Leno v. Northwest Credit Corp.

372 P.2d 765, 84 Idaho 364, 1962 Ida. LEXIS 222
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 22, 1962
DocketNo. 9059
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 372 P.2d 765 (Leno v. Northwest Credit Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Leno v. Northwest Credit Corp., 372 P.2d 765, 84 Idaho 364, 1962 Ida. LEXIS 222 (Idaho 1962).

Opinion

McFADDEN, Justice.

This action was instituted to determine the rights of the parties to payments held by a Twin Falls bank pursuant to their agreement. The trial court decreed respondents were the owners of the $11,845.-00 so held by the bank, being the payment received on Estimate #7 on a contract with the United States Department of the Army; it is from this judgment that this appeal is taken.

Leño and Malone, respondents, are co-partners engaged in the construction business. In December, 1958, they joined with Dale Aslett Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., (for brevity referred to as Aslett) as joint venturers to submit a bid on a proposed contract for construction of levees on the Snake River, contemplated by the Department of the Army. The joint venturers as between themselves allocated the work and payments on certain bid items of the contract to respondents, others to Aslett, the remaining items to be performed by them jointly. After being awarded the contract, a written agreement was executed by the joint venturers providing for all payments to be made to a bank at Twin Falls (other than the one now holding the sums), to be allocated by it in accordance with the work done by each.

In January, 1959, Aslett, to finance his operations, executed a “Conditional Sales Contract” with appellant Northwest Credit Corporation, a finance company (referred to here as Northwest). By its terms Northwest purported to sell to Aslett certain items of equipment for $55,000.00 although all equipment was originally owned by Aslett, excepting one Bucyrus-Erie power shovel. Northwest had actually taken title to this power shovel, although the purchase had been wholly negotiated by the president of Aslett. As a practical matter, the so-called conditional sales contract, which covered this power shovel and other equipment was in fact a device to secure $55,000.00 loaned by Northwest to Aslett. Payments were to be made on this contract monthly commencing in April, 1959. Subsequently Aslett executed two other contracts payable to Northwest, one in February, 1959 for $7,738.96, payable on August 1, 1959 and the other for [368]*368$3,000, in June, 1959, payable monthly commencing in July, 1959.

The April and May payments on the $55,-000 loan were not made; a meeting between the officials of Northwest and Aslett, resulted in two agreements. These two agreements are considered by all the parties as being part of the same transaction, although one was dated “June - 1959”, and the other June 17, 1959. One of these two agreements was an assignment by Aslett to Northwest of all payments it was to receive under the Army contract, and the other an agreement whereby Northwest was to advance Aslett additional sums, not to exceed $25,000.00.

The assignment by Aslett of its payment under the Army contract was made “as Collateral Security” for the purpose of securing the payment by it to Northwest of the sums due on the first two security contracts in the amounts of $55,000.00 and $7,-738.96 principal, respectively, “together with any other indebtedness incurred or to be incurred.” This assignment also recited: “It is agreed that said construction contract is assigned and transferred to * * ” Northwest “ * * * as collateral security only * *

The other agreement provided that as needed, and as funds were available, Northwest would loan Aslett additional funds, not to exceed $25,000 as “operating capital”; Aslett agreed to borrow all future operating capital from Northwest, and to assign all future construction contracts as security.

Pursuant to this agreement Northwest advanced additional sums to Aslett as operating capital. Under the June 17, 1959 assignment three payments were made to Northwest. These payments were applied to both the “operating capital” account and to the “conditional sale” account.

Aslett encountered difficulties under its allocated portion of the construction contract, which lead to grave financial problems. The surety company that had bonded the joint venturers on the government contract was apprehensive of the contract, and during August, 1959, another meeting was held. At this meeting there were representatives of the surety company, the president of Aslett, officers of Northwest, and the respondents. The outcome of this extensive meeting was an assignment dated August 25, 1959 by Aslett of its share of the government contract to respondents Leño and Malone, who agreed to complete and comply with all the terms of the contract, they also agreeing to pay all obligations of Aslett for labor and material, and to account to Aslett, upon completion, for any profits that might have arisen from its allocated portion of the contract.

Under date of August 25, 1959, Northwest executed a “Release of Assignment” under which it released all its rights in and to the [369]*369previous assignment from Aslett to Northwest dated June 17, 1959; this release, however, contained the following: “EXCEPT this release does not release any or all moneys due for work or labor performed by Dale Aslett Sand & Gravel, Inc., up to and including August 18, 1959, but said moneys or claims for said moneys are hereby specifically reserved to Northwest Credit Corporation.”

Under date of August 29, 1959, Aslett and Northwest entered into another agreement, by which Aslett acknowledged it was in default under the terms of the conditional sales contracts, and authorized Northwest to repossess all equipment mentioned in the various contracts. Northwest agreed that it would not hold Aslett liable for any deficiency between the value of the repossessed property and the then existing indebtedness, including balances on the “Conditional Sales Contracts”, and advances for operating money. A reservation, however, was made in this agreement as to Estimate #7, which included payments due for work up to August 18, 1959, in the following language :

“However, nothing herein contained shall be construed to in any way prevent the party of the second part (Northwest) from establishing whatever claim it may have to any and all moneys due the parties hereto, or either of them, for work or labor performed under the contract hereinafter described up to and including August 18, 1959, by virtue of an Assignment dated June 17, 1959, * * *

Respondents knew of the June 17th assignment by Aslett to Northwest at the time of their acceptance of the Aslett assignment of August 25th; thus the August 25th assignment would normally be subject to the previous assignment to Northwest. Salem Trust Company v. Manufacturers’ Finance Company, 264 U.S. 182, 44 S.Ct. 266, 68 L.Ed. 628; 4 Am.Jur. 314, Assignments § 107; 6 C.J.S. Assignments § 91, p. 1145. Respondents contend, however, that this is immaterial for the reason that by acceptance of the equipment from Aslett under the August 29th agreement, the debt from Aslett to Northwest was fully paid, and the June 17th assignment which covered the payment of Estimate #7, became inoperative. The contention is based on the theory that as soon as the debt or primary obligation is discharged, the thing pledged as collateral security immediately reverts to the owner or pledgor, and hence the assignment by Aslett to respondents became effective.

The trial court in its memorandum decision, considered as findings of fact and conclusions of law, (I.R.C.P. rule 52(a)), held that Northwest’s reservation of its rights to Estimate #7, as mentioned in the various contracts all related to its right as

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
372 P.2d 765, 84 Idaho 364, 1962 Ida. LEXIS 222, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leno-v-northwest-credit-corp-idaho-1962.