Rogers v. Commercial Credit Corp.

354 So. 2d 259, 1978 Miss. LEXIS 2014
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 25, 1978
DocketNo. 49856
StatusPublished

This text of 354 So. 2d 259 (Rogers v. Commercial Credit Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rogers v. Commercial Credit Corp., 354 So. 2d 259, 1978 Miss. LEXIS 2014 (Mich. 1978).

Opinion

BOWLING, Justice,

for the Court:

Appellant, Benny Roy Rogers, appeals from a replevin judgment in the Circuit Court of Winston County. We reverse and remand.

At the conclusion of the evidence offered by both plaintiff-appellees and defendant-appellant, the lower court sustained appel-lees’ motion for a directed verdict, stating that the decision was a question of law and there was no fact issue to submit to the jury. We hold that the cause should have been submitted to the jury. In discussing reasons for this, we need to relate the pertinent parts of the record.

On January 23, 1970, appellant, Benny Roy Rogers, and his partner, Byron Cannon (now deceased) purchased a new 1970 International truck from appellee, Waters Truck & Tractor Company, Inc. The purchase was financed by a retail installment contract providing for thirty-six monthly payments, which contract was then assigned with recourse to the appellee, Commercial Credit Corporation.

On January 21, 1971, appellant and his partner were delinquent in two monthly payments on the purchase contract. They lived and operated the truck in Winston County. Agents of appellees filed an affidavit in replevin before the Circuit Court of Lowndes County, the principal place of business of appellees, and a writ of replevin was issued thereon to the Sheriff of Winston County. On the same day the sheriff seized the truck as it was being driven with a load of either sand or gravel on a street in Louisville. The driver requested permission to carry the load to its destination, which was the Louisville Redi-Mix Concrete Company. This was agreeable with the sheriff and appellees’ representatives. All three went to the Redi-Mix plant, following behind the truck in the sheriff’s car. On the front seat of the sheriff’s car was Bob Wilkerson, an employee of appellee Waters Truck & Tractor Company, the retailer of the truck, and on the back seat was a Mr. Swanzee, an employee of appellee Commercial Credit Corporation.

While the truck was being unloaded, the sheriff went into the office of Redi-Mix and had a conversation with its owner, Jimmy McMillin. Wilkerson and Swanzee remained in the car. About that time appellant Rogers drove up in his car and went into the office and requested an explanation of what was occurring. There is a discrepancy in the testimony among the witnesses as to exactly what occurred and what was said after that time.

Rogers testified that McMillin owed him several thousand dollars and McMillin agreed to let him have whatever money it [261]*261took to pay appellees’ representatives immediately and retain possession of the truck; that he went to the car where Wilkerson and Swanzee were seated and conveyed the information to them that he would secure whatever money was necessary to make the payment from Mr. McMil-lin immediately; that the Commercial Credit Corporation representative did not enter into the conversation but that Mr. Wilkerson told him that his company and Commercial Credit Corporation wanted full payment of the balance of the contract or the truck. Rogers testified that he told the two men that he could get the money immediately from Mr. McMillin and pay them any amount necessary, including costs and late charges. Rogers went back to the office and discussed the matter again with Mr. McMillin, who then accompanied him to the car and offered Wilkerson any amount that would bring the payments current; that Wilkerson again stated he would not accept any part payment, but that he and the Commercial Credit Corporation representative would only accept complete payment of the contract.

Rogers further testified that McMillin was standing beside him and the car during this second conversation so that he would be available to get the money immediately.

Jimmy McMillin testified that he owned the Redi-Mix business and was also in the real estate and insurance business in Louisville, and that he had done business with appellant and the deceased Cannon for many years. He testified as to his version of what occurred on January 21, 1971. He described the truck of Rogers and Cannon being brought to his place of business for unloading, with the sheriff and two men following the truck and parking their car near the business office; that the sheriff got out of the car and came into the office, but that the other two men, Wilkerson, whom he knew, and the Commercial Credit Corporation representative stayed in the car. He described the arrival of appellant Rogers and told of his conversation with Rogers when he learned the truck was being seized. He testified that he told Rogers then and there that he would let him have whatever money was needed to retain possession of the vehicle; that he walked back to the car with Rogers and was leaning against the car right behind Rogers when the latter told Wilkerson that he was ready to pay any amount required to bring the account current and retain possession of the truck; that he heard Wilkerson say that they would not take part of the money but that the contract had to be paid off in full.

McMillin’s testimony was direct and positive that he heard this conversation while he was standing at the car immediately behind Rogers; that Rogers told Wilkerson and the Commercial Credit Corporation representative that he, McMillin, who was standing right there, was ready and willing to give him any money needed, and that he had it at that time. McMillin testified, “It was as good as in his hand if I told him I would let him have it.”

Witness Bob Wilkerson was called by ap-pellees. He was employed by appellee Waters Truck & Tractor Company, and had been for a number of years in the capacity of a salesman. Part of his duties included the collection of overdue accounts. He and his company had agreements with appellee Commercial Credit Corporation to assist in this duty as the finance agreements were assigned to Commercial with recourse. Wilkerson denied any conversation with Rogers at the Redi-Mix plant. He denied that Rogers made any offer to bring the payments current.

After conclusion of all the evidence the lower court, on motion of appellees, rendered the following opinion:

The court finds that at the time the truck was repossessed, the defendant was by his own admission two months in arrears and that under the contract, the Plaintiff had the right to repossess the vehicle. Whether he could have or not without replevin, he has filed the replevin and the question of the right of possession is before the Court, and the Court finds from this evidence and from the evidence of the Defendant that he has not paid — subsequently paid past due installments; [262]*262that the Plaintiff is entitled to immediate possession. The Court finds that the evidence clearly shows that no tender was made to pay these payments, that the only evidence offered in support of the tender was some statement from a delinquent debtor, the Defendant himself, to the effect he could pay it from an unliq-uidated claim he had with Louisville Redi-Mix, which is not a tender. The motion of Plaintiff is sustained.

The law is clear that if a proper tender was made to appellees after the truck was seized, the appellant had the right to bring the installment payments up to date, including all costs and late charges, and retain possession of the vehicle. Mississippi Code Annotated section 89-1-59 (1972) was in effect at that time and reads as follows:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Mrs. S. K. Frostad v. Lloyd W. Kitchens
377 F.2d 475 (Fifth Circuit, 1967)
McLain v. Meletio
147 So. 878 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1933)
Bonds v. Rhoads
35 So. 2d 437 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1948)
Sovereign Camp, W. O. W. v. McClure
168 So. 611 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1936)
Lauchly v. Shurley
64 So. 2d 898 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1953)
Cooley v. Stevens
128 So. 2d 124 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
354 So. 2d 259, 1978 Miss. LEXIS 2014, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogers-v-commercial-credit-corp-miss-1978.