Scheele v. Long

282 S.W.2d 163, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 183
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 20, 1955
DocketNo. 29135
StatusPublished

This text of 282 S.W.2d 163 (Scheele v. Long) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scheele v. Long, 282 S.W.2d 163, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 183 (Mo. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

ANDERSON, Presiding Judge.

This is an action to recover the balance due on a loan. The suit was originally brought against John F. Long, Gilbert Getz, Arthur A. Becker, Lon E. Mitchell, and Park-Davis Truck Lines, Inc. During the trial plaintiffs dismissed as to defendants [164]*164Lon E. Mitchell and Arthur A. Becker. At the close of plaintiffs’ case the court sustained a motion for a directed verdict filed by defendant Park-Davis Truck Lines, Inc., and the cause proceeded against the two remaining defendants. The jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiffs and against defendants Long and Getz in the sum of $4,081.56 and, as directed, found for defendant Park-Davis Truck Lines, Inc. Judgment was entered on the verdict and defendant Getz alone has appealed.

During the year 1943 Emil Scheele and Helen Scheele, husband and wife, owned and operated a tavern and restaurant at 1930 North Ninth Street in the City of St. Louis. Mrs. 'Scheele actually managed the business, except that her husband (who was employed elsewhere) assisted her in the evenings.

Arthur Becker, John Long, and Gilbert Getz at that time were in the trucking business, operating, as a partnership under the name of A. E. Adams Motor Service Company. This partnership was formed in 1941. One of the original partners was Lon E. Mitchell, but he withdrew from the, partnership in 1942 when Mr. Getz purchased ■ his interest.

Arthur Becker, John Long, and Lon Mitchell were plaintiffs’ customers. On September 7, 1943, Mr. Long, Mr. Becker, and Mr. O’Brien who was a bookkeeper for the partnership, were in plaintiffs’ place of business, and at said time Mr. Long requested a loan of $3,500 from Mrs. Scheele. The latter stated that she would consult her husband about the matter. She did this and, after securing her husband’s approval, made the loan.. She delivered the money to Mr. Long, at which time Mr. Long promised to deliver a note to her for the sum borrowed. This money was then deposited by Mr. Long to the partnership .account .in the Northwestern Bank. A few days later Mr. Long .gave .Mrs. Schpeje a chattel. mortgage on two Chevrolet trucks and two trailers. He also gave her the certificates of title to said trucks. These certificates of title were later given back to Mr. Long. The chattel mortgage was in conventional form, conveying the property to plaintiffs—

“Upon the condition, nevertheless, that if the said mortgagors, or their legal representatives, shall well and truly pay unto the said mortgagees, or to their successors or assigns of said mortgagees, the sum of Thirty-five Hundred Dollars ($3500.00), evidenced by a promissory note of even date herewith, executed by the mortgagors to the order of, the mortgagees, and bearing interest at the rate of six per cent per annum from date to maturity, and eight per cent per annum thereafter until paid, and payable in seventeen consecutive monthly installments' of Two Hundred Twelve Dollars ($212.00) each, and the last monthly installment of Two Hundred Eleven Dollars ($211.00), on the - day of each month commencing on the - day of October, 1943, then this mortgage to be void; otherwise to remain in full force and effect.
* * * * * *
“If the mortgagors shall make default in the payment of the note aforesaid, * • * * then in any of said events all of said installments shall at the option of the holder thereof, without notice of said option to any one, become at once due and payable and the then holder of the said note shall thereupon have the right to take immediate possession of said property (and also all removable equipment which may hereinafter be attached thereto), and for that purpose may pursue the same whenever the same may be found, and with or without legal proceedings may enter any premises where said property may be found and take possession and control thereof.
“Upon, taking possession of said property, or any part thereof, as above provided, said mortgagees or assigns may, with or without notice, proceed to. sell said property, or any part there[165]*165of at public auction, private sale or otherwise, at their option, to the highest bidder for cash, at any place designated by said mortgagees or assigns, and said mortgagees or assigns may become purchasers at said sale. The proceeds of said sale shall, first, be applied to the payment of the necessary costs and expe'nses .incurred by "said mortgagees or assigns, next to the payment of the indebtedness herein secured, and the remainder, if any, shajl be paid over to the undersigned.
* * * * sjc * * * '
“Executed this 7th day of. September, 1943.
“John F. Long
“Lon E. Mitchell per Gilbert Getz
“Arthur A. Becker.”

No note or other writing was ever given plaintiffs for the indebtedness in question. Thereafter, $1,000 was paid on this indebtedness, the last payment being made some time in the year 1944. This suit was filed January 18,1950.

In 1944 the partners, Long, Becker and Getz, organized the A. E. Adams Transport Company, a corporation, and transferred the assets of the partnership to said corporation. In 1946 Park-Davis Transport Lines, Inc., purchased the Interstate Commerce Commission permit owned by the A. E. Adams Transport Company for $17,-500. Thereafter, .A. E. Adams Transport Company sol’d its equipment" to others and went out of business."

Plaintiffs’ petition was drawn on the theory that the mortgagors had by executing said mortgage expressly contracted in writing to pay the amount borowe.d. The defendant Getz, appellant herein, set up the five year statute of limitations, Section 516.120 RSMo 1949, V.A.M.S., as a bar to plaintiffs’ action.

Appellant’s first point is that the court erred in refusing to sustain his motion for a directed verdict. In support of this assignment -it is urged that plaintiffs’ action is 'barred by Section 516.120 RSMo 1949, V.A.M.S. Said section bars, after five years from the date of accrual, “All actions upon contracts, obligations or liabilities, express or implied, except those mentioned in section 516.110, * * Section 516.110 RSMo 1949, V.A.M.S., is the ten-year statute and allows suits to be brought within ten years “upon any writing, whether sealed or unsealed, for the payment of money or property”.

The question for decision then is whether •the chattel mortgage in suit is a “contract in writing” to pay the sum of money therein mentioned. The principles to be applied are found in the decision of our Supreme Court in Lively v. Tabor, 341 Mo. 352, 107 S.W.2d 62, 66, 111 A.L.R. 976, wherein it is said:

" “To come within the ten-year" statute, ‘it -must appear * ■ * * that the money sued for is promised to be paid by the language of the writing sued upon’’; and ‘unless the payment of the money sued for was promised by the terms -of the writing, either in express language or by " language which is tantamount or equivalent to such promise,’ the ten-year statute does not apply. ‘If a promise to1 pay the money sued for does not arise from the language of the writing itself, but the obligation or liability of defendant therefor is one implied by law from the transaction or one that arises only upon proof of extrinsic facts,’ then the action is within the five-year statute.”

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

Related

Lively v. Tabor
107 S.W.2d 62 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1937)
Alewel v. Johnson
253 S.W. 161 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1923)
Union Water Co. v. Murphy's Flat Fluming Co.
22 Cal. 620 (California Supreme Court, 1863)
Coleman v. Fisher
53 S.W. 671 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1899)
Rhodes v. Cannon
164 S.W. 752 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1914)
Von Campe v. City of Chicago
29 N.E. 892 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1892)
Mastin v. Branham
86 Mo. 643 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1885)
Harper v. Eubank
32 Mo. App. 258 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1888)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
282 S.W.2d 163, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scheele-v-long-moctapp-1955.