McIntosh v. United States

439 P.2d 464, 21 Utah 2d 12, 1968 Utah LEXIS 574
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedApril 4, 1968
DocketNo. 11078
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 439 P.2d 464 (McIntosh v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McIntosh v. United States, 439 P.2d 464, 21 Utah 2d 12, 1968 Utah LEXIS 574 (Utah 1968).

Opinion

ELLETT, Justice:

This appeal involves two questions of law: (a) Is a mortgage given on property to be acquired in the future valid? (b) Is a chattel mortgage given on a motor vehicle valid when not registered with the Utah State Tax Commission within ten days after date ?

The appellant is the trustee of a debtor that was adjudicated a bankrupt on April 21, 1965. On May 20, 1963, the debtor obtained a loan from the Small Business Administration and as security therefor gave a chattel mortgage containing the following terms:

That Mortgagor hereby mortgages and warrants to Mortgagee the personal property referred to and particularly described in the inventory and schedule of said property hereunto annexed, marked “Exhibit A” and by reference incorporated herein and made a part hereof, and located in and upon the premises known and described as 345 South 11th East, Bountiful, Utah and also any and all of Mortgagor’s personal property, not specifically enumerated in said “Exhibit A”, now or hereafter located in or upon the premises above-described or any part thereof and/or used, stored or kept in connection with Mortgagor’s business, and any and all personal property, of like kind and character, hereafter acquired by Mortgagor and used or placed in or upon the above-described premises and elsewhere.

This chattel mortgage was duly recorded on May 27, 1963. To avoid foreclosure by the Small Business Administration, the debtor on April 5, 1965, executed another chattel mortgage identical in terms to the [14]*14above except as to the location, specifically describing the property which it had on hand and which had been acquired subsequent to the execution of the original chattel mortgage.

It is admitted that if the first chattel mortgage is not effective to constitute a lien on the after-acquired property, the Small Business Administration will not be able to enforce the last one, because insofar as it purports to give a new lien, it is an attempt to prefer a creditor and under the Bankruptcy Act is invalid. No new consideration was given for this second chattel mortgage except that the Small Business Administration agreed not to foreclose its first chattel mortgage.

The trustee in bankruptcy stands in the position of a creditor holding a lien by legal or equitable proceedings. It is not that of an innocent purchaser for value. See 11 U.S.C. § 110 (Bankruptcy Act § 70) ; 8A C.J.S. Bankruptcy #239 at page 229. See also the case of Dahl v. Prince, 119 Utah 556, 230 P.2d 328.

The validity of the lien of the trustee in bankruptcy depends upon state law, while the effect of the bankruptcy proceeding upon the lien depends upon the federal law. We then look to the laws of the State of Utah to ascertain what effect a chattel mortgage with a provision covering property to be later acquired will have upon such after-acquired property.

Generally, at common law nothing could be mortgaged unless it was in existence at the date of the mortgage and at that time actually belonged to the mortgagor or potentially belonged to him. 15 Am.Jur. 2d, Chattel Mortgages § 24. Property potentially belonging to the mortgagor would be those things which are the product, growth, or increase of property which at the time of the mortgage has an existence and in which the mortgagor had an existing interest. 15 Am.Jur.2d, Chattel Mortgages § 25.

The cases seem to hold that a mortgage on property to be acquired in futuro is valid and binding where the property is to be used in and about the mortgagor’s business or is to be attached or appurtenant to and necessary for that business. 15 Am. Jur.2d, Chattel Mortgages § 25.

This court has never before had occasion to rule upon this question, and so the instant case is one of first impression here.

The general law as it exists at the present time is set forth in 4A Collier on Bankruptcy, 14th Edition, § 70, at pages 946-49 as follows:

Roughly speaking, the states group themselves into three major categories, which we shall set forth presently. But as a preliminary, it should be noted that in the majority of cases where a chattel mortgage on after-acquired property is recognized at all, it is given validity on [15]*15the basis of the equitable lien doctrine. That is, the mortgage containing an after-acquired property clause is deemed to create an equitable lien which attaches to the chattels designated as soon as they come into being or the mortgagor acquires title thereto. The variances arise when there is occasion to determine under what conditions such equitable lien will prevail over creditors subsequent to the execution of the mortgage, and consequently as to a trustee asserting the rights of such creditors. As noted by other contemporary authorities, however, the entire subject is in an extremely confusing condition.
One group of states takes the view that a properly recorded chattel mortgage containing an after-acquired property clause will prevail over all subsequent parties, including purchasers, general creditors and lien creditors. A second group holds that a duly recorded chattel mortgage with an after-acquired property clause will create an equitable lien that will prevail over simple creditors and purchasers with notice, but not against the legal lien of an attaching or execution creditor unless prior to such lien possession is taken by the mortgagee. A third group holds that even though the chattel mortgage is recorded, the equitable lien will be without efficacy until possession is taken by the mortgagee.

The early case of Bibend v. Liverpool and London Fire and Life Insurance Company, et al., 30 Cal. 78, 79, was decided prior to any statutes upon the matter. At page 87 it was said:

In Mitchell v. Winslow, Mr. Justice Story cites many authorities supporting this doctrine', and refers particularly to the opinion of Vice-Chancellor Wigram, in Langton v. Horton, 1 Hare, 549, as exceedingly cogent in its reasoning and satisfactory in its conclusions, and he then says: “It seems to me a clear result of all the authorities that wherever the parties, by their contract, intend to create a positive lien or charge, either upon real or personal property, whether then owned by the assignor or contractor, or not, or if personal property, whether it is then in esse or not, it attaches in equity as a lien or charge upon the particular property, as soon as the assignor or contractor acquires a title thereto, against the latter, and all persons asserting a claim thereto, under him, either voluntarily, or with notice, or in bankruptcy." (Emphasis added.)

In the case of Grand Forks Nat. Bank v. Minneapolis & N. Electric Co., 6 Dak. 357, 43 N.W. 806 (S.Ct. of Dakota, 1889), the court discussed the case of Seymour v. Canandaigua & N. F. Railroad Co., 25 Barb. 284, 285, and, at page 809 of 43 N.W., the court said:

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Bluebook (online)
439 P.2d 464, 21 Utah 2d 12, 1968 Utah LEXIS 574, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcintosh-v-united-states-utah-1968.