
702 So. 2d 342, 1997 WL 674762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gulfco-finance-co-v-boyd-lactapp-1997.