In re Lauer

38 F. Supp. 691, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3307
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedMay 1, 1941
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 38 F. Supp. 691 (In re Lauer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Lauer, 38 F. Supp. 691, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3307 (D.N.J. 1941).

Opinion

FORMAN, District Judge.

This matter comes before this court on the petition of William H. Sandford & Son, hereinafter referred to as “mortgagee,” to review the order of the referee in bankruptcy entered on September 28, 1940, by the terms of which two chattel mortgages, dated August 9, 1938, and October 18, 1939, respectively, were declared null and void. The property covered by said mortgages had previously been sold by order of the referee at public sale, free of the lien of said mortgages, and the fund was held by .the trustee subject to the determination of the court as to the validity of the mortgages. By the terms of the order the fund was declared discharged of said liens, and the claim was allowed as a* general, unsecured claim against the estate in the sum of $3,223.67.

The first of the above mortgages was executed on August 9, 1938. The affidavit of consideration attached thereto is dated August 10, 1938, and the chattel mortgage was recorded August 11, 1938. The affidavit states that the true consideration of the mortgage is as follows: “ * * * the sum of $3,795.00 due to Wm. H. Sandford & Son evidenced by a promissory note made by the mortgagors as makers dated August 9, 1938, payable September 19, 1938 to the order of Wm. H. Sandford & Son at the Newton Trust Company, with interest, said monies due on said note being made up of and including $2380.00, being the purchase price or part payment for 14 dairy cows this day sold and delivered by Wm. H. Sandford & Son, cattle dealers, to said Clinton A. Lauer .and Anna M. Lauer, farmers; $1000.00, monies loaned and advanced by deponents to said Clinton A. Lauer and Anna M. Lauer to take up, a [693]*693loan made to them known as a crop mortgage. by similar name; and the further sum of $415.00 loaned and advanced to said Clinton A. Lauer and Anna M. Lauer for the purpose of taking up a note at the Hope National Bank on which said persons are liable, and deponent says that there is due and to grow due to Wm. H. Sandford & Son said sum of $3,795.00 together with interest from date.”

The second of the above mortgages and its affidavit of consideration was executed on October 18, 1939, and recorded on October 19, 1939. The affidavit of consideration states the true consideration to be as follows: “ * * * the amount due and to grow due on certain promissory notes made by Clinton Lauer and Anna Lauer to the order of Wm. H. Sandford & Son as follows: one note dated October 18th, 1939 and payable November 20th 1939 at the office of Wm. H. Sandford & Son for the sum of $2296.70 with interest which said note represents the balance due on the purchase price of certain dairy cows heretofore purchased, and monies loaned to the said Clinton Lauer and Anna Lauer by the said Wm. H. Sandford & Son, said note being now secured by a chattel mortgage made by Clinton and Anna Lauer to Wm. H. Sandford & Son under date of August 9th 1938 and recorded in the Warren County Clerks office on August 11th 1938 in Book 33 of chattel mortgages for said County on pages 220 &c, the said note having originally been given for the sum of $3795.00 with interest, this note being a renewal of said last mentioned note and is secured by this chattel mortgage as additional collateral to the chattel Mortgage given as herein above stated. The other note dated October 18th 1939 and payable November 20th 1939 af the office of Wm. H. Sandford for the sum of $1075.00 with interest, which said note is given as evidence of indebtedness for the purchase price of six dairy cows, this day sold and ■delivered to the said Clinton Lauer, and Anna Lauer by the said Wm. H. Sandford & Son, also an open ledger account together with the costs incident thereto.”

With reference to the first mortgage it .appears that the mortgagee sold the bankrupts fourteen cows at a price of $2,380. It agreed to advance the bankrupts money to discharge their note held by the Hope National Bank in the amount of $415, as well as make an additional advance of $1,000 with which to discharge the bankrupts’ indebtedness to the New Jersey Production Credit Association, hereinafter designated N.J.P.C.A. It will be observed that the affidavit of consideration incorporates these facts.

The testimony discloses that the note for $415 was originally executed by the bankrupts to the mortgagee, was discounted by the bank, and the proceeds turned over to the makers. There remained due only $414. Upon liquidation the bank delivered the note to the mortgagee which returned it to the bankrupts. The difference of $1 was credited to the account of the bankrupts by the mortgagee.

The obligation of the bankrupts to N.J. P.C.A. did not amount to $1,000 as recited in the affidavit of consideration, but only $984.67. This sum was paid following the execution of the affidavit of consideration but prior to the recordation of the mortgage. The difference in these two amounts • — -$15.33 was credited to the account of the bankrupts by the mortgagee.

The record discloses that the mortgagee charged in addition to interest on the note accompanying the chattel mortgage a ten per cent, finance charge or $141 for advancing moneys to discharge the note, and the obligation to N.J.P.C.A. The sum of $10 was charged for drawing the chattel mortgage, but since counsel were retained in the preparation of this paper we may assume that the mortgagee acted only as a conduit in this respect. The finance charge and legal fee was not retained out of the moneys advanced on the mortgage, but was liquidated by the transfer of four cows from the bankrupts, valued at $150. The discrepancy of $1 was corrected by a bookkeeping entry.

Finally, it appears that the bankrupts owned sixteen shares of stock in N.J.P.C. A. valued at $80, that this sum was turned over to the mortgagee and credited to the bankrupts’ account, and that the bankrupts assigned to the mortgagee funds arising from the sale of milk to be credited to the account of the bankrupts. These credits arose and were extended subsequent to the transaction involving the chattel mortgage.

With reference to the mortgage of October 19, 1939, the affidavit recites that the mortgage secured among other things a note for $1,075.00 given for the purchase price of six dairy cows, and “also an open ledger account together with the costs incident thereto.”

[694]*694The ledger account with the mortgagee to which reference is made discloses a sale of six cows to the bankrupts valued at $935, a cash loan of $55, a charge of $50 for drawing papers in connection with a settlement of difficulties existing between the bankrupts and their landlord, Mr. Swinson, and a charge of $10 for drawing the chattel mortgage. The total of these figures amounts to only $1,050. The difference between this and $1,075 arose by virtue of the bankrupts’ rejection of one of the cows purchased and an exchange for a cow at a cheaper price. This amount was credited to the bankrupts’ account.

It appears that the bankrupts owed rental money to their landlord, Mr. Swinson, and that legal proceedings were pending to evict them. In addition, the bankrupts were having difficulty by virtue of the absence of running water in the barn on their farm. The cash loan of $55 was either advanced to enable the landlord to install water in the barn or to be used as payment of rent. Clifford Sandford, a partner in the mortgagee’s business, testified that he advised bankrupts how to operate their farm to better advantage, and adjusted the difficulties between them and Swinson. The ledger indicates that two days’ time was consumed in this respect.

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38 F. Supp. 691, 1941 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-lauer-njd-1941.