Marshall National Bank v. Norwel Equipment Co.

607 F. Supp. 1265, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24048
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Louisiana
DecidedApril 30, 1985
DocketCiv. A. No. 83-0149
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 607 F. Supp. 1265 (Marshall National Bank v. Norwel Equipment Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marshall National Bank v. Norwel Equipment Co., 607 F. Supp. 1265, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24048 (W.D. La. 1985).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM RULING

STAGG, Chief Judge.

Plaintiff sues to recover the unpaid balance due on a promissory note executed by Gordon Williams to procure funds for the purchase of logging equipment from J.L. Clark, including a John Deere 440-B log skidder. A mortgage on all of the equipment secured the debt and it was guaranteed by Mr. Clark, as well. When Mr. Williams failed to pay the installments when due, the bank exercised its option to declare the unpaid balance of $41,320.48 due immediately. In an effort to satisfy the debt, plaintiff attempted to foreclose the mortgage on the log skidder and found it had been sold to defendant as a trade-in on a replacement skidder. Relying upon the provisions of La.R.S. 9:5362, plaintiff now seeks to recover the unpaid balance from defendant. Defendant has filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction contending that the amount in controversy is only $2,750 thus destroying the presence of the requisite jurisdictional amount. Plaintiff opposes the motion.

Louisiana Revised Statute 9:5362 provides:

It shall be unlawful for a resident of any parish to purchase the movable property described in R.S. 9:5351 from any nonresident of such parish, without first obtaining an affidavit from the nonresident that there is no mortgage on the property, nor any money due for the purchase price thereof, and the purchaser who shall buy the movable properties without having obtained the affidavits shall be personally liable to the creditor for the debt secured by the property.

It is the contention of defendant that the value of the log skidder at the time it was traded in was only $2,750 and that the only debt secured by the property was this amount.'

A motion to dismiss for want of jurisdictional amount should not be granted unless it appears to a legal certainty that plaintiff cannot recover the amount claimed in good faith. Johns-Manville Sales Corporation v. Mitchell Enterprises, Inc., 417 F.2d 129 (5th Cir.1969). At the outset it must be noted that plaintiff has not demanded an amount so excessive as to warrant the conclusion that its claims are not pressed in good faith. Instead, plaintiff demands the unpaid balance of the debt founded upon its conclusion that the statute authorizes such an award. The question is, therefore, whether the statutory language creates a legal certainty that the mortgagee is entitled to recover the amount of the indebtedness rather than the actual value of the mortgaged property.

Initially, it must be noted that La.R.S. 9:5362 must be considered “highly technical and ... strictly construed_” C.I.T. Corporation v. J.B. Lee Tractor & Implement Company, 240 So.2d 747 (La.App.1970). See also, Cullen Thompson Motor Company v. Sullivan & Phillips, et al, 126 So. 456 (La.App.1930). Notwithstanding the strict construction given to the statute, the few cases construing it indicate that the statutory language means precisely what it says. See, Harris Finance v. Fridge et al, 55 So.2d 707 (La.1951). In Harris, the Supreme Court refused to accept the purchaser’s argument that the rate of interest provided by law should be awarded rather than the higher interest rate and attorney’s fees provided in the mortgage instrument. The court noted that the higher rates were “an integral part of the debt contracted to by the parties and secured by the property. The statute provides that the purchaser shall be personally liable to the creditor for the debt secured by the property.” Id. at 709. Thus, it appears that it is the amount of the unpaid debt rather than the value of the property which controls in determining the amount in controversy. Other support for this conclusion is found in C.I.T. Corporation, supra. In that case, the court refused to find § 5362 applicable but noted [1268]*1268that the effect of the statute would be “to hold [the purchaser] personally liable for the debt.” Id. at 750. Although the result seems somewhat harsh, the language of the statute is clear and the few cases construing it have not deviated from its unambiguous terms. Thus, in an action under § 5362 the amount in controversy is the unpaid balance of the debt secured by the property, not the value of the property. Arrival at this conclusion, does not, however, resolve the question of whether there can be any dispute that an unpaid balance still remains. Before addressing this issue, it is first necessary to determine whether the law of Texas or Louisiana applies.

Defendant has also filed a motion in limine asking the court to hold that Texas law should govern the issues in this suit. It is the contention of defendant that all of the acts relevant to the disputed transaction occurred in Texas and that, under interest analysis, this matter should be governed by the law of Texas. Conversely, plaintiff argues that the determinative transaction in this suit occurred in Louisiana. Neither party disputes that the mortgage given by Mr. Williams to the bank was executed in Texas and that the validity and effect to be given the mortgage must be governed by Texas law. Nor do the parties dispute that plaintiff has its principal place of business in Texas and that defendant is a Louisiana corporation with its principal place of business in Shreveport, Louisiana. Aside from an objection to the property description listed in the financing statement, defendant does not contend that the mortgage was invalid under Texas law. One of the requirements of the statute is that plaintiff must have a valid and enforceable mortgage to avail itself of the provisions of the statute, see, Hub City Motors, Inc. v. Brock, 71 So.2d 700 (La.App.2d Cir.,1954); C.I.T. Corporation v. J.B. Lee Tractor & Implement Company, 240 So.2d 747 (La.App.2d Cir.1970). Defendant has challenged the validity of the mortgage contending that it does not describe with adequate specificity the property mortgaged, in particular, the log skidder. The security agreement describes the mortgaged log skidder as “one John Deere 440-B log skidder with new winch and cable.” Defendant argues that the security interest held by plaintiff is defective because the mortgage gives descriptions and serial numbers of all equipment except the log skidder. In support of its position, plaintiff cites a Louisiana case. Louisiana law has absolutely no bearing on this issue. Instead, the validity of the mortgage must be evaluated in light of Texas law. To be enforceable against the debtor or third parties, a security interest must be evidenced by a security agreement signed by the debtor which describes the collateral. V.T.C.A. § 9.110. Section 9.110 of the Texas Uniform Commercial Codes provides:

Except as provided in Sub-sections (c) and (f) of § 9.402, any description of personal property or real estate is sufficient for the purposes of this chapter whether or not it is specific if it reasonably identifies what is described.

The comment under this section explains the purpose of the statute as follows:

The requirement of description of collateral ... is evidentiary. The test of sufficiency of a description laid down by this section is that the description do the job assigned to it — that it make possible the identification of the thing described.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
607 F. Supp. 1265, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marshall-national-bank-v-norwel-equipment-co-lawd-1985.