Home Savings Ass'n v. General Electric Credit Corp.

708 P.2d 280, 101 Nev. 595, 42 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1489, 1985 Nev. LEXIS 476
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 22, 1985
Docket14333
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 708 P.2d 280 (Home Savings Ass'n v. General Electric Credit Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Home Savings Ass'n v. General Electric Credit Corp., 708 P.2d 280, 101 Nev. 595, 42 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1489, 1985 Nev. LEXIS 476 (Neb. 1985).

Opinion

*597 OPINION

Per Curiam:

This case involves the resolution of a priority interest dispute in the proceeds of the sale of twenty-one mobile home units. Respondent General Electric Credit Corporation (GECC) had seized the units as part of the inventory of Northern Nevada Mobile Home Brokers, Inc. (Northern Nevada) upon its discovery of Northern Nevada’s breach of its inventory financing agreement with GECC. In a declaratory relief action brought against appellant Home Savings Association (HSA), both GECC and HSA claimed priority in the units by virtue of their perfected security interests. The district court held that GECC had priority and awarded GECC the proceeds of the sale. This appeal ensued.

THE FACTS

Northern Nevada sold new and used mobile home units. GECC financed inventory purchases of Northern Nevada pursuant to several 1976 security agreements which granted GECC a security interest in “all inventory, new and used, presently owned and hereafter acquired, together with all proceeds of the sale or other disposition thereof. . . and all chattel paper covering the property *598 above described together with any such property returned to or repossessed by the Debtor.” Financing statements covering such property were properly filed by GECC in 1976, and GECC acquired a perfected security interest in all of Northern Nevada’s new and after-acquired inventory and proceeds. The security agreements further provided that Northern Nevada had the right to sell the inventory financed by GECC “in the normal course of its business,” with repayment to be made to GECC on sale, or within 90 days.

HSA financed consumer purchases of mobile home units from Northern Nevada. In each case, where financing was approved, Home Savings would pay to Northern Nevada the total purchase price recited as remaining to be paid on a consumer installment sales contract and security agreement. In return, HSA acquired the rights of Northern Nevada under the contract and security agreement. HSA would then obtain title as secured party, through the Department of Motor Vehicles, or, later, the Manufactured Housing Division.

In early 1980, GECC learned that Northern Nevada had sold a substantial number of units “out of trust,” i.e., without payment of the proceeds to GECC. In fact, GECC estimated that as a result of such sales, Northern Nevada was then indebted to it for approximately $450,000.00. This debt was secured in part by the perfected security interest in all mobile home units that were part of Northern Nevada’s inventory. As a result of Northern Nevada’s default, GECC and Northern Nevada executed an agreement whereby Northern Nevada surrendered possession of its inventory, equipment, and other tangible personal property to GECC for liquidation to satisfy the debt.

On February 13, 1980, GECC asserted its security interest by repossessing the new and used mobile home units which it considered part of the inventory of Northern Nevada. When GECC asserted its security interest by repossessing the units, HSA objected to GECC’s seizure of twenty-one mobile home units to which HSA asserted a prior interest. Nineteen of these units were located on a “storage lot” belonging to Northern Nevada and located at the corner of Yori and Wrondel streets in Reno. HSA had previously repossessed these units pursuant to its retail security agreements. HSA held either a Department of Vehicles Certificate of Title, describing it as legal owner, or a Certificate of Ownership issued by the state Manufactured Housing Division, describing HSA as lienholder. HSA and Northern Nevada had executed a Mobile Home Repossession Sales and Financing Agreement (Sales Agreement) pursuant to which HSA delivered repossessed units to Northern Nevada for resale. The Yori/ Wrondel lot contained those used mobile home units which were *599 held for reconditioning and immediate or ultimate sale by Northern Nevada on behalf of various retail financers, including HSA.

One of the remaining two mobile homes, the so-called “Veach” unit, was located on a sales lot at the time GECC asserted a possessory interest in the inventory. The final unit, the “Del Rio” unit, was located olf Northern Nevada’s premises on a residential lot. The Del Rio unit was eventually sold by private sale.

GECC filed a declaratory relief action against HSA* and HSA responded with a counterclaim for conversion. Pursuant to court order the twenty units in Northern Nevada’s possession were sold in a manner agreed upon by the parties, and the proceeds placed in an escrow account. At the conclusion of the nonjury trial, the district court rendered judgment in favor of GECC and ordered disbursement of the court-ordered sale proceeds to GECC. The district court held that GECC was entitled as well to the proceeds from the sale of the Del Rio unit. HSA moved to alter or amend judgment, or alternatively for a new trial. 1 The district court denied the motions. HSA appeals contending its claim to the proceeds has priority pursuant to its compliance with the title provisions of NRS Chapter 482 or Chapter 489 and its status as retail financer of consumers who are buyers in the ordinary course of business.

UNITS ON YORI/WRONDEL LOT

The evidence indicates that the units on the storage lot at Yori and Wrondel were there as a result of repossessions by various retail financers including HSA. The trial court determined upon substantial evidence that the nineteen units in question were placed on the lot by direction of HSA’s mobile home department manager, James Biglieri, for resale pursuant to the Sales Agreement between HSA and Northern Nevada. At trial GECC asserted, and the district court agreed, that these units were part of Northern Nevada’s inventory and that GECC as inventory financer had a perfected security interest in after-acquired inventory. The district court held that GECC had priority over the interest of HSA in the same units under applicable provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code. The district court also held that the Sales Agreement was a consignment not intended as security, and, therefore, HSA was obliged to protect its interests against a competing secured creditor by taking the steps required of con *600 signors under NRS 104.2326. Since HSA failed to do so, the district court held that GECC’s security interest had priority.

On appeal, HSA contends that it should not be bound by the transaction through which Northern Nevada came into possession of the used units, since the repossessions were effected by representatives of Northern Nevada and HSA’s employees as part of a scheme to defraud HSA. Ordinarily, the decision to replace the units on Northern Nevada’s lot was within the authority and responsibility of HSA’s manager of the mobile home department. There was evidence, however, that only four of these repossessions were internally reported by Biglieri to HSA management. HSA management was also unaware that Northern Nevada was paying on a substantial number of contracts on which consumers had defaulted.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
708 P.2d 280, 101 Nev. 595, 42 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1489, 1985 Nev. LEXIS 476, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/home-savings-assn-v-general-electric-credit-corp-nev-1985.