Sprangers v. Fundamental Business Technology, Inc.

412 N.W.2d 47, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1322, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4788
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedSeptember 15, 1987
DocketC8-87-836
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 412 N.W.2d 47 (Sprangers v. Fundamental Business Technology, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sprangers v. Fundamental Business Technology, Inc., 412 N.W.2d 47, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1322, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4788 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

OPINION

LESLIE, Judge.

This is an action by appellant James R. Sprangers to obtain stock and warrants pledged as collateral by respondents Fundamental Business Technology, Inc. and its president, Jude Weyrauch, for a $9,000 loan. Sprangers appeals from partial summary judgment granted to respondents, dismissing Sprangers’ claim to the extent it was based on Minn.Stat. § 336.9-505(2) (1986). That statute allows a secured party in possession of collateral to retain that collateral in satisfaction of a debt when certain conditions are met. The trial court dismissed this claim because it found Sprangers was never in possession of the collateral. We affirm.

FACTS

In August 1983 respondents deposited 500,000 shares of stock in MedVenture, Inc., and 250,000 warrants to purchase MedVenture, Inc. with Norwest National Bank Minneapolis, N.A. (“Norwest”) as escrow agent, pursuant to an escrow agreement. The parties to the agreement included respondents, Norwest and the Commissioner of Securities and Real Estate for the State of Minnesota (“the Commissioner”), but did not include appellant James R. Sprangers (“Sprangers”). The escrow agreement prohibited any sale or transfer of the securities without prior release of the Commissioner.

On April 9, 1984 Sprangers loaned respondents . the sum of $9,000. The loan was secured by the previously escrowed stock and warrants and was due and payable on May 9, 1984. The security agreement provided that actual possession of the collateral by Sprangers would not be required to allow Sprangers to pursue his remedy of strict foreclosure after default.

Respondents defaulted on the loan and Sprangers gave notice of default and his intention to retain the collateral on May 11, 1984. Respondents failed to object to the notice and Sprangers attempted to obtain the collateral from Norwest, the escrow agent. Norwest refused to release the col *49 lateral to Sprangers, as such a release would have been in violation of the escrow agreement. In September 1986 the Commissioner of Securities authorized release of the collateral to respondents, and Nor-west released the collateral to them.

Sprangers commenced this action to obtain the stock and warrants pledged as collateral on the $9,000 loan he made to respondents. Respondents tendered payment of the loan, but Sprangers refused to accept payment. Respondents moved for partial summary judgment dismissing Sprangers’ claim to the extent it was based on Minn.Stat. § 336.9-505(2) (1986). That statute allows a secured party in possession of collateral to retain that collateral in satisfaction of a debt when certain conditions are met. Although respondents disagree with the above stated version of the facts, they accepted these facts as true for purposes of this motion.

The trial court granted respondents’ motion. It found Sprangers was never in possession of the collateral as required by statute and that the attempted waiver of the defense of nonpossession was ineffective. Additionally, the court found:

To allow waiver of possession in this case would be manifestly unreasonable since [Sprangers] would receive securities worth in excess of $1,000,000 in payment of his $9,000 loan.

Sprangers appeals this ruling. He claims he had possession of the collateral and that the waiver of the defense of possession was valid. He also appeals an order of the trial court denying his motion for leave to amend his complaint.

ISSUES

1. Was Sprangers in possession of the collateral for purposes of obtaining strict foreclosure after default?

2. Was the attempted waiver of the defense of nonpossession valid?

3. Did the trial court abuse its discretion in denying Sprangers’ motion to amend his complaint?

ANALYSIS

1. On appeal from summary judgment this court must determine whether there were any genuine issues of material fact and whether the court erred in applying the law. Betlach v. Wayzata Condominium, 281 N.W.2d 328, 330 (Minn.1979). Sprangers claims the trial court erred in its interpretation of the laws regarding strict foreclosure by finding he did not have possession of the collateral at issue. Minn. Stat. § 336.9-505(2) allows a secured creditor to obtain strict foreclosure after default, if certain conditions are met. The statute provides:

In any other case involving consumer goods or any other collateral a secured party in possession may, after default, propose to retain the collateral in satisfaction of the obligation. Written notice of such proposal shall be sent to the debtor if the debtor has not signed after default a statement renouncing or modifying the debtor’s rights under this subsection. In the case of consumer goods no other notice need be given. In other cases notice shall be sent to any other secured party from whom the secured party has received (before sending notice to the debtor or before the debtor’s renunciation of rights) written notice of a claim of an interest in the collateral. If the secured party receives objection in writing from a person entitled to receive notification within 21 days after the notice was sent, the secured party must dispose of the collateral under section 336.9-504. In the absence of such written objection the secured party may retain the collateral in satisfaction of the debtor’s obligation.

Minn.Stat. § 336.9-505(2) (emphasis added).

The collateral in this case was in the physical possession of Norwest pursuant to the escrow agreement at the time the parties signed the security agreement. Spran-gers claims Norwest was “holding” the collateral for him and acted as a bailee. However, Sprangers asked Norwest to release the collateral to him and Norwest refused to do so, as they were forbidden to do so under terms of the escrow agreement. It is clear Norwest was not holding *50 the collateral for Sprangers. Sprangers was not a party to the escrow agreement. Norwest could not have held the collateral for Sprangers, as it held the collateral only as an escrow agent for respondents pursuant to an escrow agreement.

2. Sprangers’ next claim is that the terms of the security agreement clearly expressed an enforceable waiver of the right to raise the defense of nonpossession. The security agreement stated:

Debtor hereby unconditionally agrees that actual possession of Collateral by Secured Party is not required to allow Secured Party to pursue any and all remedies available to Secured Party which includes but is not limited to [the remedy of strict forfeiture described] in section 3.1 of this agreement. Debtor unconditionally waives nonpossession as a defense in any and all actions taken by Secured Party.

If this waiver was valid, it appears Spran-gers may have a right to the collateral and the trial court erred in granting summary judgment.

Minn.Stat. § 336.9-501(3) prohibits waiver of a debtor’s rights in certain circumstances:

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Bluebook (online)
412 N.W.2d 47, 4 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 1322, 1987 Minn. App. LEXIS 4788, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sprangers-v-fundamental-business-technology-inc-minnctapp-1987.