Mente Co., Inc. v. Westbrook

24 S.W.2d 976, 181 Ark. 96, 1930 Ark. LEXIS 79
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 24, 1930
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 24 S.W.2d 976 (Mente Co., Inc. v. Westbrook) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mente Co., Inc. v. Westbrook, 24 S.W.2d 976, 181 Ark. 96, 1930 Ark. LEXIS 79 (Ark. 1930).

Opinion

Mehafpy, J.

The appellant is a manufacturer of burlap bags in New Orleans. The appellee, Howell L. West-brook, was formerly engaged in the grain and milling business in Pine Bluff, under the name of Westbrook Grain & Milling Company. The appellee, Helen F. West-brook, is his wife.

In August, 1920, Howell L. Westbrook entered into a written contract with Mente & Company, Inc., for the purchase of 75,000 yards of burlap to be manufactured into bags as ordered by him. As the bags were ordered, they were manufactured and shipped and were to be paid for within ten days. Orders were given and shipments were made from time to time, but Westbrook was slow in making his payments. After November 8,1921, he failed to give any further orders or to answer letters, and the contract w¡as by appellant treated as having been breached by him after he had placed orders for something like one-half of the burlap provided for in the contract.

Appellant brought suit against Westbrook on June 16, 1923, in the circuit court of Jefferson County, for damages for breach of the contract, and recovered a judgment of $2,162.84 with interest. The judgment was affirmed by this court on May 3, 1926. On May 20, 1927, an execution was issued and levied on H. L. Westbrook's interest in a lot in Pine Bluff. This lot was formerly the homestead of W. H. Westbrook, the father of Howell L. Westbrook, and under the will II. L. Westbrook claimed a one-half interest in the lot. After the levy of the execution Westbrook produced a deed which had not been recorded, purporting to have been executed by him to his wife on the 24th day of December, 1923. Westbrook had the deed recorded after the execution was levied. The sheriff proceeded to sell his interest in the lot, and the appellant subsequently received a deed from the sheriff.

On July 28,1927, appellant filed this suit in the chancery court, alleging that the conveyance from Westbrook to his wife was made at a time when he was larg-ely indebted and insolvent for the purpose of defrauding and delaying his creditors, and praying that the deed be canceled as a cloud on the title of appellant acquired at the execution sale.

We deem it unnecessary to set out the evidence in full, but the evidence, in substance, showed that H. L. Westbrook was engaged in the wholesaling of grain and manufacture of milling products in Pine Bluff from 1912 until some time in 1925. His business consisted almost altogether of buying grain in carload lots, and either selling it in its original state or after being manufactured into feed products. Practically his only creditor for a long while was the local bank from whom he borrowed money upon which to operate. In June, 1914, he executed a deed of trust upon all of his real estate except the lot in question to the Cotton Belt Savings & Trust Company for $20,000, and also covering all indebtedness which he might owe this bank. His indebtedness to this bank, secured by a deed of trust, was from $20,000 up as high as $80,000. At the time he executed the deed to his wife he was indebted to the Cotton Belt Savings & Trust Company something like $39,000.

The statement introduced in evidence showing the condition of Westbrook’s business on December 31, 1923, showed that his net worth above his indebtedness was in excess of $100,000. The undisputed proof shows that the property cost to construct approximately $125,000. It was not encumbered in any way except the deed of trust to the bank. The undisputed proof also shows that at the time that Westbrook executed the deed to his wife, and at the time the iudament was secured in the Jefferson Circuit Court, he had ample personal property which could have been sold under the execution, and that it would have sold for enough to satisfy appellant’s judgment. There was no effort on the part of Westbrook and nothing done by him to prevent the execution and sale of this property. After the judgment he prosecuted an appeal to the Supreme 'Court, but did not give any super-sedeas bond, and there was nothing to prevent appellants from having the execution levied on the personal property. Appellant not only did not do this, but no execution was levied after the affirmance of the case in the Supreme Court for about a year. The lot sold at execution sale for $570.40, plus the expenses of the suit, and this amount had been credited on the judgment of the Mente Company against Westbrook.

The bank foreclosed its mortgage or deed of trust, and at the foreclosure sale the property was purchased for $35,000. The bank afterwards sold it for $30,000. The sale of the property was not sufficient to pay the bank’s claim, there being a balance of approximately $1,500. After the bank sold the property the purchaser expended approximately $20,000 on it. The property thereafter burned, and the owner collected $55,000 insurance. The undisputed proof shows that the insurance company deducted quite a sum because of the building not being entirely destroyed, and, in addition to this building, there was a warehouse that was not destroyed by the fire. The undisputed proof also shows that the amount of insurance paid was considerably less than the value of the property destroyed by fire.

The chancellor found that the execution sale should be set aside, and the deed executed by the sheriff to Mente & Company should be canceled, and that the credit of $570.40 upon the judgment in favor of Mente & Company against Westbrook should be set aside.

It is contended by appellant that the deed from Westbrook to his wife was made to defraud creditors. The bank intended at one time to include the lot in controversy in its mortgage or deed of trust, and prepared a deed of trust including this property, but it was never executed. The evidence shows that Westbrook took it to have it executed, but he did not do so, and he did not tell the bank at the time that the property belonged to his wife.

Appellant first cites and relies on the case of Rudy v. Austin, 56 Ark. 73, 19 S. W. 111, 35 Am. St. Rep. 85, in which it was stated: “If he be insolvent, unable to pay his debts, the presumption that it is fraudulent as to antecedent creditors is conclusive.”

And they also rely on the case of Driggs v. Norwood, 50 Ark. 42, 6 S. W. 323, 7 Am. St. Rep. 78, in which the court stated: “Every voluntary alienation of his property by an embarrassed debtor is presumptively fraudulent against existing creditors. Indebtedness raises a presumption of fraud, which becomes conclusive upon insolvency.”

The declarations of law above set out have been many times approved by this court and there can be no controversy about the statements being- correct, as many times declared by this court. But it is a question of fact in this case as to whether Westbrook was at the time of the conveyance to his wife insolvent. One is not prohibited from conveying his property to his wife or any other person simply because he is in debt. If that were true, most of the voluntary conveyances made would be void because most people are in debt. But if a man was really worth $100,000 above his indebtedness, it would certainly not be a fraud to convey property of approximately $1,000 value, although it might turn out thereafter that under a forced sale his property would not bring enough to satisfy his creditors.

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Bluebook (online)
24 S.W.2d 976, 181 Ark. 96, 1930 Ark. LEXIS 79, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mente-co-inc-v-westbrook-ark-1930.