Hasbrouck v. LaFebre

152 P. 168, 23 Wyo. 367, 1915 Wyo. LEXIS 37
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 13, 1915
DocketNo. 802
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 152 P. 168 (Hasbrouck v. LaFebre) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hasbrouck v. LaFebre, 152 P. 168, 23 Wyo. 367, 1915 Wyo. LEXIS 37 (Wyo. 1915).

Opinion

Scott, Justice.

On October 15, 1912, one C. H. Reeder, who was then engaged in general merchandising at Dayton, Sheridan County, Wyoming, borrowed two thousand dollars from the Citizens’ State Bank of Sheridan and gave his promissory note, signed by C. L. Olson and Grace L. Olson as sureties, both of whom have since deceased, for that sum payable [377]*377one year after date, with interest thereon at the rate of ten per cent per annum, payable semi-annually. In order to indemnify and secure the Olsons, Reeder on the same day executed a chattel mortgage to them on his' stock of goods described in the mortgage as follows, viz.: “All the stock of dry goods, notions, groceries, boots and shoes, clothing, drugs and all other merchandise of every description now contained in the two-story frame building situated on lot one (1), block fifteen (15), of Dayton, Wyoming, and all furniture and fixtures belonging or appertaining to the above described business and being in the above described premises, and all other stock of merchandise, furniture of fixtures, that may be added thereto in the future, and it is further understood by all the parties to this contract that the party of the first part will keep all stock up to the extent of its present value for the benefit of the said parties- of the second part” The mortgagees were granted by the terms of the mortgage the right to foreclose and take possession in case of any default or if at any time he or they felt himself or themselves insecure. This mortgage was duly filed .in the office of the county clerk of Sheridan County on the day of its execution. On the same day and coincident with the execution of the mortgage it was verbally agreed by and between Reeder and the Olsons that the former should continue in business as before, and Reeder so continued in business until September 1, 1913, on which day he, never having paid anything on the note to the Citizens’ Bank or to the Olsons as indemnity, and being insolvent, assigned all his property, including the stock of goods then in his possession, to Hasbrouck, the plaintiff in error here, for the benefit of his creditors under the provisions of the general voluntary assignment law of this state, that is to say, under the provisions of Chapter 212, p. 830, Comp. Stat. Reeder in his deed of assignment recited that the stock of goods and merchandise so assigned was mortgaged October 15, 1912, in the sum of $2,000 and interest, to the Olsons and further recited that the mortgage was duly filed and that the sum secured thereby was unpaid. In the meantime C. L. Olson [378]*378had died, and Grace L- Olson had been appointed adminis-tratrix of his estate, and thereafter deeming herself insecure on behalf of the estate and herself, she paid the note in full and made demand upon the assignee under the chattel mortgage for the delivery of the stock of goods so attempted to be assigned to him and then in his possession, which was refused, and thereupon she brought this action in replevin to recover possession of the same. The goods were taken upon the writ. The action was tried to the court without the intervention of a jury, and the court found and gave judgment in favor of Grace L. Olson both in her personal and representative capacity as administratrix of the estate of C. L- Olson, deceased. TIasbrouck, the assignee, brings error. Grace L. Olson having died, Jans J. LeFebre, administrator of each estate, was substituted here as and for defendant in error.

It is contended that the evidence does not sustain the judgment and that the same is contrary to law. It is argued by ITasbrouck that the oral agreement between the parties to the mortgage to the effect that the mortgagor might continue the business as before and replenish the stock of goods rendered the mortgage void as against the creditors whom he claimed to represent because permission to do so was not expressly given in the mortgage as provided in’ Section 3734, Compiled Statutes, which section is as follows: “It shall be lawful for the parties to any mortgage, bond, conveyance, or other instrument intended to operate as a mortgage of personal property as provided by law, to insert therein permission to the mortgagor to use, handle, operate, herd, manage and control the property mortgaged, and to market, sell and dispose of such portions thereof as may be necessary in the course of business, or to preserve and care for the same, and replace such property, or parts sold, with other property of like kind or character, which property replaced may be purchased, either with the net proceeds of the mortgaged property sold, or' otherwise, all of which shall be subject to the operation and effect of such mortgage, bond, conveyance, or instrument intended to operate as a [379]*379mortgage. But unless permission is expressly given otherwise in the mortgage’ the mortgagor shall pay over to the mortgagee all moneys received from the sale of any part of the mortgaged property aforesaid.” Section 3727 is as follows : “Every mortgage, bond, conveyance or other instrument intended to operate as a mortgage of goods, chattels or personal property, which shall not be accompanied by immediate delivery and be followed by an actual and continued change of possession of- the goods, chattels and personal property so mortgaged shall be absolutely void as against the creditors of the mortgagor, and as against subsequent mortgagees or purchasers in good faith, unless said mortgage, bond, conveyance or other instrument intended to operate as a chattel mortgage shall be filed as hereinafter provided.” Section 3734 does not declare the mortgage void as between the parties thereto for failure to insert permission in the mortgage to continue the business as before, but directs that all money that accrues from the sales shall be paid over to the mortgagee in the absence of permission expressly given in the mortgage to apply the money otherwise. The failure to express the permission in the mortgage did not render that instrument void ab initio. The statute does not say so, but goes only to the application of the proceeds of the sales. We think the mortgage was valid as between the parties thereto within the contemplation of the sections quoted, and it having been properly executed that as between the parties thereto it came within the provision of Section 3732 id., which provides, “That any such mortgage, bond, conveyance or other instrument intended to operate as a mortgage shall be valid as between the parties, anything contained in this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, until the debt thereby secured is fully paid.” The different sections referred to were all enacted at the same time and as a part of the same chapter. (L. 1890-91, Ch.7.)

When a mortgage is defective or is so worded as to accomplish that which is evidently prohibited by the statute as working a fraud, such mortgage should fall in so far as provided by the statute at the suit of one entitled to main[380]*380tain a suit for that purpose. The mortgage here contains no express provision as to replenishing the stock of goods out of the proceeds of the sales which, would be necessary under thé statute to render an agreement to that effect valid. The proviso contained in Section 3734, above quoted, modifies and limits the declaratory part of the section. It will be observed that as against creditors of the mortgagor the parties to a chattel mortgage may stipulate certain things, but in order that such stipulation may be lawful the stipulation or permission must be expressly set forth in the mortgage.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Carroll v. Anderson
218 P. 1038 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 P. 168, 23 Wyo. 367, 1915 Wyo. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hasbrouck-v-lafebre-wyo-1915.