National City Bank of New York v. Maryland Car Wheel Co.

71 F.2d 825, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3223
CourtCourt of Appeals for the First Circuit
DecidedJune 30, 1934
DocketNo. 2878
StatusPublished

This text of 71 F.2d 825 (National City Bank of New York v. Maryland Car Wheel Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the First Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National City Bank of New York v. Maryland Car Wheel Co., 71 F.2d 825, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3223 (1st Cir. 1934).

Opinion

WILSON, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from a decree of the federal District Court of Puerto Rico on an intervening petition by the appellees in a general creditors’ hill brought by the Miller Fertilizer Company, a corporation located in the state of Maryland, against the United Porto Rican Sugar Company, a corporation located in Puerto Rico. The appeal involves the allowance and order of payment by the federal District Court of certain claims of the appellees for supplies furnished the United Porto Rican Sugar Company, which were afterward used in carrying on the business of the sugar company by the receiver appointed under the general creditors’ bill.

The defendant in the creditors’ bill, the United Porto Rican Sugar Company, which will hereinafter be referred to as the sugar company, was the owner of and conducted large sugar plantations on the Island of Puerto Rico. Following the financial depression of 1929-31, the receipts from the sugar business were materially reduced. On April 5, 1932, the National City Bank, which will hereinafter be referred to as the bank, entered into an agricultural loan contract with the sugar company, and by a supplemental agreement on October 29, 1932, authorizing such loans, which agreements were duly recorded under the act of the Puerto Rican Legislature of 1910 as amended; see Puerto Rican Uivil Code 1930, appendix, p. 403, by which agreements the bank undertook to finance the sugar company to the extent necessary to enable it to realize on the 1933 crop, or at least to the extent of $4,440,000. Later, in 1932, occurred one of the severe hurricanes that periodically visit the island, and greatly damaged the sugar canes upon which the 1933 crop depended.

As a result, on February 11, 1933, the bank claimed to have advanced to the sugar [826]*826company under its agricultural loan agreement the sum of $4,440,000', and that there was also due thereon interest to the amount of $160,298.60; and there was obviously a need of additional funds in order to complete the harvesting, grinding, and selling of the 1933 crop.

The agricultural loan agreement between the bank and the Sugar company provided that, in ease of default on the part of the sugar company in any of the terms of the agreement, or in case it should fail to pay two monthly installments of interest, the bank should have the right to enter the properties described in the agreement, which, by the way, did not include all the properties of the sugar company, cultivate and harvest the crops, convert the same into sugar, and for the purpose make use of its factories and all equipment, and sell the sugar, collecting the proceeds, and, after paying the expenses of the operation, apply the balance to the payment of its claim.

On February 11, 1933, the bank filed a complaint in the federal District Court of' Puerto Rico, setting forth the amount of its claim; that a defafdt had been committed by the sugar company, and that a serious situation had arisen; that the sugar company then had no funds to complete the financing of the 1933 crop; that the bank’s security under its agricultural loan was threatened; that the bank had the funds necessary to finance the harvesting and grinding of the crop, and prayed that the sugar company be . compelled to comply with its agricultural loan agreement, and that a temporary receiver be appointed, and that the receiver be given the power to cultivate, harvest, and grind the cane and such general powers as were granted to the bank under its refacción agreement with the sugar company.

An order of the District Court was issued on February 11,1933, appointing Mr. Harry A. Nadler, the president of the sugar company, as temporary receiver. At this time there were on hand in the possession of the sugar company sixty tons of, lime delivered by the claimant, the Gager Lime Manufacturing Company, on order of the sugar company, of the value of $960'; there was also on hand certain merchandise, the nature of which does not appear, furnished by the claimant, Standard Supply & Hardware Company, of the value, as the court later found, of $3,099.34; and there were also on hand in the possession of the sugar company 72 cast-iron chilled ear wheels of the value, as the court later found, of $466.62, ail of which were turned over to the receiver of the general creditors and used in the operation of the business by him during 1933 and up to the sale of the properties on January 25, 1934.

On February 20, 1933, the Miller Fertilizer Company brought the general creditors' bill above referred to against the sugar company, and, as a part of the relief asked for, requested that the property and assets of the defendant be marshaled and that the claims of the complainant and all other creditors with their respective priorities may be ascertained and duly paid; and also that the assets of the company be converted into cash and distributed among its creditors and the remainder among its stockholders.

A permanent receiver was appointed under the creditors’ bill and the sugar company and the temporary receiver ordered to turn over its assets to him. The bank at first objected to the temporary receiver giving up the assets he had taken over under its bill, but finally assented, provided that the temporary receiver should be absolved from all liability for any acts done or obligations assumed during his period of receivership.

On February 25, 1933, the receiver appointed under the general creditors’ bill, together with the complainant, the Miller Fertilizer Company, and the bank, filed a stipulation in the court, setting forth that the receiver was without funds to carry on the business of the sugar company, or to preserve its assets; that the bank was willing to advance $58,275 upon the issuance to it of receiver’s certificates, without prejudice to the rights of the bank under its agricultural loan contract of April 5, 1932; and requesting that the bank be allowed to intervene in the suit and make such claims as it deems itself entitled to.

At this stage of the proceedings the receiver petitioned the court for instructions, setting forth as follows:

• “1. That pursuant to the\ order of this Court he is engaged in the operation of the business of the defendant corporation and is harvesting, grinding and converting into sugar the sugar cane crop of 1933 now growing upon the lands of the defendant corporation and lands of certain colonos, said crop being ground in the factories of the defendant corporation; that as part of the operation of said business he is also engaged in the care and cultivation of the retoños (roots) remaining after said cane is out and which will produce the sugar crop of 1934.
[827]*827“2. That with respect to the sugar cane belonging to defendant corporation as well as with respect to the sugar and molasses produced and/or to he produced by the said sugar, cane and with respect to the industrial benefit of the sugar factories of defendant corporation for the grinding of sugar cane of colonos The National City Bank of New York has informed your Receiver that it is the owner of a refaction lien constituted by a certain contract for agricultural financing entered into in the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 5, 1932, between defendant corporation and The National City Bank of New York and an agreement dated October 29, 1932 supplementary thereto, clause (B) of which contract reads as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
71 F.2d 825, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-city-bank-of-new-york-v-maryland-car-wheel-co-ca1-1934.