Honea v. Laco Auto Leasing, Inc.

454 P.2d 782, 80 N.M. 300
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 14, 1969
Docket237
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 454 P.2d 782 (Honea v. Laco Auto Leasing, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Honea v. Laco Auto Leasing, Inc., 454 P.2d 782, 80 N.M. 300 (N.M. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinions

OPINION

OMAN, Judge.

This is a suit for the alleged tortious conversion of two electric pumps and motors, which had been installed in two irrigation wells on farm lands owned by plaintiffs and situate in Roosevelt County, New Mexico.

Plaintiffs leased their lands to a Mr. Kenner for a term of ten years commencing March 1, 1964, and ending February 28, 1974. This lease was not placed of record. Under the lease Kenner was to pay an annual rental of $1,500.00 on the first day of March of each year. There were provisions in the lease relating to drilling and equipping of irrigation wells. It was the obligation of Kenner to install pumps and motors in the wells at his expense, if- the wells were capable’ of producing satisfactory .supplies of water.

The two wells here involved were drilled and Kenner undertook to secure the necessary pumps and motors, but he had no money with which to purchase them. After negotiating with the pump company and defendant, it was agreed between the three of them that the pump company would install the pumps and motors to the satisfaction of Kenner, and that defendant would then pay the pump company.

A pump and motor were installed in one of the wells prior to May 5, 1965, which is the date on the invoice signed by Kenner to evidence the installation and his approval thereof. This invoice was then submitted by the pump company to defendant. Defendant paid the pump company by check dated June 17, 1965. The pump and motor were installed in the other well prior to June 11, and the same procedures were followed in getting páyment therefor to the pump company from defendant. The amount of these payments was $4,100.00 for the pump and motor installed in each well.

The pump company gave rio bill of sale or other instrument evidencing the transfer of title to the pumps and motors to either Kenner or defendant. Pursuant to their agreement, defendant and Kenner executed written instruments covering the pumps and motors, whereby defendant purportedly leased them to Kenner. The first of these instruments, which covered the pump and motor installed prior to May 5, was dated May 18, 1965, and the other lease, which covered the pump and motor installed prior to June 11, was dated July 1, 1965. At the time of executing each of the instruments, defendant and Kenner executed a “Notice of Ownership” describing the equipment and location thereof, and reciting that Kenner had leased the equipment from defendant and the title to the equipment remained in defendant. These Notices of Ownership were mistakenly filed for record in Curry County, but were later filed for record in Roosevelt County on May 19, 1966.

Some time after May 19, 1966, plaintiffs first became aware of the claims of defendant to ownership of the equipment, and they then got in touch with defendant and negotiated for its purchase from defendant. Defendant quoted plaintiffs the sums of $2,802.24 and $2,720.23 as the “payoff” under the equipment leases.

Plaintiffs and defendant were unable to come to any agreement as a result of their negotiations.

Kenner failed to make the rental payment of $1,500.00 to plaintiffs on March 1, 1967. By letter .dated March 2, 1967, plaintiffs terminated the lease on the lands for non-payment of this rent. By letter to defendant, also dated March 2, 1967, plaintiffs, through their attorney, advised defendant that plaintiffs had terminated their lease on the premises by reason of Kenner’s failure to pay the annual rental when due, and that defendant was not to attempt removal of the pumps and motors or to “disturb the possession and rights of” plaintiffs therein.

On March 14, 1967, defendant removed the pumps and motors from the wells and this suit followed. The trial court held for plaintiffs and awarded them judgment for what he found was the fair market value of the equipment as of March 14, 1967. Defendant has taken this appeal from that judgment.

It is apparent from the decision of the trial court that he concluded: (1) upon installation of the pumps and motors they became fixtures to the lands; (2) the equipment leases were “ ‘intended as security’ within the meaning of Section 50A-1-201(37), N.M.S.A.1953, as amended”; (3) “under Section 50A-9-204, N.M.S.A.1953, as amended, the security interest of Laco [defendant] attached after the goods became fixtures, since same were installed before Laco paid for same”; and (4) “Plaintiffs’ interest in the goods has priority over defendant’s security interest under Section 50A-9-313(3), N.M.S.A.1953, as amended.”

We seriously doubt the evidence supports the finding and conclusion that the pumps, and motors became fixtures upon their installation in the wells. However, the result we reach is consistent with such a finding and conclusion, and, therefore, we shall assume the trial court was correct in so finding and concluding.

We also assume the correctness of the-trial court’s findings and conclusion that the equipment leases were, in fact, “intended as security within the meaning of Section 50A-1-201(37), N.M.S.A.1953, as. amended.” See also § 50A-9-102(2), N.M.S.A.1953.

This leads us to the matter of determining whether this security interest of defendant in the equipment attached after the equipment became fixtures, as held by the trial court. He' reached this conclusion because (1) defendant did not pay the pump company until after the installation, (2) he found that the equipment was sold by the pump company to Kenner, and (3) the notices were not filed in Roosevelt County until May 19, 1966.

We do not understand that a security interest attaches only upon the actual payment of the purchase price. The trial court relied upon the provisions of § 50A-9-204, N.M.S.A.1953. The words “pay,”“paid,” or “payment” do not appear therein. Insofar as pertinent to the question here, this section of our statutes provides:

“(1) A security interest cannot attach until there is agreement (subsection (3) of section 1-201 [50A-1-201]) that it attach and value is given and the debtor has rights in the collateral. It attaches as soon as all of the events in the preceding sentence have taken place unless explicit agreement postpones the time of attaching.” (Emphasis added).

The trial court found that the equipment was sold “ * * * after arrangements were made for the defendant * * * to’ finance and pay for same, * * * ” There is no question that defendant promised the pump company that it would pay for the-equipment, and that this promise was the' consideration relied upon by the pump company in making the installations.

Agreement is defined in § 50A-1-201(3), N.M.S.A.1953, as follows:

“ ‘Agreement’ means the bargain of the parties in fact as found in their language or by implication from other circumstances including course of dealing or usage of trade or course of performance as provided in this act (sections 1-205 [50A-1-205] and 2-208 [50A-2-208]). Whether an agreement has legal consequences is determined by the provisions of this act, if applicable; otherwise by the law of contracts (section 1-103 [50A-1-103]). * * *”

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Related

Thet Mah & Associates, Inc. v. First Bank of North Dakota (NA), Minot
336 N.W.2d 134 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1983)
Honea v. Laco Auto Leasing, Inc.
454 P.2d 782 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
454 P.2d 782, 80 N.M. 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/honea-v-laco-auto-leasing-inc-nmctapp-1969.