Pro-Vid-All Mills, Inc. v. Cargill, Inc.

142 N.W.2d 290, 274 Minn. 24, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 867
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedApril 22, 1966
DocketNo. 39,698
StatusPublished

This text of 142 N.W.2d 290 (Pro-Vid-All Mills, Inc. v. Cargill, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pro-Vid-All Mills, Inc. v. Cargill, Inc., 142 N.W.2d 290, 274 Minn. 24, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 867 (Mich. 1966).

Opinion

Nelson, Justice.

In this action to determine which of two mortgagees is entitled to the proceeds of the sale of a flock of turkeys, defendant, Cargill, Inc., appeals from an order denying its motion for a new trial and from paragraphs 2, 3, and 5 of the judgment entered. Plaintiff, Pro-Vid-All Mills, Inc., also seeks review of the order denying its motion for a new trial and of paragraph 1 of the judgment.

Prior to July 15, 1961, Harold Effing, who was engaged in raising turkeys in Kanabec and Mille Lacs Counties, had been financed in his operations by Nutrena Mills, Inc., then a subsidiary of Cargill. (Since these corporations merged December 31, 1962, we will refer to either as defendant hereinafter.) For the advances made, defendant obtained chattel mortgages mortgaging the turkeys purchased, “together with in[26]*26creases thereof, being all the chattels of like kind owned by mortgagor”; all feeds and grains purchased by Elling out of moneys advanced by defendant “which Mortgagor may now have or hereafter acquire”; and “[a]ll other personal property of like kind * * * hereafter acquired by Mortgagor until all indebtedness secured by this mortgage is paid.” Defendant filed its mortgages for record in March, April, and June 1961. At the time of the trial Elling owed defendant $4,011.38 plus interest, which was secured by two of the mortgages he had given defendant.

In June 1961 Elling conferred with Mr. Chuck Froehle (now deceased) of Chuck’s Hatchery, Inc., who sold products of both defendant and plaintiff, and Mr. John Norblom, president of plaintiff, relative to obtaining financing for future turkey raising from plaintiff. Elling then told Norblom that he owed defendant approximately $2,000 on a turkey flock purchased March 13, 1961, and sold or harvested on May 31, 1961. It is apparent from the record that Elling still had two flocks left which were being financed by Cargill. Norblom told Elling at that meeting that if Elling switched suppliers, plaintiff would assume his indebtedness to defendant up to $2,000.

Following this meeting Elling applied to plaintiff for financing of the flock of turkeys involved in this action. The application was accepted by plaintiff on June 20, 1961, and on July 15 the hatchery operated by Mr. Froehle delivered 6,900 cross white turkey poults to Elling’s farm. On that day Elling signed a promissory note payable to plaintiff for the purchase price of $3,450 and executed a chattel mortgage to plaintiff securing this amount and future advances for feed, medicine, and supplies needed to raise the flock. Plaintiff thereafter made advances totaling $9,688.37 for those needs.

The chattel mortgage executed on July 15, 1961, by Elling to plaintiff described what was to be included in that mortgage as follows:

“The total number of such species to be so mortgaged to the Company during this year, whether covered wholly by this mortgage or partly by earlier or later ones, is estimated at about
6900 X Whites Started .
(Number) (Specie)
This mortgage, besides covering all such species to be acquired later, covers a particular lot recently acquired numbering about
[27]*276900 Cross Whites
(Number) (Specie)
and hatched or born on or about 7-4-61. The undersigned also hereby mortgages to the company all brooder houses, shelters, roosts, feeders, fountains, other equipment for raising such species * * *: (together with all increase and the increase from the increase of the above property which is all of the kind now owned by me, whether in excess of the specified number or not, and all additions, betterments, and repairs made to or upon the personal property herein-before described, and including all property of a similar kind to that above described which may be hereafter acquired until the debt secured hereby is fully paid.)
“This mortgage secures all promissory notes, not exceeding $17,250.00 in total unpaid principal amount, that may at any time during the next succeeding twelve months be given to the above Company by the undersigned * * * for or in connection with buying Baby Chicks, poults, feed or supplies or for any other purpose * * *. Such notes secured include one particular note for $3450.00, bearing the same date as this mortgage and payable on demand with interest at the rate of 7 % per annum.”

It is clear that these chattel mortgages were drawn so as to include after-acquired property, although only the mortgage of July 15, 1961, went so far as to specifically include “all increase and the increase from the increase of the above property.” The mortgages also secured all future promissory notes not exceeding a certain amount that were to be given during the raising of each specific flock of turkeys.

The record indicates that about November 1, 1961, defendant became concerned about the balance due it from Elling and as a result Mr. Ralph Latchaw, its credit manager, telephoned Mr. Norblom and inquired why defendant had not been paid. Defendant claims Norblom agreed to pay the unpaid account but later advised Latchaw that its bank would not allow plaintiff to pay off the Elling indebtedness.

Upon reaching maturity, the flock financed by plaintiff was sold to Swift & Company for $6,708.59. With defendant’s consent, Swift issued a check payable to plaintiff of $2,308.59. Both plaintiff and defendant claiming to be entitled to the balance of $4,400, Swift deposited it with [28]*28the clerk of court of Meeker County (where the action was brought) to be distributed pursuant to the court’s order.

After trial the court found that plaintiff had agreed to pay up to $2,000 of Elling’s indebtedness to defendant and awarded that amount to defendant. Holding that plaintiff’s mortgage was a lien upon the proceeds of the sale superior to the liens of defendant’s mortgages, it awarded the balance of $2,400 to plaintiff.

Plaintiff contends that all of the deposit should have been awarded to it. It asserts that the discussion with Elling regarding his indebtedness to defendant was casual and did not result in the assumption by plaintiff of any part of such indebtedness.. Plaintiff argues also that the mortgage of July 15, 1961, constitutes a first and prior lien upon the flock and secured the advances plaintiff made to bring the turkeys to a marketable stage, as well as their purchase price.

Defendant concedes that plaintiff’s mortgage created a first and prior lien for the purchase price of the flock, $3,450. Plaintiff had received $2,308.59 from the proceeds of the sale before litigation, and defendant now admits plaintiff is entitled to the balance of the price, $1,141.41, out of the $4,400 deposited with the clerk. It contends, however, that any lien created by plaintiff’s mortgage for its advances for feed, medicine, and supplies is inferior to the liens on after-acquired property created by defendant’s earlier mortgages. It argues that future advances made subsequent to execution of a junior mortgage are not “purchase money” and thus are subordinate to the after-acquired property liens of the senior mortgages given it by Elling in March 1961.

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Bluebook (online)
142 N.W.2d 290, 274 Minn. 24, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 867, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pro-vid-all-mills-inc-v-cargill-inc-minn-1966.