Ore-Ida Potato Products, Inc. v. United Pacific Insurance

392 P.2d 191, 87 Idaho 185, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 230
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 30, 1964
Docket9267
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 392 P.2d 191 (Ore-Ida Potato Products, Inc. v. United Pacific Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ore-Ida Potato Products, Inc. v. United Pacific Insurance, 392 P.2d 191, 87 Idaho 185, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 230 (Idaho 1964).

Opinions

[189]*189SMITH, Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment dismissing an action brought by appellant (plaintiff) to recover on a statutory farm produce dealer’s bond, I.C. § 22-1304, issued by respondent (defendant) to Black Canyon Produce, Inc., hereinafter referred to as Black Canyon, a farm produce dealer, broker and commission merchant formerly doing business at Caldwell, Idaho.

Appellant, during the time of the present action, was engaged in growing, processing, buying and selling potatoes. Appellant sold and delivered bulk potatoes to Black Canyon, as follows:

On December 31, 1957, a railroad carload, f. o. b. Trout, Idaho, shipped from Trout, Idaho, to “Black Canyon Produce, Kansas City, Mo.” (PL Exhibit 3).
On January 11, 1958, a truck load, f. o. b. Ontario, Oregon, shipped from Ontario, Oregon, to “Black Canyon Produce, Kansas City, Kansas.” (Pl. Exhibit 4).
On January 25, 1958, a truck load, f. o. b. Ontario, Oregon, shipped from Ontario, Oregon, sold to “Black Canyon Produce, Box 8, Caldwell, Idaho,” without indicating the place of destination. (PL Exhibit 5).

The sale price of the potatoes totalled $2,782. Terms of payment were “Net Cash vs. Invoice,” shown on the invoices.

In compliance with the law governing dealers in farm produce, I.C. Title 22, ch. 13, Black Canyon filed with the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Idaho, a $2,500 surety bond issued to respondent. I.C. § 22-1304. Under the bond, respondent bound itself jointly and severally “to the State of Idaho, and in favor of every consignor of farm products to said principal [Black Canyon], in the sum of Twenty-five Hundred Dollars ($2500.00) * * * for the license period commencing May 31, 1957, and ending May 30, 1958 * *.” The language of the bond does not specify in what manner a consignor’s claims were to be settled. I.C. § 22-1305 provides for payment of farm products, if not otherwise [190]*190stated, “within thirty days from the delivery or taking possession of such farm products”.

On February 13, 1958, negotiations between appellant’s president and officers of Black Canyon resulted in Black Canyon’s execution and delivery of a promissory note in the principal sum of $2,782, bearing interest at the rate of 6% per annum, to appellant at its office in Ontario. Black Canyon promised to pay the note in weekly installments of $50.00 “with final balance to be paid not later than 8/31/58.” Endorsements on the back of the note show payments of $50 each on Februray 24, and March 3, 1958, and a credit of $295.51 on March 7, 1958, leaving a balance of $2,-386.49.

Respondent never received notice, either actual or constructive, of the above mentioned negotiations, the execution and delivery of the promissory note, nor of the payments and endorsements thereon.

No further payments on the note being made by Black Canyon, appellant commenced this action May 21, 1959, seeking recovery from respondent of $2,386.49, as the alleged balance owed by Black Canyon on the potato account, plus attorneys’ fees.

Respondent by its answer admitted that Black Canyon was a produce dealer during the times mentioned in the complaint and that respondent had furnished Black Canyon’s produce dealers bond, on file with the Commissioner of Agriculture, but denied any liability under the bond for payment of the debt and attorneys’ fees. By affirmative defense, in further denial of liability, respondent alleged the execution and delivery of Black Canyon’s promissory note to appellant, and payments made on the amount thereof; that the note evidences Black Canyon’s valid obligation; that appellant is the owner and holder of the note; that all claims of appellant against Black Canyon became merged in the note, and that respondent’s bond did not extend to nor guarantee payment of the note.

The trial court, after a trial without a jury, made findings of fact and conclusions of law, followed by entry of judgment dismissing the action. This appeal resulted.

Appellant by its assignments of error contends that the trial court erred in finding that appellant accepted the promissory note of Black Canyon in payment of its debt owed to appellant “and that a novation transpired.” Since appellant thereby questions the sufficiency of the evidence to support the finding, we refer to the testimony of officers of appellant and Black Canyon.

Mr. Call, appellant’s secretary, testified on cross-examination:

“Q. Now, calling your attention to Defendant’s Exhibit # A [the promissory note] admitted into evidence Mr. [191]*191Call, on the back of it there is a notation of payment endorsed, do you know who endorsed those payments?
“A. Yes sir, I did.
“Q. And what is the date and amount of the payments shown on the note?
“A. February 24th for $50.00; March 3rd $50.00 and March 7th endorsed credit memo of $295.51.
=¡= * * * =1=
“Q. And you also have them as credited on the accounts receivable ledger ?
“A. * * * yes.
“Q. Now, what explanation do you have for showing them in both places ?
“A. The note was simply evidence of indebtedness. The account was an open accounts receivable, * * *
“Q. * * * even though you get a note on a transaction * * *, you continue to carry the item on your accounts receivable ?
“A. We don’t consider the thing consummated by a note. It was in accounts receivable.
******
“Q. Now, who negotiated the obtaining of this exhibit #A from this company Mr. Call?
“A. Mr. Grigg, President of our company.
******
“Q. And he brought the note and turned it over to you as secretary-treasurer of the company?
“A. That is right.
******
“q * * * in your bookkeeping system, do you carry a notes receivable ledger ?
“A. We do.
“Q. And this note was never put in this, is that right?
“A. It was not.”

Mr. Huizinga, Black Canyon’s President, called by respondent, testified on direct examination:

“Q. At the time of giving that note * * * what was the purpose of giving it to them [Ore-Ida] ?
“A. To make payments of the obligation of Black Canyon to Ore-Ida.
“Q. In other words, you were settling your account with the note, is that right ?
“A. Yes sir.”

Additional testimony of those same witnesses support the trial court’s finding that respondent had no notice of the negotiations between Ore-Ida and Black Canyon [192]*192relative to the execution and delivery of the promissory note.

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Bluebook (online)
392 P.2d 191, 87 Idaho 185, 1964 Ida. LEXIS 230, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ore-ida-potato-products-inc-v-united-pacific-insurance-idaho-1964.