In re Photo Mart, Inc.

22 Ohio Misc. 109, 51 Ohio Op. 2d 203, 1969 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 236
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedSeptember 22, 1969
DocketNo. B69-2405
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 22 Ohio Misc. 109 (In re Photo Mart, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Photo Mart, Inc., 22 Ohio Misc. 109, 51 Ohio Op. 2d 203, 1969 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 236 (N.D. Ohio 1969).

Opinion

White, Eeferee.

On May 19,1969, the debtor filed an arrangement proceeding under Chapter XI of the Bankruptcy Act.

On June 25, 1969, M. H. Fogel & Co., filed a proof of claim alleging that there is due them the sum of $17,300, in-[110]*110cheating that said debt is secured. On July 14, 1969, the debtor-in-possession filed an objection to the claim of M. H. Fogel & Co., alleging that if they have a security agreement a determination is needed as to the amount of security held by them against the debtor-in-possession and the debtor further objected to the claim as being secured, alleging they failed to comply with the lien laws of the state of Ohio as required by the Uniform Commercial Code to perfect their lien.

On July 17, 1969, exceptions to the objections were filed by the M. H. Fogel & Co. and the matter was duly set down for hearing and was heard on July 30, 1969.

FINDINGS on Fact

1. M. H. Fogel & Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, entered into an agreement, being Photo Mart’s Exhibit 1, dated January 18, 1965. Said agreement was for a period of six months. The court further finds that by memorandum, dated July 18, 1965, said agreement was extended for a period of sixty days and on September 18,1965, by memorandum agreement, said agreement was extended for a period of one year.

The court further finds that on September 18, 1966, by memorandum agreement, said agreement was extended until terminated by either party upon sixty days’ notice. The copies of the memorandum are attached to Photo Mart’s Exhibit No. 1.

2. Photo Mart, Inc. has had only one place of business in Summit County and the state of Ohio. On September 2,1966, the security agreement, being Photo Mart’s Exhibit No. 1, was recorded only with the Secretary of State of Ohio, being No. B64527. Therefore, by agreement of counsel for the creditor and the debtor, it is acknowledged that said creditor failed to comply with the recording laws of the state of Ohio as required under the Uniform Commercial Code, Sections 1309.01 to 1309.50, inclusive, Revised Code.

3. The court finds that in the period of January 1, 1965, to October 1, 1967, a Photo Mart, Inc., special account was established in which Max Schwartz, on behalf of Photo Mart, Inc., did deposit seventy-five per cent of [111]*111the daily receipts as required by paragraph 12 of Exhibit 1 and that in compliance with paragraph 15 of Exhibit 1 payment was made out of this account by M. H. Fogel & Co., it being the only person authorized to issue checks on the special account.

4. The court finds from the evidence that some of the major trade creditors were aware of the arrangements between Photo Mart, Inc., and M. H. Fogel & Co. for the purchase and payment of merchandise.

5. The creditors who were aware of this arrangement between the debtor and M. H. Fogel & Co. were only those creditors who furnished merchandise for resale only and all the other creditors dealing with the debtor were not aware of this agreement.

6. M. H. Fogel & Co. knew of the sale of the capital stock of the debtor in September of 1967 and that the agreement was terminated on or about October 1, 1967, and M. H. Fogel & Co. did have knowledge after the said date that the debtor was making purchases from other trade creditors. It was agreed between the parties in October 1967, that the debtor would execute a series of notes to liquidate the balance due; or in the alternative, return the merchandise.

7. On October 31, 1967, the Photo Mart, Inc., special account was closed out by a payment to M. H. Fogel & Co. of $186.82, being the balance of the account.

8. The court finds from the testimony that the notes were never issued nor was the inventory returned subsequent to October 1967.

9. Photo Mart made several payments and purchased on open account from the M. H. Fogel & Go. after termination of the agreement as set forth in Photo Mart’s Exhibit No. 2.

10. The court further finds that payments made by the debtor were applied to the general account and there was no specific allocation of payments to any particular shipment or invoice by the creditor.

11. The last purchase made by Photo Mart from M. H. Fogel & Co. was on February 2, 1968.

12. The creditors who sold to Photo Mart after Oc[112]*112tober 1, 1967, were aware of the termination of the agreement, Exhibit No. 2, between the debtor and M. H. Fogel & Co.

13. The inventory of the debtor, Photo Mart Exhibit No. 2, did contain some of the merchandise shipped to the debtor by M. H. Fogel, but a large percentage had been sold and was restocked items purchased from other creditors.

14. The Chapter XI proceeding was filed on May 19, 1969 and this court enjoined the sheriff of Summit County from selling the bankrupt’s property based on a judgment obtained by M. H. Fogel & Co. in the Common Pleas Court of Summit County within the four-month period of the filing under Chapter XI.

Question

The issue for consideration is whether M H. Fogel & Co. has a valid consignment and a right for the return of the merchandise as provided for under Section 1302.39 (C), Revised Code (UCC 2-326).

Law

The parties to this action have agreed under paragraph 2 of the finding of fact that the debtor-in-possession had ony one place of business in Summit County and in the state of Ohio and that the creditor, although recording the security agreement, recorded it only with the Secretary of State of Ohio. Therefore, the agreement was not properly filed as required by Sections 1309.38 and 1309.40, Revised Code. Therefore, the creditor bases its lien rights on the property in question under Section 1302.39, Revised Code, as found in the sales chapter of the Uniform Commercial Code.

It is agreed by the parties that this was a return of sale of merchandise that was primarily delivered for the purposes of resale and the only way for the creditor to retain his security interest in the property is to show under Section 1302.39 (C) (2), Revised Code, that he was entitled to claim an interest in the property by establishing “that the person conducting the business is generally known by his creditors to be substantially engaged in selling the goods of others.” Therefore, the burden is upon the [113]*113consignor to prove that he has complied with these provisions of the Ohio Revised Code, or the merchandise in question is subject to the rights of other creditors. Sussen Rubber Co. v. Hertz, 19 Ohio App. 2d 1.

It is clear that the parties do not disagree that as of the filing of the Chapter XI arrangement proceeding most of the merchandise which had been delivered on consignment had been sold and had been replaced by other merchandise purchased by different suppliers after the termination of the agreement. Further, after the termination of this agreement, no further steps were taken by the M. H. Fogel & Co. to protect their interests in the property in question, with the exception that a law suit was filed, judgment was taken and at the time of the debtor’s filing of the arrangement proceedings the sheriff was about to sell said property.

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Bluebook (online)
22 Ohio Misc. 109, 51 Ohio Op. 2d 203, 1969 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-photo-mart-inc-ohnd-1969.