Security Seed & Chemical, Inc. v. French (In re French)

563 B.R. 212
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Kentucky
DecidedDecember 1, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 15-40758; ADVERSARY PROCEEDING NO.15-4041
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 563 B.R. 212 (Security Seed & Chemical, Inc. v. French (In re French)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Security Seed & Chemical, Inc. v. French (In re French), 563 B.R. 212 (Ky. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Alan C. Stout, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This matter is before the Court after the conclusion of a trial on the merits of the cause of action brought by Plaintiff, Security Seed and Chemical, Inc. (“Security Seed”), against Defendants, Roger Daryl French and Dena G. French, under 11 U.S.C. § 523 and the Defendants’ Motion to Avoid Lien filed in the main bankruptcy case. In its complaint seeking a determination of nondisehargeability, the Plaintiff also included two separate counts to determine the validity of liens. Both the Plaintiff and the Defendants appeared at trial and were represented by counsel. At the trial, the parties presented evidence, both written and documentary. Upon consideration of the evidence presented, the Court enters the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law pursuant to Fed. R. Bank. P. 7052.

[216]*216FINDINGS OF FACT

The Defendants are agriculture producers. The Defendants grow row crops, including corn, winter wheat, and soybeans in the vicinity of Union County, Kentucky. Mr. French has been in the farming business for his entire adult life and has immediate family members in the farming business. At various times, Mr. French has also driven tractor-trailers to haul crops and coal as a source of additional income.

In late 2012 and early 2013, the Defendants were suffering financial difficulties. By March of 2013, the Defendants were overdrawn on their two bank accounts. Specifically, the “farm account” at United Community Bank was overdrawn on seven (7) occasions between March 13—March 21, 2013. The “joint checking account” with the same bank was overdrawn on five occasions between February 27—March 12, 2013.

In February 2013, Mr, French approached Security Seed to purchase seed, fertilizer, and chemicals he would need for the upcoming crop year. Mr. French had been a customer of Security Seed dating as far back as 2010, and he had a line of credit with that company from that date forward through the crop season 2013. Each prior line of credit had been paid off in full from crop proceeds at the end of each crop season.

The Plaintiff advised Mr. French that he needed to obtain financing through AgQuest Financial Services, Inc. (“AgQuest”) in order to purchase products on credit. A Security Seed employee furnished Daryl French with an AgQuest loan application (the “Loan Application”). Mr. French completed the handwritten figures on the Loan Application. Mr. French signed the Loan Application and then gave it to Mrs. French to sign. Mrs. French testified that she signed the application in reliance that Mr. French completed it correctly. Mrs. French did not consult any financial records to verify the accuracy of the financial representations on the Loan Application. She also testified that she had no first-hand knowledge of the financial information contained in the Loan Application.

The Defendants requested financing from AgQuest for an operating line of credit to purchase farm inputs such as seed, pest control, and fertilizer. The Defendants were familiar with the lending process in order to obtain farm loans. In that regard, the Defendants have completed a number of farming loan applications over the years with various lenders.

On February 28, 2013, the Defendants signed and delivered to the Plaintiff the Loan Application requesting a $50,000 line of credit. Under the line of credit, the Defendants could purchase seed, chemical and fertilizer from Security Seed, which would then be paid by AgQuest’ in the short term until the Defendants then paid the line of credit off at the end of the crop season.

The Loan Application was forwarded to AgQuest by Security Seed via facsimile on March 21, 2013. The Loan Application consisted of basic information, including financial information. The first page of the application contains three columns and, as filled in, those columns report as follows:

[217]*217Gross Farm Income $504,000.00
Non-Farm Income $150,000.00
Source of Non-Farm Income Trucking
Assets:
Current Assets $300,000,00
Non-Current Assets $[Blank]
Long Term Assets $ 45,000.00
Total Assets $345,000.00
Liabilities:
Current Liabilities $ 45,000.00
Term Liabilities $ [Blank]
Long Term Liabilities $ 25,000.00
Total Liabilities $ .65,000.00*
Net Worth $280,000.00

[Editor’s Note: The preceding image contains the reference for footnote1].”

Shane Mays testified that he is a business relationship manager for AgQuest in Western Kentucky. He personally received the Defendants? loan application when it was faxed on March 21, 2013. In order to process a credit request for less than $200,000, AgQuest only requires the loan application, a copy of the applicant’s driver’s license, and a retailer reference. The Defendants provided all of this required information.

For this particular loan program, AgQuest uses a three part underwriting criteria to evaluate the loan application. First, the loan request cannot be greater than 20% of the applicant’s net-worth. Sec[218]*218ond, the net-worth to total assets ratio (“owner’s equity”) must exceed 50%. Third, the loan application is sent to a company called On the Spot Scoring (“OTS”) for an “OTS Score,” and the borrowers score must exceed 200.

AgQuest evaluated the Loan Application submitted by the Defendants. The Defendants’ loan request met the first underwriting criteria, since the loan amount was for less than 20% of their stated net-worth. Mr. Mays testified that with regard to this first guideline, under no circumstances would AgQuest ever make a loan of any kind where the applicant had a negative net-worth. Mr. Mays explained that, in such an instance, the loan application would not even be sent for an OTS score. Mr. Mays further testified that if a debt- or’s net worth was $0, then no loan would be made.

As to the second guideline, the Defendants’ loan request met the required owner’s equity of greater than 50%. Mr. Mays stated that the Defendants’ application met this requirement with an owners equity position of approximately 80%. ($275, 000/$345,000: 79.7%).

AgQuest then sent the application to OTS, which produced the “OTS Score.” The score on this particular application was 204 or 206. Any score above 200 resulted in a loan approval. A score below 200 would have required that the proposed debtor provide AgQuest balance sheets and a prior history.

In evaluating the Loan Application, OTS also performed a credit check.2 In this case, the credit report reflected the Defendants possessed liabilities in the approximate amount of $113,000, which is $48,000 more than the amount listed by the Defendants in the loan application.

Neither AgQuest nor Security Seed requested any additional information such as tax returns, additional financial statements, or balance sheet from the Defendants in connection with the Loan Application. Mr.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
563 B.R. 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-seed-chemical-inc-v-french-in-re-french-kywb-2016.