Loff v. Gibbert

166 N.W. 810, 39 N.D. 181, 1918 N.D. LEXIS 10
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 21, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 166 N.W. 810 (Loff v. Gibbert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loff v. Gibbert, 166 N.W. 810, 39 N.D. 181, 1918 N.D. LEXIS 10 (N.D. 1918).

Opinion

Christianson, J.

In December, 1913, the plaintiff Loff entered into an agreement with the Francis Merchandise Brokerage Company, whereby he agreed to exchange a section of Minnesota, land for a stock of merchandise and give $5,000 to boot. In performance of the contract, the plaintiff conveyed the land to the company and paid to it $2,500 in cash, and received shipments of goods purporting to be the merchandise described in the contract. The plaintiff, who is a merchant at Abercombie, sold some of the goods received in the first shipment, but on receipt of the remainder of the goods he discovered that the representations of the Francis Merchandise Brokerage Company, as to the value and quality of the goods, were false and fraudulent. Upon discovering the fraud he segregated the goods which he had received and kept the goods so segregated ready for redelivery to the company. At the same time he commenced an action in the United States district court in Minnesota, wherein he offered to restore to the Brokerage Company the goods still in his possession and to pay the value of the goods sold. And in such action Loff asked that the contract be rescinded and set aside, that the defendants therein be required to reconvey the land, and that the Brokerage Company be ordered and required to accept, take, and remove the goods and pay to the plaintiff the difference between the. $2,500 paid by the plaintiff to the Brokerage Company and the sums received by him from the sale of part of the goods.

The defendant Gibbert had obtained a verdict against the Brokerage Company for $1,708.53 in the district court of Hennepin county on January 30, 1914. On February 9, 1914, plaintiff’s attorney, Judge Engerud, had a conversation with Grimes, Gibbert’s attorney, with respect to the Francis Brokerage Company. In that conversation the transaction between Loff and the Brokerage Company was fully discussed, and Judge Engerud informed Grimes that Loff intended to bring an action in the United States district court to obtain a. rescission of the contract and a reconveyance of the land which Loff had conveyed to the Brokerage Company. The action for rescission was commenced, February 10, 1914. Thereafter on February 17, 1914, Grimes wrote Engerud as follows: “In reference to your suit against Francis Mer[185]*185chandise Brokerage Company I understand that your client has rescinded the contract and brought an action in the Federal court at Fergus-.Falls to recover his land, and has tendered back to the Brokerage Company the invoice of the merchandise shipped to him. Kindly advise me whether this is so, and if it will in any way prejudice your client’s interest for me to levy an attachment upon these goods as the property of the Francis Merchandise Brokerage Company. If your client still has any claim upon the goods, of course I do not want to dip in or have any contest of any kind with him, but if he has rescinded the contract and does not claim any title to the goods, I would like to put an attachment upon them in favor of the claim in hand.”

Judge Engerud replied to this letter on February 18, 1914, as follows: “In reply to yours of the 17 th inst. will say that we have brought suit to rescind the contract with the Francis Merchandise Brokerage Company, the suit being now pending in the United States district court at Fergus Falls. The goods which we received are in the hands of our client John Loff at Abercombie, North Dakota, being held by him for the defendant, we, of course, claiming and asserting that the goods belong to the defendant and that we are ready to turn them over to the corporation. I would think, therefore, that it would be entirely proper for you to attach them as the goods of the Francis Merchandise Brokerage Company. There is certainly no objection to that course so far as our client is concerned. The goods are worth about $2,000.”

The defendant Gibbert thereafter instituted an action in the district court of Cass county, and a warrant of attachment was issued therein, under which the sheriff of Bichland county levied upon the stock of merchandise in Loff’s possession at Abercombie. The sheriff did not remove the goods but left them in Loff’s possession, taking his receipt therefor.

Gibbert obtained judgment against the Brokerage Company by default. He thereupon caused an execution to be issued, and by virtue thereof the defendant sheriff, on or about April 20, 1914, removed the goods from Loff’s possession for the purpose of selling them at an execution sale, the sale being advertised to be held on May 7, 1914.

At the time the sheriff removed the goods he, at the request of Gibbert’s attorney, presented to Loff, and requested that he execute, a certain instrument disclaiming “any right, title, or interest in or to” the [186]*186merchandise. This disclaimer bears date March 2, 1914, and was prepared by Gibbert’s attorney. Loff refused to sign the paper.

Shortly after the removal of the goods the plaintiff, Loff, served upon the sheriff a notice of claim and demand, claiming ownership of the property. In his claim the facts with respect to Loff’s ownership and the pending action for rescission are fully set forth. On the same date •Judge Engerud wrote defendant’s attorney are follows:

April 22, 1914.

George Grimes Esq.,

Minneapolis, Minn.

Dear Mr: Grimes:—

Mr. Loff informs me that the sheriff of Richland county was at Abercrombie and took away the goods which he had previously attached •against Francis Mdse. Brokerage Oo. I was somewhat surprised at this. I have caused to be served on the sheriff the demand and notice, a copy of which I inclose.

As you will readily see the title to these goods depends on the outcome •of the rescission suit which we now have pending in the Federal court in Minneapolis. If that suit is decided in our favor, which I feel fairly' confident it will, then of course the goods belong to the defendant in your attachment suit and they are at your disposal. On the other hand, if the suit is decided against us, then the title to the goods is in Loff, and he will have to keep them and stand the loss represented by the difference between the ^alue of these goods and the value of the property parted with. Of course until that lawsuit is decided we have to maintain the status quo. I trust you will recognize this situation, and not make it necessary for me to commence proceedings to restrain any disposal of the goods pending the lawsuit in question.

Tours,

Edward Engerud.

Mike Gibbert and the sheriff insisted on proceeding with the execution sale. The plaintiff thereupon instituted this action to enjoin it, and a temporary injunction was granted enjoining the sale during the pendency of the action.

The action brought by the plaintiff against the Brokerage Company [187]*187•for a rescission was thereafter tried. And it was found that the Brokerage Company had conveyed the land to one McGrath, a good faith purchaser for value and without notice. Consequently, the suit for rescission was dismissed. It is undisputed that the Brokerage Company was insolvent. Its officers and stockholders had absconded. In fact the concern was probably organized for fraudulent purposes.

The above facts were clearly established upon the trial of this case. The trial court made findings and ordered judgment in favor of the plaintiff. Defendant appeals from the judgment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 N.W. 810, 39 N.D. 181, 1918 N.D. LEXIS 10, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loff-v-gibbert-nd-1918.