Longtree, Ltd. v. Resource Control International, Inc.

755 P.2d 195, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 443, 1988 Wyo. LEXIS 77, 1988 WL 42450
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedMay 5, 1988
Docket87-45
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 755 P.2d 195 (Longtree, Ltd. v. Resource Control International, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Longtree, Ltd. v. Resource Control International, Inc., 755 P.2d 195, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 443, 1988 Wyo. LEXIS 77, 1988 WL 42450 (Wyo. 1988).

Opinion

CARDINE, Justice.

Appellee Resource Control International (RCI) filed this action against Longtree, Ltd. (Longtree) and various other defendants for conversion of a quantity of logs in which it had an interest. Following a bench trial, the district court found that RCI had an unperfected security interest in the logs and that Longtree, which claimed a superior security interest in the logs, was a buyer not in the ordinary course of business which purchased the logs with knowledge of RCI’s security interest. The court entered judgment for RCI, and Longtree now appeals, asserting that the district court erred in the following respects: (1) in ruling that Longtree's perfected security interest in the logs was unenforceable; (2) in ruling that RCI's unperfected security interest was enforceable; (3) in ruling that RCI’s unperfected security interest was entitled to priority over Longtree’s perfected interest; (4) in failing to strike hearsay testimony concerning statements made by Darrell Jones; (5) in ruling that a cash bond posted by Longtree was not subject to the Bank of California’s perfected security interest in proceeds from the logs; (6) in ruling that RCI’s continued delivery of logs to Pacific Star on credit did not constitute future advances; and (7) in awarding RCI the full value of the logs rather than the value of RCI’s unperfected security interest in the logs.

We affirm the judgment of the district court.

FACTS

In 1980, Darrell Jones obtained a loan in the amount of $1,620,000 guaranteed by the Farmers’ Home Administration and another loan in the amount $180,000, both from the Star Valley State Bank in Afton, Wyoming. The loans were secured by a mortgage on the real estate upon which a sawmill was located and by a security interest in the mill equipment and machinery. The proceeds of the loan were used to acquire the sawmill in Afton, Wyoming. The assets of the sawmill were held in the name of Star Development, a trade name used by Jones. The sawmill assets were in turn leased to Pacific Star, which operated the sawmill under the trade name Star Studs Company.

In October 1981, Pacific Star and Jones executed two notes in favor of the Bank of California, one a simple promissory note in the sum of $1,000,000, and the other a revolving credit note in the sum of $1,500,-000. These notes were secured by a mortgage on the sawmill and by security agreements covering equipment and

*197 “[a]ll inventory, raw materials, equipment including but not limited to * * * sawmill supplies, work in progress and materials used or consumed in Debtor’s business, now owned or hereafter acquired, and all accounts, contract rights, chattel paper, instruments, general intangibles and rights to payment of every kind, now or hereafter arising in favor of Debtor out of Debtor’s business and all Debtor’s right in returned or repossessed goods.”

The security agreement also covered proceeds of such collateral. The Bank of California perfected its security interest by filing.

In December 1981, Pacific Star and Jones defaulted on the Star Valley State Bank and Bank of California loans. In 1982, the Bank of California shut down the mill and worked out an agreement so that Jones could run the mill long enough to mill the logs already on hand. After those logs had been processed and the lumber had been sold and removed from the mill site, the mill was again shut down and the equipment was auctioned.

In an effort to reopen the mill, Jones sought to establish a cogeneration facility next to the mill which would utilize wood, wood waste, and residue to produce steam which would in turn be used in the mill’s dry kilns and would also generate electricity for sale to Idaho Power and Light. Jones contacted Jerry Harmon, manager of RCI, in an effort to obtain a supply of logs to process in the mill. Because of the Bank of California’s outstanding security interest covering raw materials, Harmon was reluctant to sell logs to Jones on credit. Consequently, RCI and Jones agreed that RCI would borrow operating funds from the American National Bank of Af-ton, and the funds would be secured by Pacific Star’s log deck and the fuel pile for the cogeneration plant. The agreement provided that title to the logs would remain in RCI until the logs were introduced into the manufacturing process. Although RCI was to retain title to all logs delivered to the mill, no financing statement was filed to perfect RCI’s security interest in the logs.

During 1983 and the first half of 1984, RCI supplied logs to Pacific Star under their agreement. In June of 1984 Jones met with Harmon and the American National Bank of Afton. It was agreed that the parties would continue under the log purchase agreement for another year. During this meeting, Jones indicated that he was exploring a new source of credit. The new source was Longtree, Ltd.

Longtree, Ltd. is a limited partnership comprised of Diehl Lumber Products Company and Commodities Corporation. The president and major stockholder of Diehl Lumber Products is Terry Diehl. Long-tree’s other principal agent in this scenario was Larry Beck, a self-described “trader” working for Commodities Corporation. As described by Mr. Diehl and Mr. Beck, Long-tree wanted to contract with Pacific Star for lumber products for the best possible price which they intended to sell approximately one year in the future. Longtree knew that Pacific Star had been experiencing financial problems.

On June 22, 1984, Longtree entered into an agreement with Pacific Star which provided that Longtree would purchase, on a month-to-month basis, all logs delivered to the sawmill but not consumed or converted to lumber during the month. The agreement further provided that Pacific Star would repurchase the logs beginning in February 1985 by providing Longtree with finished lumber. The total value of logs to be purchased was $1,250,000. The agreement contemplated that Longtree’s logs would be segregated, and Pacific Star would provide proof of payment to loggers. After the agreement was executed, it was reviewed by R. Dale Potter, counsel for Diehl Lumber, and by Tom Daily, counsel for Commodities Corporation. On July 17, 1984, Pacific Star executed a security agreement granting Longtree a security interest in Pacific Star’s log deck. The agreement stated that the security interest was granted to secure the performance by Pacific Star of its obligations under its June 22, 1984 agreement with Longtree. *198 Pacific Star also executed a financing statement which was filed on August 17, 1984.

After the 1984 Longtree agreement was executed, RCI continued to deliver logs to Pacific Star, and Longtree commenced making payment to Pacific Star. Longtree failed or neglected to demand proof that Pacific Star’s loggers were being paid. Initially, the parties attempted to segregate Longtree’s logs from Pacific Star’s logs, but the mill could not operate under that arrangement. Consequently, the logs were commingled, and Longtree had Pacific Star post notices upon the logs which stated that the logs were owned by Longtree. Harmon, the manager of RCI, saw the notices, became alarmed that someone was claiming ownership of his company’s logs, and made inquiry of Mr. Jones. Jones told Harmon that Longtree was aware of his ownership, that Longtree was helping Jones with his finances, and that the notices were a temporary maneuver to satisfy lenders.

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Bluebook (online)
755 P.2d 195, 8 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 443, 1988 Wyo. LEXIS 77, 1988 WL 42450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/longtree-ltd-v-resource-control-international-inc-wyo-1988.