Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co. v. John H. Miller Manufacturing Corp.

170 F. Supp. 918, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3801
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedMarch 2, 1959
DocketNo. Q-180
StatusPublished

This text of 170 F. Supp. 918 (Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co. v. John H. Miller Manufacturing Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co. v. John H. Miller Manufacturing Corp., 170 F. Supp. 918, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3801 (S.D. Ill. 1959).

Opinion

POOS, District Judge

The plaintiff, Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, a Corporation, filed suit against the defendant, John H. Miller to recover from him the sum of $38,115.39.

The Complaint charged that on July 23, 1952, John H. Miller Manufacturing Corporation of Puerto Rico, a Puerto Rico Corporation, executed and delivered to plaintiff a promissory note in the principal amount of $49,250, which was secured by a chattel mortgage of even date, and that thereafter, by an agreement dated May 29, 1953, John H. Miller, the defendant herein, executed and delivered his personal guaranty agreement guaranteeing plaintiff against losses or damages which might be sustained by reason of the failure of the John H. Miller Manufacturing Corporation of Puerto Rico to pay or satisfy the note secured by said mortgage and that thereafter that John H. Miller Manufacturing Corporation of Puerto Rico defaulted in the payment due under the chattel mortgage note on May 31,1954, and that thereafter on June 28, 1954 the said John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Puerto Rico, having failed to pay the indebtedness due, the said chattel mortgage and the note secured thereby was foreclosed in [919]*919the Superior Court, San Juan Section of the General Court of Justice of Puerto Rico, and that pursuant to the laws of Puerto Rico a public sale of all chattels was held by the Marshal of said Superior Court on September 21, 1954, and that it was determined in said chattel mortgage foreclosure proceedings that the total amount due plaintiff from John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Puer-to Rico, including principal, interest and cost, was $45,615.39; that the proceeds realized from the sale of the chattel property under the chattel mortgage totalled $7,500, which was applied to the total indebtedness then due, leaving a deficiency due plaintiff of $38,115.39.

The chattel mortgage was attached to the Complaint as Exhibit “A”, the chattel mortgage note was attached to the Complaint as Exhibit “B”, and the guaranty agreement was attached to the Complaint as Exhibit “C”.

The defendant filed answer to the suit the effect of which was to admit the execution of the note and chattel mortgage by the John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Puerto Rico, a Corporation, and admitted also the execution of the guaranty agreement, but set up as a defense a factual situation substantially as follows: That the guaranty agreement dated May 29, 1953 was executed by the plaintiff, but denied that the guaranty agreement was executed at the same time that the chattel mortgage and the chattel mortgage note was executed, and denied that it was any part of the original transaction; also admitting that the chattel mortgage note and the chattel mortgage guaranteeing the said note were executed by the John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Puerto Rico, a Corporation, and denied that there was any consideration for the aforementioned guaranty agreement; that the said note upon which the money was loaned and as secured by the aforementioned chattel mortgage was not for the use and benefit ■of John H. Miller, but was for the sole use and benefit of John H. Miller Manufacturing Company, a Corporation.

The evidence is this case shows that the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company is a Corporation, organized, created and existing under and by virtue of the laws of Puerto Rico; that said Corporation and the capital stock thereof is wholly owned by the Government of Puerto Rico; that John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Quincy, Illinois, an Illinois Corporation, prior to the organization of the Puerto Rico John H. Miller Manufacturing Corporation, was engaged in the business of manufacturing statues, etc., for sale. That said business was a going concern, and is at this time a going concern in the City of Quincy, Illinois; that John H. Miller was the President of the John H. Miller Manufacturing Company of Quincy, Illinois, and prior to the execution of the note and mortgage aforesaid, arranged with the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company to organize a Corporation under the laws of Puerto Rico for the purpose of doing a somewhat similar business in Puerto Rico; that John H. Miller had learned of tax saving benefits that could be obtained by a Corporation engaged in a similar type of business in Puerto Rico. He thereupon arranged with the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company to organize the John H. Miller Manufacturing Corporation of Puerto Rico, which latter Corporation was created on the 23rd day of July, 1952, under the laws of Puerto Rico, and thereafter on the same date executed on behalf of the Puerto Rico Manufacturing Corporation, a chattel mortgage and note in the amount of $49,250 with interest at the rate of 4% per cent per annum, which note was payable in installments of $1,-123.07 monthly, commencing on the first day of September, 1952.

Thereupon the Corporation entered into business in Puerto Rico in a leased building provided by Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company, a Corporation.

For some reason not disclosed by the evidence, the Puerto Rico Miller Corporation failed, the chattel mortgage, was [920]*920foreclosed, and a deficiency resulted in the amount of $38,115.39.

The purpose of this suit is to recover from John H. Miller individually on his guaranty agreement this deficiency.

The guaranty agreement in so far as it affects this case is in the words and ficures following, to-wit:

“Guaranty
“Know All Men by These Presents That
“Whereas, among other obligations, J. H. Miller Manufacturing Corp. of P. R. is indebted to Puerto Rico Industrial Development in the sum of $49,250 secured by a chattel mortgage note dated July 23, 1952, bearing interest at the rate of 4Vá'% per annum,
“Now therefore, in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) in hand paid by Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company to the undersigned and of other good and valuable considerations, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees to make good any losses which may be sustained by Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company should said chattel mortgage note of J. H. Miller Manufacturing Corp. of P. R. in the principal amount of $49,250.00 and the interest thereon not be paid when due and the chattels securing same should not bring a sufficient amount to fully satisfy the note, provided, however, that the Guarantor shall be afforded every reasonable opportunity to secure a purchaser prior to the chattels being offered for sale at public auction, and provided further that in case of the death of the undersigned, all of the obligations of the undersigned hereunder shall cease and terminate and be of no further force or effect.
“In Witness Whereof, the undersigned has executed this guaranty this 29th day of May, 1953.
“(signed) John H. Miller
“Affidavit No. 3654
“Subscribed and acknowledged before me by Mr. John H. Miller of legal age, married and a resident of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and personally known to me, this 29th day of May, 1953.
“(signed) G. A. Apsey “Notary Public
“Accepted:
“Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company
“By (signed) Rafael Fabregas, Jr.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
170 F. Supp. 918, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3801, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/puerto-rico-industrial-development-co-v-john-h-miller-manufacturing-ilsd-1959.