Karl Wendt Farm Equipment Co., Inc., Cross-Appellee v. International Harvester Co. And International Harvester Credit Corp., Cross-Appellants

931 F.2d 1112, 1991 WL 62519
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMay 21, 1991
Docket89-2057, 89-2100
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 931 F.2d 1112 (Karl Wendt Farm Equipment Co., Inc., Cross-Appellee v. International Harvester Co. And International Harvester Credit Corp., Cross-Appellants) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Karl Wendt Farm Equipment Co., Inc., Cross-Appellee v. International Harvester Co. And International Harvester Credit Corp., Cross-Appellants, 931 F.2d 1112, 1991 WL 62519 (6th Cir. 1991).

Opinions

NATHANIEL R. JONES, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiff Karl Wendt Farm Equipment Company (“Wendt”) appeals and defendants International Harvester Company and International Harvester Credit Corp. (collectively “IH”) cross-appeal from a deficiency judgement and preceding trial verdicts in this contract action relating to a dealer sales and service agreement. For the reasons set forth below, we reverse and remand in part and affirm in part.

I.

This diversity action arises out of IH’s decision to go out of the farm equipment business after a dramatic downturn in the market for farm equipment. In the fall of 1974, Wendt and IH entered into a “Dealer Sales and Service Agreement” (“agreement”) which established Wendt as a dealer of IH goods in the area of Marlette, Michigan. The agreement set forth the required method of sale, provisions for the purchase and servicing of goods, as well as certain dealer operating requirements. The agreement also provided specific provisions for the termination of the contract upon the occurrence of certain specified conditions.

In light of a dramatic recession in the farm equipment market, and substantial losses on the part of IH, IH negotiated an agreement with J.I. Case Co. and Tenneco Inc. (“Case/Tenneco”) to sell its farm equipment division to Case/Tenneco. The sale took the form of a sale of assets. The base purchase price was $246,700,000.00 in cash and $161,300,000.00 to be paid in participating preferred stock in Tenneco. While IH asserts that it lost $479,000,-000.00 on the deal, it also noted that this was a “paper loss” which will result in a tax credit offsetting the loss. J.App. at 405.1

In its purchase of IH’s farm equipment division, Case/Tenneco did not acquire IH’s existing franchise network. Rather, it received “access” to IH dealers, many of whom eventually received a Case franchise. However, there were some 400 “conflicted areas” in which both a Case and an IH dealership were located. In these areas Case offered only one franchise contract. In nearly two-thirds of the conflicted areas, the IH dealer received the franchise. However, Marlette, Michigan was such a “conflicted area” and Wendt was not offered a Case franchise.

Wendt filed this action alleging breach of IH’s Dealer Agreement and several other causes of action, but all Wendt’s allegations save the breach of contract action were disposed of before trial. IH filed a counter-claim against Wendt for debts arising out of farm equipment and parts advanced to Wendt on credit.

At trial, the court allowed IH’s defense of impracticability of performance to go to the jury on the contract action. The jury returned a verdict of no cause of action on the contract and the district court denied Wendt’s motion for J.N.O.Y./new trial, which was based on the invalidity of the impracticability defense. These actions by the court form a substantial basis of Wendt’s appeal. In addition, however, the court ordered a directed verdict for Wendt as to IH’s defenses of frustration of purpose, an implied covenant limiting the duration of the contract and a defense relating to whether Section 2 of the agreement permitted IH to cease production of all its product lines. The court’s directed verdict on the viability of these defenses forms the basis of IH’s cross-appeal.

After trial the court issued an order dated April 1, 1988, stating that based upon evidence produced at trial, Wendt was in[1115]*1115debted to IH in the amount of $253,839.69 on IH’s counter-claim. The order required that Wendt turn over certain of its inventory in farm equipment and parts to IH, including four tractors which had been mistakenly delivered to Wendt. The order also required that after the equipment and parts were disposed of in a “commercially reasonable manner” by IH, the parties should return to the court to report any surplus or deficiency on the debt. See J.App. 56-57.

When IH attempted to collect the equipment and parts pursuant to the April 1 order, Wendt refused to tender the goods until the court determined whether it was entitled to a credit pursuant to the repurchase provisions of the Michigan Farm and Utility Equipment Franchise Act, Mich. Comp.Laws Ann. § 445.1451 et seq. (1989) (“Farm Act”). On October 4, 1988, IH moved for an order finding Wendt in contempt for defying the April 1 order. In ruling on that motion the district court determined that the Farm Act had no relevance to the appropriateness of enforcing the replevin order, but was relevant to the calculation of any deficiency judgment due to the defendant. The court affirmed its April 1 order and ordered return of the goods. J.App. 185-87.

In November 1988, IH received the equipment from Wendt and after selling it, asked the court for a deficiency judgment. Wendt objected to the sale of the equipment as not having been conducted in a “commercially reasonable manner” but did not specifically raise the provisions of the Farm Act. Instead, Wendt asserted the proper amount of the deficiency was $180,-379.21 rather than a higher figure claimed by IH. J.App. 207. Later the parties stipulated the amount of the deficiency at $180,379.21, as suggested by Wendt. On August 18, 1989, the court entered a judgment in that amount. Wendt appeals from the judgment claiming that the court erred in not applying the provisions of the Farm Act in determining damages on IH’s counter-claims.

II.

We review the trial court’s interpretation of a contract de novo. Davis v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 873 F.2d 888, 893 (6th Cir.1989). In a diversity action, we must apply state law in reviewing whether the district court properly applied the standards for a J.N.O.V. and a directed verdict. Rhea v. Massey-Ferguson, Inc., 767 F.2d 266, 269 (6th Cir.1985). Under Michigan law, a directed verdict is appropriate only if, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, all reasonable persons would agree that there had been “an essential failure of proof.” Snider v. Bob Thibodeau Ford, 42 Mich.App. 708, 712, 202 N.W.2d 727, 730 (1972). The test for determining whether a J.N.O.V. should be granted is whether the evidence is insufficient as a matter of law to support the judgment. See Basic Food Industries v. Grant, 107 Mich.App. 685, 695, 310 N.W.2d 26, 30-31 (1981) (quoting Sabraw v. Michigan Millers Mut. Ins. Co., 87 Mich.App. 568, 571, 274 N.W.2d 838, 840 (1978)).

By contrast, this court is to apply federal law in determining whether the trial court properly denied a motion for new trial. D.R.C.D.T., Inc. v. Integrity Insurance Co., 816 F.2d 273, 276 (6th Cir.1987). A court should grant a motion for new trial if it is convinced that the verdict is against the clear weight of the evidence. Bruner v. Dunaway, 684 F.2d 422, 425 (6th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 1171, 103 S.Ct. 816, 74 L.Ed.2d 1014 (1983).

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