IDS Leasing Corp. v. Leasing Associates, Inc.

590 S.W.2d 607, 27 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1441, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4283
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 25, 1979
Docket17500
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 590 S.W.2d 607 (IDS Leasing Corp. v. Leasing Associates, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
IDS Leasing Corp. v. Leasing Associates, Inc., 590 S.W.2d 607, 27 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1441, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4283 (Tex. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

*608 DOYLE, Justice.

IDS Leasing Corporation (IDS) brings this appeal from a judgment determining that as between two secured creditors, Leasing Associates, Inc. (Associates) held a superior interest in and to a third party’s trucking equipment and was entitled to the $17,500 proceeds from its sale. The trial court found that the affixing of refrigerator units to truck trailers constituted an accession under Sec. 9.314 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and that Associates’ security interests was paramount to that of IDS by virtue of Sec. 9.314(c)(1) of the UCC and the Texas Certificate of Title Act. We reverse and render.

IDS and Associates were in the business of financing equipment purchases and taking as collateral a security interest in equipment owned by their customers. In this suit they dealt with a mutual third party named J. W. Allen. Mr. Allen and his two sons owned several trucking companies known as J. W. Allen Properties, J. W. A., Ltd. and J. W. Allen Properties, Inc.

In 1971, Associates and J. W. Allen Properties, Inc. entered into a master agreement for the lease-purchase of various trucks to be acquired over a period of time. In 1972, J. W. A., Ltd. entered into a contract with Convoy Service Company to purchase nine refrigerator units designed for installation on truck trailers. As part of this transaction, Convoy took a purchase money security interest in the refrigerator units and subsequently assigned this interest to IDS, which arranged the financing for the purchase. IDS perfected its security interest by timely filing the financing statement in the Office of the Secretary of State of Texas. Thereafter, the Allens installed these refrigerator units on various truck trailers belonging to them and others.

In 1974, J. W. Allen Properties, Inc. defaulted on some of the terms of the master-lease agreement executed in 1971. In an effort to avoid a complete default, appellee reworked its contract and advanced additional funds to the corporation. As consideration for the reworking of its contract and the additional funds, J. W. Allen Properties, Inc. gave two promissory notes to appellee. Both notes were secured by an interest in certain tractor trailers together with all additions and accessions thereto. Only five trailers are involved in this suit. They are registered in the name of J. W. Allen.

Prior to offering the reworked contract, appellee did a UCC check and found that there were no liens against J. W. Allen Properties, Inc. or J. W. Allen. Appellee procured the titles to the tractor trailers so they could be certain there were no liens against them and so they could register their liens in accordance with the Texas Certificate of Title Act, art. 6687-1, V.A. C.S. Signing of the reworked contract took place in Fort Worth, at which time appel-lee’s representative was tendered title to the trucks. Upon tender, appellee’s representative noted that none of the truck titles were in the name of J. W. Allen Properties, Inc., but that five were in the . name of J. W. Allen and one was in J. W. A., Ltd. Before closing the deal appellee did not run another UCC check on the names of the owners of the trailers to ascertain if there were liens. Appellee’s witness, Mr. French, testified that he knew at the closing that he had a problem with the titles to the trailers before he disbursed the funds. Nevertheless, in order to save the refinancing deal, appellee closed the transaction, taking a security agreement purporting to give a security interest in the trailers. The security agreement was signed only by J. W. Allen Properties, Inc., which was not the owner of the trailers. The promissory notes were signed by J. W. Allen Properties, Inc., J. W. Allen and his two sons, individually. None of the documents was signed by J. W. A., Ltd.

The Allens subsequently defaulted on the reworked contract and both parties claimed title to the refrigerator units. Appellant instituted this suit asserting that under the terms of the security agreement and the note, it has acquired title to the trailers and all accessions thereto. Before suit was filed, the parties agreed to sell the trailers with refrigerators attached and to put the *609 agreed value of the refrigerator units in a Houston bank pending the outcome of this suit.

Trial was to the court without a jury and appellee was awarded the proceeds in escrow. Findings of fact and conclusions of law were requested and filed. Additional and amended findings of fact were also requested but were refused by the court. Appellant alleges 22 points of error.

In points of error 1, 8 and 10, appellant argues the trial court erred in conclusions of law number 1 and number 6 which are as follows:

1. That the affixing of the Thermo King refrigerator units to the trailers constituted an accession to the trailers as defined by Section 9.314 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code.
6. That under section 9.312(c)(1) Leasing Associates, Inc., is the subsequent purchaser for value as defined in Section 1.201(33) and Section 1.201(32) of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code and therefore Section 9.314(a) of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code does not grant IDS Leasing Corporation a priority security interest to the refrigeration units.

As a term of legal classification, accession is generally employed to signify acquisition of title to personal property by its conversion into an entirely different thing by labor bestowed on it or by its incorporation into a union with other property. 1 Am.Jur.2d Accession § 2 (1962); 1 Tex.Jur.2d Accession § 1 (1959). As a general rule where accessories are sold or furnished without effort on the part of the vendor to retain title, the accessories are permitted to pass with the chattel. 43 A.L. R.2d 819; 1 Am.Jur.2d Accession § 7 (1962); Texas Hydraulic & Equipment Company, Inc. v. Associates Discount Corporation, 414 S.W.2d 199 (Tex.Civ.App. — Austin 1967, no writ). Where accessories and attachments that have been placed on an automobile can be easily identified and removed, they do not become a part of the automobile by accession. . 1 Tex.Jur.2d Accession § 1 (1959); Firestone Service Stores v. Darden, 96 S.W.2d 316 (Tex.Civ.App. — San Antonio 1936, no writ).

At the time of the sale of the refrigerator units in this suit, a purchase money security interest in them was retained. It was subsequently assigned to appellant, who duly perfected his interest by timely filing his financing statement. Appellant never intended that these units be acceded to anyone’s trucks or trailers. The evidence showed these units had individual serial numbers and a name different from that of the trailer manufacturer. Further, there was testimony that while holes had been cut in these trucks to install the refrigerators and that extra iron supports had to be installed in the trucks to accommodate the refrigerators, one could be removed from a truck in approximately 3 hours, and that the holes in the trucks actually increased the value in that it would be more expensive to have the hole cut out than to close the hole. We find that the refrigerator units were not accessions and sustain appellant’s point of error number 1.

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

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
590 S.W.2d 607, 27 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 1441, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 4283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ids-leasing-corp-v-leasing-associates-inc-texapp-1979.