Springfield Loan Co. v. National Guarantee & Finance Co.

27 N.E.2d 257, 63 Ohio App. 508, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 582, 17 Ohio Op. 245, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 253
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 17, 1939
Docket452
StatusPublished

This text of 27 N.E.2d 257 (Springfield Loan Co. v. National Guarantee & Finance Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Springfield Loan Co. v. National Guarantee & Finance Co., 27 N.E.2d 257, 63 Ohio App. 508, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 582, 17 Ohio Op. 245, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 253 (Ohio Ct. App. 1939).

Opinion

OPINION

By BARNES, J.

The above entitled cause is now being determined as an error proceeding by reason of defendant’s appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Greene County, Ohio.

The action originated as one in replevin, wherein the Springfield Loan Company, plaintiff, sought to recover possession of an automobile from the defendant, The National Guarantee & Finance Co.

Both companies had chattel mortgages on the automobile, and the sole question for determination is the priority of lien under their respective mortgages.

S. R. Young, a resident of Springfield, was a dealer in used cars, operating under the name of “Used Car Exchange”. His place of business was upon an open lot within the City of Springfield. On May 15, 1937, S. R. Young negotiated for the purchase of *584 the automobile in question from the Ripley Motor Sales Company, of Urbana, Ohio. Simultaneous with the purchase, S. R. Young, on the said 15th day of May, 1937, fon the purpose of financing the deal executed a note and chattel mortgage to the Springfield Loan Company on the automobile in question. The note and mortgage called for the payment of $375.00 in monthly installments.. The mortgage was duly filed for record with the County Recorder of Clark County, Ohio, on the 18th day of May, 1937, at 2:45 P. M. The note and mortgage being signed as follows: “Used Car Exchange, S. R. Young.” The mortgage was dated the 15th day of March instead of the 15th day of May. The trial court found this to be an error and permitted the correction.

One August C. Boster was attracted to the car on the sales lot and on the 19th day of August purchased the same, giving his note and chattel mortgage in the sum of $564.52 to the Used Car Exchange, the mortgage, of course, covering the subject matter of the action.

On the same day the Use Car Exchange, by S. R. Young, assigned the note and mortgage to the defendant, The National Guarantee & Finance Company. This chattel mortgage was filed for record on May 20, 1937, at 8:15 A. M.

The Boster note was likewise payable in installments. Three monthly installments were paid by Young to the plaintiff, the last payment being made on August 20, 1937. Boster made his monthly payments to the defendant, The National Guarantee & Finance Company, up to about the same time.

Some time in September Young skipped out and up to the time of the trial his whereabouts was unknown. This brought about an investigation by all interested parties. Boster, who testified that Young had represented to him that the -car was unencumbered, then for the first time learned of the Springfield Loan Company's mortgage, and not caring to be further involved, declined to make further installment payments and turned the car over to the defendant, The National Guarantee & Finance Company.

On October 4, 1937, the replevin action was started in the Court of Common Pleas of Greene County, Ohio.

The petition and affidavit in replevin was in the usual from, with the allegation that the plaintiff claimed a right of possession of the automobile in question by reason of the mortgage lien given said plaintiff on the 15th dav of May, 1937, by Used Car Exchange, S. R. Young, to secure a loan of Three Hundred Seventy-five ($375.00) dollars, from plaintiff to Used Car Exchange, S. R. Young.

Said mortgagors are in default and have been in default for payment as provided in said mortgage since on or about September 15, 1937, and under the terms of said mortgage, the plaintiff is entitled to possession of said automobile.

“Defendant wrongfully detained said property from plaintiff.”

Defendant’s answer contained two defenses, the first defense being a general denial, and the second defense pleads estoppel, seeking to invoke the principle of law announced in the case of Hostetler v National Acceptance Co., 36 Oh Ap 141. The syllabus in the reported case reads as follows:

“The holder of a chattel mortgage upon an automobile who permits the mortgagor, a retail automobile dealer, to place said automobile upon its salesroom floor for the purpose of sale to one Who might be attracted thereby, will not be permitted to assert its mortgage against an innocent purchaser, who bought the car from said dealer in the ordinary retail way for value and without actual notice of said mortgage.”

The second defense of defendant’s answer is very long, but suffice it to say that it alleges each and every fact requisite to the invoking of the principle set out in the Hostetler case, supra.

To this second defense, counsel for plaintiff interposed a general demurrer, *585 which was submitted to a visiting judge and after hearing, sustained. We have been handed the written opinion of the trial judge sustaining the demurrer and thereby ascertain his analysis and reasoning. It was the opinion of the court that the claim of estoppel was not properly made in the second defense of the answer, for the reason that the averments of the answer that plaintiff expected said Young to sell said car would mean for cash, and the note and chattel mortgage for the balance would not be protected under the principle of estoppel. The court also made the observation that Boster himself under the authority stated would not be protected as against plaintiff beyond the actual cash payment he made on the car.

Following the sustaining of the motion, counsel for defendant took leave to file an amended answer, which was substantially the same as the first, with a few added averments, intended undoubtedly to better preserve its record.

Again plaintiff filed a general demurred to the answer, which upon hearing, was sustained. Thereafter August C. Boster, obtained leave to file an answer and intervening petition, the same being proffered and filed simultaneously with the application. The Boster intervening petition set forth practically the same averments as were contained in the second defense of the answer and amended answer of the National Guarantee Ss Finance Company.

Plaintiff interposed motion to strike the Boster intervening pleading- from the files. This motion was submitted to a second visiting judge and was sustained on the ground that Boster was not a proper or necessary party for the reason that he had voluntarily surrendered whatever interest he may have had in said automobile.

Boster within time gave notice of appeal, and at a former term of this court the appeal was heard and the judgment of the lower court affirmed and the cause remanded for further proceedings according to law.

In the written opinion rendered by our court, an observation was made, which was purely dictum., that under the state of fads then presented to us, we knew of no reason why the defendant company would not have the same rights as would Boster, had he been the defendant. After the case was remanded, it came to trial on the merits before the resident judge, jury being waived. Over the objection of counsel for plaintiff, the trial court permitted the introduction of evidence on all the facts averred in defendant’s second defense through its amended answer, the same as though the demurrer had not been sustained.

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Bluebook (online)
27 N.E.2d 257, 63 Ohio App. 508, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 582, 17 Ohio Op. 245, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 253, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/springfield-loan-co-v-national-guarantee-finance-co-ohioctapp-1939.