In re Pacat Finance Corp.

295 F. 394, 1923 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1109
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedMay 22, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 295 F. 394 (In re Pacat Finance Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Pacat Finance Corp., 295 F. 394, 1923 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1109 (S.D.N.Y. 1923).

Opinion

KNOX, District Judge.

The various claims passed upon by the special master will be disposed of in the order in which he treated them:

Claim of National Shawmut Bank of Boston:

For the reasons specified by the .master in dealing with the reclamation of Shawmut, I shall confirm the report thereon. As was said by Mr. Chief Justice Hiscock in Equitable Trust Co. v. Keene, 232 N. Y. 290, 133 N. E. 894, 19 A. L. R. 1137:

“Tbe fact that the [exchange] transaction is to be effectuated by cable is of course immaterial; the principles defining the nature of the transaction are not any different than they would be if the transaction was to be accomplished by letter or special messenger. The cable gives needed speed to the operation but does not change its nature.”

What Pacat undertook to do for Shawmut was that it would make available to the latter at a specified time and place a specified amount of foreign exchange. There was the further engagement between the parties that, upon the day the exchangé was made available to Shawmut, the consideration for the service should be paid to Pacat. In this sense, therefore, the matter was a cash transaction, and did not involve the extension of credit as between Pacat and Shawmut. Performance by one party was conditional upon performance by the other, and default by the latter would prevent title to the money or the exchange, as the case might be, from passing to him.

The nature of the transaction makes it impossible that performance by the parties should be exactly simultaneous. Not only the means of communication necessary to be employed, but differences in time between the points where the respective parties were to perform, would occasion some difference in the hour and minute of performance. But, if the law is to deal with practicalities rather than technicalities, I fail to see why the situation should be otherwise than it would have been had the transaction been consummated by special messenger, as was the case upon dissimilar facts, but upon a similar principle, in Matter of Perpall, 256 Fed. 758, 168 C. C. A. 104. Up[411]*411on the authority of, that decision, and others of a like nature, the master’s report upon the Shawmut claim will be confirmed. The claim, is also sustained upon the ground of the bankrupt’s fraud, which is the subject of discussion by the master.

Claim of Imbrie & Co. :

The facts upon which this claim is founded are substantially identical with those present in the Shawmut claim. The ruling there made will support the master’s finding, and the same is confirmed.

Claim of Isidor Stern:

The facts here bring the claim squarely within the decision of our Circuit Court of Appeals in Re Bolognesi & Co., 254 Fed. 770, 166 ,C. C. A. 216, and by reason thereof it must be disallowed, as was done by the master.

Claim of Reonard Pasqualicchio:

This claim is also within the Bolognesi Case, supra, and, were it not for the consideration of Pacat’s fraud, the law would require its disallowance. However, the date upon which the transaction was had entitles the claimant to rescission upon the ground of fraud, and for such reason the claim is allowed.

Claim of Alexander Von Fest:

This claim was allowed by the master upon the basis of Pacat’s insolvency and fraudulent intent. The master’s finding is confirmed. The present claimant, it appears, is indebted to the bankrupt estate in the sum of $3,055.13 upon an independent transaction. The trustee in bankruptcy takes the position that this indebtedness should be offset against the claim as allowed. The master was of opinion that Von Fest’s right to retake the moneys allowed him is not subject to the offset claimed by the trustee. Whatever may be .the principle of law involved, it is beyond question only proper that Von Fest, if he is to have his equities recognized in this proceeding, should himself recognize those of the general creditors of Pacat. The order will provide, therefore, that Von Fest’s claim, as allowed, shall be paid only as and when he discharges his indebtedness to the estate.

The same may be said as to Ranahan’s indebtedness to the estate, unless that firm has a claim as a general creditor against the estate in excess of its indebtedness to Pacat.

Claims of Morris Shulman, Washington Roan & Trust Company, Josephthal & Co., Joseph Brecher, Ernest Grunsfield, and W. W. Ranahan & Co.:

The findings and conclusions of the master as to these claims will be confirmed, with the modification hereinbefore noted as to the Ranahan claim.

Claim of Zimmerman & Forshay:

Here, too, I think the master has reached the right conclusion. As I view the case, it is that, when it was ascertained by claimant and Pacat that the credit desired by the former could not be set up in the manner desired, owing to a decree of the Austrian govern[412]*412ment, a dispute arose as to whether claimant should be reimbursed' in kronen or in dollars. Kronen liad fallen in value, and Zimmerman & Forshay wanted the return of the dollars they had paid to Pacat. It was proposed that the dispute be arbitrated. Meanwhile the moneys remained with Pacat, and the credit was available to claimant, had it desired to take advantage of it upon the terms and condi-1 tions provided for by the Austrian government, or as suggested by Pacat. The master has found that Pacat did not, pending the determination of the dispute, undertake to hold claimant’s fund “in trust,” as claimed by Zimmerman & Forshay. I shall not disturb that finding. The result is that, during the period of its negotiations with Pacat, claimant was relying upon its credit. Inasmuch as bankruptcy came about before the dispute was settled, claimant’s rights are limited to those of a general creditor. The report denying claimant’s right to priority is confirmed.

Claim of East River National Bank:

The master’s report is confirmed.

Claim of M. Berardini State Bank:

So far as the master deals with claimant’s right to recover 750,000 lire now on deposit in Crédito Italiano, and to which the trustee and claimant each assert title, I am in accord with his decision; that is, I hold title in such lire not to be vested in claimant, although such was in effect the claim asserted in the petition. ' By reason of the text of the petition and claimant’s main theory thereon, the master did not consider the question as to whether claimant is entitled upon any other theory to recover the money paid for the credits for which it contracted, even assuming its ability to trace such funds into the hands of the trustee, or into the fund in the hands of Crédito Italiano; in other words, the master, in effect, assumed claimant to have waived any .demand for relief, save that specifically set forth in the petition. An examination of the record upon this claim shows that the petition was filed upon April 15, 1921. Hearings thereon began December 5, 1922, and in their course a lengthy colloquy as to the nature of the claim took place between the master, attorney for the claimant, and the trustee. It started as follows:

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

Related

In Re Tate-Jones & Co.
85 F. Supp. 971 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 1949)
Jordahl v. Irving Trust Co.
61 F.2d 760 (Second Circuit, 1932)
In re Pacat Finance Corp.
27 F.2d 810 (Second Circuit, 1928)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
295 F. 394, 1923 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-pacat-finance-corp-nysd-1923.