Semco Division, Delwood Furniture Co. v. Williams

405 F. Supp. 622, 19 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 276, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15022
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Alabama
DecidedDecember 2, 1975
DocketCiv. A. 75-A-844-S
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 405 F. Supp. 622 (Semco Division, Delwood Furniture Co. v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Semco Division, Delwood Furniture Co. v. Williams, 405 F. Supp. 622, 19 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 276, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15022 (N.D. Ala. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

ALLGOOD, Senior District Judge.

In August 1974, Robert A. Metzler, Sr. was engaged in the operation of a manufacturing wholesale chrome and glass furniture business under the trade name of Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company. He had been purchasing chrome plated tubular products from the Semco Division, Delwood Furniture Company, Inc., prior to February 1974, and had become in arrears with his account to the point that Semco refused further credit unless he gave security. A written Security Agreement was entered into between the parties under the date of August 29, 1974, signed Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company by Robert A. Metzler, Sr., and Semco Division, Delwood Furniture Company, Inc., covering

“All machinery, equipment and inventory maintained in the conduct of the debtor’s business to include but not limited to the list attached and all accessories now existing or hereafter acquired. All account now existing or hereafter created.”

On September 3, 1974, a financing statement was filed giving the debtor’s name and business as Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company, 816 19th Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, covering the same description as above.

A separate financing statement was filed the same day in the name of Modern Home Furnishings, Forestdale Square Mall, Birmingham, Alabama, covering the same description, to-wit:

“All machinery, equipment and inventory maintained in the conduct of the debtor’s business to include but not limited to the attached list and all accessories now existing or hereafter acquired. All account now existing or hereafter created.”

A third Financing statement was taken and filed covering the same description but executed by Metzler, Robert A. Sr., DBA Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company.

Robert A. Metzler, Sr., also operated a retail sales business at Forestdale Mall where he sold furniture manufactured by Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company and furniture purchased from other sources and from other creditors. This business was known as Modern Home Furniture and was a general retail furniture business.

The Security Agreement was executed only by Robert A. Metzler, Sr., d/b/a Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company, the wholesale business, and made no reference to the retail business operated by the same individual as Modern Home Furniture in the Forestdale Square Mall.

The description in the security agreement made reference to “All machinery, equipment and inventory maintained in the conduct of the debtor’s business.

The Trustee contends that the debtor’s business means the Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company which is the only business referred to and which was the manufacturing business with which both the debtor and Semco were concerned.

If the Trustee was alone in this contention, less weight would be given to it. *624 However, the debtor supports the Trustee and lends credence to the position that no specific reference was made to the inventory at the retail store because it was not intended to be included and-there was no agreement or intent to include the retail stock. Mr. Metzler testified to this effect.

From the Transcript, April 16, 1975: Page 30

Q (Mr. Schoel) What was your understanding of the transaction?
A (Mr. Metzler) Well, I had spoke with Jim and this was done at Birmingham Occasional Furniture, that under the circumstances, Southeastern Metals or Semco Division had the major portion or was owed the major portion of what I had at Birmingham Occasional Furniture and that I was willing to give them this agreement because of this fact. And included in that was machinery in that that I owned myself and nobody else had any liens or anything against that, note against them with the exception maybe of some glass and some cardboard boxes.

Page 31

Q Now, what was your understanding as to the furniture and items of merchandise located at Modern Home Furnishing?
A Well, the reason Modern Home Furniture entered into it at all, as far as I was concerned, was I took Jim and another gentleman from Semco out to Modern Home Furniture and showed them what I had out there and the possibilities that I had or the potential that I had of repaying the monies that I owed. And this would be in work, as part of, you know, my potential of paying my debt.
Q All right. Was it your understanding that you were going to give them a security interest in those items and that merchandise located at Modern Home?
Mr. Taliaferro: We object to leading the witness.
A No, sir.
The Court: All right. Don’t lead the witness.
Q Okay. What was your understanding as to what merchandise at what location was going to pass under the security interest?

Page 32

A Well, that was the list of inventory that I had made out at this time.
The Court: I am going to sustain the objection to that. I think that’s up to the Court to determine the legal effect. Mr. Schoel: All right. You are right about that.
Q Whose debt or what business debt was being secured by this security interest?
A Birmingham Occasional Furniture.
Q And was that a debt that was owed prior to the execution of the security interest?
A Yes, sir, it was.
Q Or the security agreement?
A Yes, sir.
Q Was there any debt owed at that time by Modern Home Furnishings to Semco for any purchases it had made? A No, sir.

The description refers to a list attached which tends to support the Trustee’s position that the Security Agreement was limited to furniture manufactured by Birmingham Occasional Furniture Company and excluded inventory purchased from other manufacturers, which the debtor felt was unrelated to his debt to Semco.

Robert A. Metzler, Sr., filed voluntary bankruptcy on March 4, 1975, scheduling total debts of $51,230.94 including his debt of $12,312.00 due to Semco. Semco seized the inventory, equipment and machinery located at 816 North 19th Street shortly before bankruptcy and removed the same to the Mini Warehouse at 6917 Madrid Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama.

On March 11, 1975, Semco filed reclamation petition in the following words:

“Comes SEMCO Division, Delwood Furniture Company, Inc., and moves the *625 court for an order commanding the receiver and/or trustee in the abovestyled case to turn over to SEMCO Division, Delwood Furniture Company, Inc., all machinery, equipment, and inventory of the bankrupt.

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Bluebook (online)
405 F. Supp. 622, 19 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 276, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15022, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/semco-division-delwood-furniture-co-v-williams-alnd-1975.