Laube v. Seattle National Bank

228 P. 594, 130 Wash. 550, 1924 Wash. LEXIS 686
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 8, 1924
DocketNo. 18400
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 228 P. 594 (Laube v. Seattle National Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Laube v. Seattle National Bank, 228 P. 594, 130 Wash. 550, 1924 Wash. LEXIS 686 (Wash. 1924).

Opinion

Parker, J.

The plaintiff, Laube, as trustee in bankruptcy of Prank Waterhouse & Company, seeks recovery from the defendant bank of ten Vulcan auto[551]*551mobile trucks, or, in the alternative, recovery of their value, which he alleges to be $2,000 each. A trial upon the merits in the superior court for King county, sitting without a jury, resulted in findings and judgment denying recovery, from which the plaintiff has appealed to this court.

The principal controlling facts may be summarized as follows: On May 11,1921, the Waterhouse company had made arrangements with respondent bank to borrow from it the sum of $23,394.59. The Waterhouse company then owned the ten trucks in question, which were then in the physical possession of the Vulcan Manufacturing Company at its plant in Seattle. Looking to the securing of the loan, the Waterhouse company caused to be issued to it by the Arlington Dock Company ten negotiable warehouse receipts, one for each truck, evidencing their storage with the dock company. It was agreed between the Waterhouse company and the dock company that the dock .company might let the trucks remain at the plant of the Vulcan Manufacturing Company under such arrangement as the dock company might make with the Vulcan company for their storage and care for the dock company. The Vulcan company was duly notified by both the Waterhouse and the dock companies of the issuance of the warehouse receipts and of this agreement between the Waterhouse company and the dock company, so that, whatever responsibility for the care of the trucks thereafter rested upon the Vulcan company, it was alone to the dock company. Then, by agreement between the dock company and the Vulcan company, the trucks were moved to the third floor of a concrete building at the plant of the Vulcan company, entirely apart from other goods and personal property, the dock company to have free access to the trucks; it be[552]*552ing understood that, whatever physical possession of the trucks might he considered in the Yulcan company, that company in that respect was only acting as agent for the dock company.

The Waterhouse company executed and delivered to respondent two promissory notes to evidence the loan, one for $14,200 and one for $9,194.59, and also, as security therefor, assigned and delivered to respondent by proper endorsement thereon, the ten negotiable warehouse receipts issued to it by the dock company. The notes upon their face in terms pledged the warehouse receipts for the trucks as security, referring to them by number and to their issuance by the dock company; and also authorized respondent, in case of default in payment, to sell the security, or any part thereof, and apply the proceeds thereof to the payment of the notes. The leaving of the trucks in the building at the plant of the Yulcan company, as above noticed, was known to and acquiesced in by the bank. All of the foregoing facts constituted in effect but one transaction and occurred as nearly simultaneously as was practical under the circumstances. At that time the Waterhouse company was a solvent and going concern.

On January 13, 1922, O. P. Bissett was, by the Federal district court, appointed general receiver of the Waterhouse company because of its then insolvency. A few days later, Bissett was, by the Federal district court, in another action, appointed general receiver of the Yulcan company because of its then insolvency. It was manifestly by reason of this latter appointment and as such receiver that Bissett came into the possession of the trucks, to whatever extent the Yulcan company may be said to have been in possession of the trucks for the dock company which had issued the negotiable warehouse receipts for their storage.'There[553]*553after the trucks were taken possession of by the bank. This was by consent of Bissett as receiver of the Vulcan company. They were thereafter sold and the proceeds of the sale applied upon the amounts due upon the notes in pursuance of the pledging of them as security. All of this seems to have been done, also, by consent of Bissett as receiver of the Waterhouse company, but that we think is of no consequence, since Bissett never had possession of the trucks as such receiver, and respondent was within its rights in taking and selling the trucks, as we shall presently see.

In March, 1922, the Waterhouse company was formally adjudged bankrupt upon an involuntary petition therefor, and thereupon this appellant, Laube, became the duly qualified trustee in bankruptcy for the Water-house company, succeeding to the rights of Bissett as receiver for that company. Thereafter in October, 3922, this action was commenced by Laube as trustee in bankruptcy, and resulted in its disposition by the trial court as above noticed. Other facts will be noticed as may seem necessary in our discussion of the several contentions made by counsel.

It is contended in behalf of appellant that the claimed pledge of the trucks as security for the loan from the respondent to the Waterhouse company was ineffectual because of the want of the possession of the trucks passing from the Waterhouse company to the dock company; and that, therefore, respondent could not, under the assignments of the warehouse receipts, rightfully take possession of the trucks by virtue of its claim of pledge, as against the rights of appellant representing the creditors of the Waterhouse company. The argument seems to be that a warehouse concern cannot lawfully issue warehouse receipts evidencing storage of property with, it unless it has [554]*554physically stored the property in its own warehouse. This, we think, is not unqualifiedly the law. If a warehouse concern has acquired the possession of the goods to the extent that the owner is excluded therefrom, it seems to us that neither the owner nor those claiming under him, even though the latter represent his creditors in insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, can rightfully claim that the warehouse receipt was illegally issued merely because the goods were left in the custody of a third person by the warehouse concern as its agent. This record, it seems to us, renders it quite plain that the Waterhouse company surrendered all physical control over these trucks with no right to assume possession of any of them, except upon return of the warehouse receipt or receipts therefor properly endorsed, such being the express terms of the receipts.

In Love v. Export Storage Co., 143 Fed. 1, the Federal circuit court of appeals for the sixth circuit had under consideration warehouse receipts issued for the storage of lumber left at the owner’s yards, but set apart and identified as being in possession of the warehouse concern; the warehouse receipts being then assigned by proper endorsement and delivered to a bank as collateral security for a loan by it to the owner substantially as in this case. Holding that the possession of the warehouse concern was sufficient to support the validity of the warehouse receipts and the passing of symbolical possession of the lumber to the bank by the owner’s assignment and delivery to it of the warehouse receipts, Judge Cochran, speaking for the court, said:

“Coming to the merits of the appeal, we find that it is urged on behalf of the appellant that the appellee, bank acquired no right or lien upon the lumber by virtue of the warehouse proceedings and the pledge of the warehouse receipts, and that therefore he was, [555]*555entitled to the full relief sought. It is so urged upon several grounds. . . .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
228 P. 594, 130 Wash. 550, 1924 Wash. LEXIS 686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/laube-v-seattle-national-bank-wash-1924.