Smith v. Greater Houston Bank

580 S.W.2d 165, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 784, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 3462
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedApril 5, 1979
DocketNo. 17391
StatusPublished

This text of 580 S.W.2d 165 (Smith v. Greater Houston Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Greater Houston Bank, 580 S.W.2d 165, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 784, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 3462 (Tex. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

WALLACE, Justice.

Appellant, H. Clyde Smith, was defendant and cross-plaintiff below. Appellee, Greater Houston Bank, was plaintiff and cross-defendant below. Appellant appeals from a judgment denying him recovery on his counterclaim for statutory damages under the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 et seq., and 12 CFR § 226 et seq.

Appellee sued appellant on a promissory note which evidenced a loan made to appellant for the purchase of a boat for personal use. A security agreement was executed by appellant simultaneous with the note. Appellant counterclaimed alleging various violations of 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 et seq., Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, and 12 CFR § 226 et seq., Federal Reserve Board Regulation Z. The alleged violation material to the appeal is:

“The fact that security interest extended to after-acquired property was not clearly and accurately disclosed because the disclosure statement did not inform the borrower that under Texas law the security interest could not attach to consumer goods acquired after ten (10) days from the date the lender gave value.”

[166]*166Trial was to the court which rendered judgment in favor of appellee for the unpaid balance of the note plus interest and attorney fees. This part of the judgment is not attacked by appellant. The trial court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. The findings pertinent to this appeal are:

“9. H. Clyde Smith suffered no actual damage as a result of the alleged violation by Greater Houston Bank of the provisions of 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 et seq. and 12 CFR § 226 et seq.
“13. Greater Houston Bank did not fail to clearly and accurately define the extent of the security interest created by the security agreement described . above”.

Appellant’s first point of error is directed to the failure of the trial court to grant appellant’s counterclaim, asserting that the security agreement did not comply with 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 et seq. and 12 CFR § 226 et seq. as a matter of law. The reason urged was that the agreement did not inform the borrower that the security interest in after-acquired property, which was consumer goods, was limited by law to those goods acquired within ten (10) days of the date the lender gave value. Tex.Bus. and Comm. Code Ann. § 9.204(d)(2). It is not disputed that 15 U.S.C.A. § 1601 et seq. and 12 CFR § 226 et seq. are applicable to the transaction in question. 12 CFR 226.-8(b)(5) provides:

“If after-acquired property will be subject to the security interest, or if other or future indebtedness is or may be secured by any- such property, this fact shall be clearly set forth in conjunction with the description or identification of the type of security interest held, retained or acquired.”

In Pollock v. General Finance Corp., 535 F.2d 295 (5th Cir. 1976) the court interpreted the above provision as follows:

“We believe this portion of the regulation requires a lender to explain the 10 day limitation of UCC 9.204(4)(b) so that the borrower is informed that any consumer goods that he may acquire within 10 days of the loan transaction are subject to the security interest and that any consumer goods acquired after that date are not. Since the lender failed to disclose the nature of the security interest retained in after-acquired property, we determine that [the lender] violated § 226.8(b)(5).”

The Texas courts are in accord with this view. Garza v. Allied Finance Co., 566 S.W.2d 57 (Tex.Civ.App.—Corpus Christi 1978, no writ hist.), in adopting the fifth circuit view, stated:

“This portion of the regulation requires a lender to explain the 10-day limitation of U.C.C. 9-204(4)(b) so that the borrower is informed that any consumer goods that he may acquire within 10 days of the loan transaction are subject to the security interest and that any consumer goods acquired after that date are not.” (at page 65)

This was also the view adopted by the court in Casillas v. Government Employees Credit Union, 570 S.W.2d 57 (Tex.Civ.App.—El Paso 1978, writ ref’d n. r. e.). This view has been adopted not only by the fifth circuit, but by a number of other federal courts. Tinsman v. Moline Beneficial Finance Company, 531 F.2d 815 (7th Cir. 1976); In Re Dunne, 407 F.Supp. 308 (D.R.I.1976); Willis v. Town Finance Corp., 416 F.Supp. 10 (N.D.Ga.1976); Woods v. Beneficial Finance Company, 395 F.Supp. 9 (D.Or.1975).

The only authority cited by appellee for its failure to more fully explain the 10 day rule as to after-acquired property was a Federal Reserve Board Opinion Letter No. 983 dated January 5, 1976. To bolster the weight of the Federal Reserve Board Opinion Letter, appellee relies on Philbeck v. Timmers Chevrolet, Inc., 499 F.2d 971 (5th Cir. 1974). In Philbeck the court said that Federal Reserve Board Opinions are to be given “great deference”. Texas courts, however, have adopted the view expressed in Ives v. W. T. Grant Company, 522 F.2d 749 (2nd Cir. 1975) which rejects this defense. Pollock v. General Finance Corp., supra, also rejects this view. In Casillas v. Government Employees Credit Union, supra, the court said:

[167]*167“The court in Pollock v. General Finance Corporation . . . considered both [staff] letters, rejected the staff conclusions, and held that the ten-day limitation on after acquired property must be disclosed. That decision was followed in Garza v. Allied Finance Company . .”

Appellee asserts that the Pollock case which rejected the “great deference view” to staff opinion letters is distinguishable from the instant case because the Pollock case dealt with a loan disclosure statement which stated “the security agreement ‘may cover after-acquired property.’ ” They contend that since in this case the security agreement stated “a security interest is granted . . .” there is a compliance with all applicable regulations. This position has been impliedly rejected by Texas Courts. In Casillas, supra, the disclosure form stated, “ ‘The Security Agreement will secure future or other indebtedness and will

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

Related

Mildred Ives v. W. T. Grant Company
522 F.2d 749 (Second Circuit, 1975)
Melvin McGowan v. King, Incorporated
569 F.2d 845 (Fifth Circuit, 1978)
Woods v. Beneficial Finance Co. of Eugene
395 F. Supp. 9 (D. Oregon, 1975)
Willis v. Town Finance Corp. of Atlanta
416 F. Supp. 10 (N.D. Georgia, 1976)
Garza v. Allied Finance Co.
566 S.W.2d 57 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1978)
In Re Dunne
407 F. Supp. 308 (D. Rhode Island, 1976)
Casillas v. Government Employees Credit Union of El Paso
570 S.W.2d 57 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1978)
Ratner v. Chemical Bank New York Trust Company
329 F. Supp. 270 (S.D. New York, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
580 S.W.2d 165, 26 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 784, 1979 Tex. App. LEXIS 3462, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-greater-houston-bank-texapp-1979.