United Agri-Products Financial Services, Inc. v. O'S Gold Seed Co.

733 P.2d 252, 3 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 562, 1987 Wyo. LEXIS 399
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1987
Docket86-172
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 733 P.2d 252 (United Agri-Products Financial Services, Inc. v. O'S Gold Seed Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Agri-Products Financial Services, Inc. v. O'S Gold Seed Co., 733 P.2d 252, 3 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 562, 1987 Wyo. LEXIS 399 (Wyo. 1987).

Opinion

MACY, Justice.

Appellee O’s Gold Seed Company (O’s Gold) filed an action in district court to recover possession of personal property. From a judgment in favor of O’s Gold, United Agri-Products Financial Services, Inc. (UAP) appeals to this Court.

We reverse and remand.

UAP sets forth the following issues for our determination:

“A. WAS THE SECURITY INTEREST OF UNITED AGRI PRODUCTS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC., IN SEED SOLD AND DELIVERED TO ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEED & GRAIN, INC., BY O’S GOLD SEED COMPANY SUPERIOR TO ANY CLAIM OF O’S GOLD SEED COMPANY?
“B. DID THE SETTLEMENT OF FOREIGN LITIGATION WHEREIN UNITED AGRI PRODUCTS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC., WAS PLAINTIFF AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEED & GRAIN, INC., WAS DEFENDANT RELEASE THE SECURITY INTEREST UNITED AGRI PRODUCTS FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC., HAD IN THE SEED BELONGING TO ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEED & GRAIN, INC.?”

O’s Gold states the issues as follows:

“THE APPELLEE’S INTEREST IN THE SEED WAS PROTECTED FROM APPELLANT’S CLAIMED SECURITY INTEREST BY THE EXCEPTIONS CONTAINED IN § 34-21-243 (c) (i & ii), W.S., 1977.
“APPELLEE COMPLIED WITH THE PROVISIONS OF § 11-12-105 W.S., 1977 REQUIRING IT TO EVIDENCE ITS IDENTITY AS THE ACTUAL SELLER OF THE SEED ON THE BAG LABEL.
“THE APPELLEE ESTABLISHED ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAS GENERALLY KNOWN BY ITS CREDITORS TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY ENGAGED IN SELLING SEED OWNED BY OTHERS. “THE APPELLANT’S CLAIMED SECURITY INTEREST IN THE SEED WAS EXTINGUISHED WHEN THE UNDERLYING DEBT WAS SATISFIED.
“ANY ERROR BY THE TRIAL COURT WAS HARMLESS ERROR IN LIGHT OF THE APPELLANT’S FAILURE TO *254 PRESENT ANY EVIDENCE OF DAMAGES.”

O’s Gold is an Iowa corporation engaged in the business of selling agricultural seed in Wyoming. In the fall of 1983, O’s Gold met with Rocky Mountain Feed & Grain, Inc. (Rocky Mountain), a general retailer of farm and ranch supplies in Platte County, Wyoming. As a result of their meeting, O’s Gold and Rocky Mountain entered into an agreement whereby O’s Gold agreed to deliver a specified quantity of seed to Rocky Mountain for resale to area farmers and ranchers for the 1984 crop season. The agreement also provided that, at the end of the season, Rocky Mountain would pay O’s Gold for the seed sold during the year, receive a commission for the seed sold, and return to O’s Gold any seed which remained unsold.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, O’s Gold delivered the seed to Rocky Mountain. At the end of the 1984 season, Rocky Mountain paid O’s Gold for the seed sold during the year and returned to O’s Gold any seed which remained unsold. The same procedures were followed the next year.

Meanwhile, in December of 1984, Rocky Mountain obtained financing for its retail operations from UAP. Rocky Mountain signed a financing agreement and a financing statement in which it pledged its inventory and accounts receivable to UAP as security for the indebtedness.

In June of 1985, after experiencing financial difficulties, Rocky Mountain closed its business. At the time of closing, Rocky Mountain had in its possession a portion of the seed delivered to it by O’s Gold.

On July 15, 1985, O’s Gold filed a complaint in district court in which it prayed for an order determining it to be entitled to possession of the seed and an order directing Rocky Mountain and UAP to relinquish the seed to O’s Gold. In its answer, UAP alleged as an affirmative defense that it was entitled to the seed because it filed the appropriate security instrument with the county clerk. On September 3, 1985, the district court issued an order for delivery commanding the sheriff to take possession of the seed from Rocky Mountain and to deliver it to O’s Gold.

Sometime prior to trial on O's Gold’s complaint, UAP filed suit against Rocky Mountain on the debt underlying its security interest defense. On April 18, 1986, UAP settled its claim against Rocky Mountain. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, judgment was entered in favor of UAP on April 18, 1986.

A trial to the court on O’s Gold’s complaint against Rocky Mountain and UAP was held on May 1, 1986. O’s Gold attempted to show that the seed was sold to Rocky Mountain on consignment and that the seed was exempt from the claims of creditors under § 34-21-243(c), W.S.1977. That section provides as follows:

“(c) Where goods are delivered to a person for sale and such person maintains a place of business at which he deals in goods of the kind involved, under a name other than the name of the person making delivery, then with respect to claims of creditors of the person conducting the business the goods are deemed to be on sale or return. The provisions of this subsection are applicable even though an agreement purports to reserve title to the person making delivery until payment or resale or uses such words as ‘on consignment’ or ‘on memorandum.’ However, this subsection is not applicable if the person making delivery:
“(i) Complies with an applicable law providing for a consignor’s interest or the like to be evidenced by a sign; or
“(ii) Establishes that the person conducting the business is generally known by his creditors to be substantially engaged in selling the goods of others; or
“(in) Complies with the filing provisions of the article on secured transactions (article 9).”

In addition, O’s Gold attempted to show that UAP’s claim against Rocky Mountain had been fully and completely settled by the prior judgment.

*255 In contrast, UAP attempted to show that the seed was sold outright to Rocky Mountain and, consequently, that it was inventory subject to the security agreement. In the alternative, UAP attempted to show that, even if the seed was sold on consignment, it was subject to the security agreement because it did not come within the exceptions provided in § 34-21-243(c).

At the close of the evidence, the district court found that:

“The consignor complied with Section 34-21-243 Wyoming Compiled Statutes in that (1) every bag of seed displayed the following statement[:] ‘Seed sold through Agents remains the property of [O’s Gold] Seed Company until delivered to the customer.’ This notice substantially complies with [paragraph] (i) of Wyoming Statute 34-21-243[ (c).] (2) Rocky Mountain Feed had been selling seed and other products for various companies on consignment and this information was known or should have been discovered by the Defendant (WS [3]4 — 21— 243[ (c) ](ii)). Lastly, UAP settled [its] claim with Rocky Mountain Feed. The settlement provided for the payment of money and assignment of accounts receivable in settlement of UAP[’s] claim against Rocky Mountain Feed. This appears to the court to be in full satisfaction of the debt of Rocky Mountain to UAP.”

I

In its first claim before this Court, UAP argues that the seed sold by O’s Gold to Rocky Mountain was sold outright and, consequently, that it was inventory subject to UAP’s security interest.

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733 P.2d 252, 3 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 562, 1987 Wyo. LEXIS 399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-agri-products-financial-services-inc-v-os-gold-seed-co-wyo-1987.