In re the General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors of International Ribbon Mills, Ltd.

42 A.D.2d 354, 352 N.Y.S.2d 1, 1973 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3376
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York·Decided October 18, 1973·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinions

Stevens, P. J.

This is an action to compel an assignee for the benefit of creditors to turn over moneys to petitioner, a judgment creditor of International Bibbon Mills, Ltd. (International) the judgment debtor. The petition was granted and an order (judgment) entered February 28,1973. This appeal resulted.

On April 21,1972, a judgment was entered in the Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County, in favor of Arjan Bibbons, Inc. (Arjan), in the sum of $4,412.47. On April 24, 1972, pursuant to CPLB 5222 (subd. [b]), Arjan mailed a restraining notice to International, 18 days before International executed a general assignment to Maxwell Sturtz for the benefit of creditors on May 13,1972. The assets consisted of accounts receivable, or the proceeds thereof.

On April 27,1972 Arjan delivered a property execution to the Sheriff of the City of New York, and on August 3, 1972, a like [356] execution was delivered to the Sheriff of the County of Nassau with notice to garnishee upon Sturtz, the assignee. A further and like execution was delivered on August 18,1972 to the Sheriff of the City of New York, with notice to garnishee upon one Robert Herzog, attorney for the assignee. All of the executions remained unsatisfied.

Arjan urges that by virtue of its superior lien, it is entitled to a turnover of a sum sufficient to satisfy its judgment. The question then is whether the lien of Arjan, a judgment creditor, is superior to that of the lien of Sturtz, as assignee for the benefit of creditors.

Section 9-310 of the Uniform Commercial Code, dealing with priorty of certain liens arising by operation of law,” provides 1 * When a person in the ordinary course of his business furnishes services or materials with respect to goods subject to a security interest, a lien upon goods in the possession of such person given by statute or rule of law for such materials or services takes priority over a perfected security interest unless the lien is statutory and the statute expressly provides otherwise.” Priority, then, depends upon a determination of whether Sturtz is a lien creditor from the time of the assignment, the effect of the restraining notices, and the effect of the delivery of the executions.

CPLR 5202 states, in part (a) * * * Where a judgment creditor has delivered an execution to a sheriff, the judgment creditor’s rights in a debt owed to the judgment debtor or in an interest of the judgment debtor in personal property, against which debt or property the judgment may be enforced, are superior to the extent of the amount of the execution to the rights of any transferee of the debt or property, except: “ 1. a transferee who acquired the debt or property for fair consideration before it was. levied upon; or” “ (b) * * * WTiere a judgment creditor has secured an order for delivery of, payment of * * * a debt owed to the judgment debtor or an interest of the judgment debtor in personal property, the judgment creditor’s rights in the debt or property are superior to the rights of any transferee of the debt or property, except a transferee who acquired the debt or property for fair consideration and without notice of such order. ’ ’

Pair consideration is given when in good faith, in exchange for the property or obligation, property is received by the judgment debtor or an antecedent debt is satisfied. The antecedent debt which is satisfied upon receipt of the property or obligation, represents a fair equivalent of what is conveyed. (Debtor [357] and Creditor Law, § 272.) If the transfer of the assets, i.e., accounts receivable, was an exercise by International of its power of honest disposal, payment of the antecedent debts thereby was fair consideration for the transfer. It would seem that the burden is upon Arjan to show that the transfer was not made in satisfaction of a debt or was made with intent to defraud.

There does not seem to have been a levy here, i.e., a seizure of all the rights of the judgment debtor, and there is a question whether there was a perfected lien by Arjan. (Cf. City of New York v. Panzirer, 23 A D 2d 158.)

Section 9-301 of the Uniform Commercial Code states that an unperfected security interest is subordinate to the rights of a lien creditor without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected. A lien creditor is defined, in part, as one “ who has acquired a lien on the property involved by attachment, levy or the like and includes an assignee for benefit of creditors from the time of assignment * * * Unless all the creditors represented had knowledge of the security interest such a representative of creditors is a lien creditor without knowledge even though he personally has knowledge of the security interest ”. (Uniform Commercial Code, § 9-301, subd. [3]; emphasis supplied.) There is no indication in the record that all creditors involved were aware of the interest of Arjan. Nor is it evident that Sturtz had had such knowledge.

Despite the foregoing, delivery of an execution to a sheriff creates an interest superior to that of any transferee who thereafter acquires his interest except that enumerated in CPLR 5202 (subd. [a]). The first execution to the Sheriff of New York County was returned unsatisfied apparently before the assignment. There was no written extension of the execution. The second execution issued was on August 18, 1972, subsequent to the assignment. Where a return of an execution under CPLR 5230 has been made prior to the expiration of 60 days on property capable of delivery, the Sheriff could not thereafter levy under that execution. (See CPLR 5230, subd. [b]; Weinstein-Korn-Miller, N. Y. Civ. Prac., par. 5202.12.)

If the assets in this case be considered not capable of delivery since they were accounts receivable, service of a copy of the execution on the proper garnishee would suffice (CPLR 5232, subd. [a]). Here Sturtz received the property by assignment on May 18,1972, prior to the August 3,1972 execution and notice to garnishee, Sturtz. But if the property be considered capable of delivery, CPLR 5232 (subd. [b]) requires the Sheriff to levy by taking the property into his custody.

[358] Yet to be resolved is the effect of the restraining notice mailed by Arjan to International on April 24, 1972. This notice was given pursuant to CPLR 5222 (subd. [b]).

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

In re the General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors of International Ribbon Mills, Ltd., 42 A.D.2d 354, 352 N.Y.S.2d 1, 1973 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3376 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1973).

42 A.D.2d 354 (In re the General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors of International Ribbon Mills, Ltd.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Colombo v. Caiati
129 Misc. 2d 338 (New York Supreme Court, 1985)
Ronga v. Chiusano
97 A.D.2d 753 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1983)
Garland D. Cox & Associates, Inc. v. Koffman
67 A.D.2d 1025 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1979)