Thomas v. Greyson Co.

363 F. Supp. 382, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 563, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12245
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedAugust 17, 1973
DocketNo. GBK 70-46-S
StatusPublished

This text of 363 F. Supp. 382 (Thomas v. Greyson Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas v. Greyson Co., 363 F. Supp. 382, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 563, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12245 (N.D. Miss. 1973).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

ORMA R. SMITH, District Judge.

This action is before the court upon a petition filed pursuant to the provisions of Section 39 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11 U.S.C.A. § 67(c), to review a decision of the Referee. The petitioner, Greyson Company, Ltd. (Greyson Company) seeks a review of the Referee’s determination that it held only an unperfected security interest in certain food packaging equipment which was sold by the trustee in bankruptcy. The sale was authorized by the Referee and the proceeds retained by the Trustee. The petitioner did not challenge the sale, but now asserts that it is entitled to the entire proceeds. To resolve the issue, it is necessary to briefly review the background.

In 1969, Delta Food Processing Corporation (Delta Food) sought to acquire four specialized food packaging machines. However, Delta Food was virtually without working capital at that time, and its creditors were pressing for payment of past due accounts. The manufacturer of the equipment, Package Machinery Company (Package Machinery), was unwilling to extend significant credit to Delta Food, and Delta Food was unable to provide or directly obtain funds for the purchase. Consequently, two-party negotiations between Delta Food and Package Machinery were unsuccessful.

At the invitation of the officer of Delta Food, the petitioner represented by its principal officer, Jack A. Greyson, entered the negotiations. Petitioner agreed to purchase the desired equipment for a total price of $78,250.00, and Delta Food agreed to “lease” the same equipment for a period of five years. Petitioner paid the total purchase price to Package Machinery which, in turn, delivered the equipment to Delta Food’s processing plant where it was installed. The equipment was never in the petitioner’s possession. In the year following installation of the equipment, Delta Food entered bankruptcy proceedings.

The entire consideration to be paid under the instrument designated as a lease was $108.000.00, a figure determined by adding 7 % yearly “add on” interest for a period of five years to the original purchase price. The total amount was then divided by 60, and the monthly “rent” computed at $1,800.00. Delta Food was required to advance 6 months rent, or $10,800.00, as a security deposit. The total payment was thereby reduced to $97,200.00 to be paid over a period of 54 months.

The “lease agreement” contained standard printed provisions providing that title to the equipment was to remain vested in the lessor. However, the agreement also contained the following typed special clause: “Lessee may pay off 90% of balance”.

The Referee specifically found that “the dominant intent of the parties to the so-called lease . . . was that the lessee (bankrupt herein) could, at any time, pay lessor 90% of the balance of unpaid ‘rentals’ and thereupon acquire full title to said personal property . . rentals being regarded by the parties to said instrument as the ‘cost of the money’, and that said instrument is [384]*384in substance and in fact, a conditional sales contract rather than a lease, the typed special provision overriding the printed portions of said instrument, Greyson’s interest in said property being merely a security interest.”

The Referee further found that Grey-son Company “filed no financing statement . . . revealing its security in-

terest in said property, and that as against the Trustee in Bankruptcy, herein, (Greyson Company’s) security interest in said property was not perfected. . . . ” Consequently, the Referee held the Greyson Company has no right, title or interest in or to the personal property nor in or to the proceeds of the sale thereof.

The petitioner, Greyson Company, seeks review of this decision. Petitioner contends that the intent of the parties was to execute a lease; that title to the personalty was at all times vested in the petitioner; that the referee improperly received oral testimony to contradict a written agreement; that petitioner was not required to perfect a security interest ; and that petitioner should be granted full rights to the proceeds of the sale of the personalty.

The Referee grounded his decision upon the instrument itself and upon the deposition of R. C. Hadley, formerly the chief administrative and operations officer of Delta Food. The deposition was noticed and taken by the attorney for the Trustee. Pertinent portions of the testimony follow:

“Q In early 1969, could you describe for us, briefly, the state of development of Delta Food Processing Corporation?

A At that point, the corporation was virtually out of working capital. Its creditors were pressing for payment of overdue bills and, in general, it was in pretty poor financial condition. . . .

Q I hand you a Petition For Order To Show Cause, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi and ask, if you will, to examine it and, particularly, the exhibits to it.

A All right.

Q Are you familiar with the exhibits to that Petiton?

A I am.

Q Do you identify them as correct copies of the originals ?

A Yes, I do.

Q Exhibits B to the Petition is a lease describing some three frozen food overwrapping machines and one bagging machine; are you familiar with that machinery?

A Yes, I am

Q By whom was it manufactured?

A By Package Machinery Corpora* tion.

Q Can you tell us whether or not Delta Food Processing Corporation had had any negotiations with Package Machinery ?

A Yes, they had negotiated with the company for this equipment.

Q What was the purpose of the negotiations ?

A For purchase.

Q Was Delta Food Processing Corporation successful in those negotiations?

A No, they were not.

Q Can you tell us why ?

A Two reasons. One, Delta Foods did not have that amount of money in its budget for the purchase of the equipment. And, two, Delta Foods did not qualify as to credit standings to purchase it from Package Machinery. . .

Q What discussions did you have with Mr. Greyson leading up to the execution of that instrument, Exhibit B?

A Well, we discussed the equipment, the price, the terms of the money that we were getting from him.

Q What was your purpose in contacting Mr. Greyson ?

A To find a means to obtain this equipment.

Q Specifically, what means were you seeking ?

A I was trying to get some money to purchase the equipment. . . .

[385]*385Q Is this instrument, Exhibit B to the Petition, is that the instrument that was executed by Delta Food — between Delta Food and Greyson Company, Limited?

A Yes.

Q Is that the instrument that related directly to the purchase of this equipment from Package Machinery Company, Inc.?

A Yes, it is.

Q I notice a typed provision, under the heading Additional Provisions, ‘Lessee may pay off 90 per cent of balance’. Why was that added to the agreement?

A So that Delta Food might take title to the property at any time that is felt it had the money and wanted to pay off the remaining balance. (Emphasis supplied)

Q Had that been negotiated with Mr. Greyson ?

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Bluebook (online)
363 F. Supp. 382, 13 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 563, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12245, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-greyson-co-msnd-1973.