United States v. Loken

291 F. Supp. 432, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9263
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedOctober 28, 1968
DocketCiv. Nos. 67-7N, 67-8N
StatusPublished

This text of 291 F. Supp. 432 (United States v. Loken) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Loken, 291 F. Supp. 432, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9263 (D.S.D. 1968).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

BECK, District Judge.

These cases with federal jurisdiction invoked under 28 U.S.C. § 1345 have been combined for purpose of trial, each being a suit by the government against the respective defendants to recover proceeds from sales, at their sales pavilions of some livestock out of a herd mortgaged by Wesley A. Griffin to the Farmers Home Administration. Both cases are on the theory that the defendants were agents of the mortgagor, converters too, as they transferred the proceeds to him and that the government on that basis and on rules of law to be applied in one case has a right to a judgment for $730.55 and in the other for $1,475.-52.

Specifically on the facts to sustain conversion, it is the government’s position, not disputed, that the F.H.A. acquired the chattel mortgage liens when the loans were made, that the sales later were at the instance and pursuant to directions from the mortgagor, that the liens then had not been formally satisfied, that the consent to the sales, if it had existence, as to form did not meet prescribed F.H.A. regulations and that the pavilions as a matter of law under those circumstances became agents for the mortgagor. Other material facts, likewise not in dispute, are the respective mortgages being in the usual form with conferred rights upon breach of the conditions to possession in the mortgagee, coupled with a qualified ownership sufficient to maintain the actions for conversion.

That remedy, under a setting as the government in these cases has it posed, is available to a mortgagee under the law of this state. See comments in First National Bank of Pipestone v. Siman et al., 65 S.D. 514, 275 N.W. 347 (1937) that:

“In this state a breach of the conditions of the mortgage, coupled with and which gives the right to possession to the mortgagee, gives the mortgagee such a qualified ownership as will enable him to maintain an action for conversion.”
“ * * * By the great weight of authority an agent who assists his principal in converting property of a third person to the use of the principal or master is personally liable to the true [434]*434owner for the loss thereby inflicted. See many cases cited in annotation in 20 A.L.R., commencing on page 120.”,

other authorities cited in that opinion: “Northern Finance Corporation v. Midwest Commercial Credit Co., 59 S.D. 282, 239 N.W. 242; Hanover National Bank v. Farmers’ & Merchants’ State Bank, 55 S.D. 598, 227 N.W. 67; First National Bank v. Baldridge, 37 S.D. 606, 159 N.W. 130; LaRue v. St. Anthony & Dakota Elevator Co., 17 S.D. 91, 95 N.W. 292; Smith v. Donahoe, 13 S.D. 334, 83 N.W. 264; La Crosse Boot & Shoe Mfg. Co. v. Mons Anderson Co., 13 S.D. 301, 83 N.W. 331. See, also, Forbush v. San Diego Fruit & Produce Co., 46 Idaho 231, 266 P. 659, and cases therein cited; 26 R. C.L. 1136 and cases cited. * * and the observations in United States v. Kramel, 234 F.2d 577 (8 Cir. 1956):

“This court has recently held that the State law governs in a situation like this, Sig Ellingson & Co. v. De Vries, 8 Cir., 199 F.2d 677 and Sig Ellingson & Co. v. Butenbach, 8 Cir., 199 F.2d 679, certiorari denied in both cases 344 U.S. 934, 73 S.Ct. 505, 97 L.Ed. 719; and such is the holding of other courts.”,

and footnote cases at page 579: “John Clay & Co. Livestock Commission v. Clements, 5 Cir., 214 F.2d 803, 807; Walker v. Caviness, Tex.Civ.App., 256 S.W.2d 880, 882; Annotation, 2 A.L.R. 2d 1124. Citing Tagg Bros. & Moorhead v. United States, 280 U.S. 420, 50 S.Ct. 220, 74 L.Ed. 524; Morgan v. United States, 298 U.S. 468, 56 S.Ct. 906, 80 L.Ed. 1288; and Stafford v. Wallace, 258 U.S. 495, 42 S.Ct. 397, 66 L.Ed. 735”.

The defendants’ challenge to the application of that formula is this: that the facts reveal exceptions in the form of consents to the sales from the county supervisor, which from the standpoint of legal effect under the law of this state operate as waivers of the relied on chattel mortgage liens and as acts depriving the mortgagee of any remedy, except for suits and judgments on the promissory notes.

Such exceptions, according to the defendants, are established under this record and are available as defenses in cases of this kind in this state on the authority of Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company v. Calhoun, 37 S.D. 542, 159 N.W. 127 (1916), where it is said:

“That the chattel mortgages involved were in all respects legal and binding upon the parties hereto is not questioned, and that the proceedings to dispose of the mortgaged property and pay the indebtedness secured by said mortgages was free from any fraud or concealment is admitted; but it is the contention of appellant that, when the mortgagees consented to a sale of the mortgaged property in the manner shown herein, they waived their lien thereon and accepted the mere personal promise of the mortgagor in lieu thereof, and left the fund derived from the sale subject to levy by the judgment creditors of the mortgagor. That the consent of a mortgagee to the sale of mortgage chattels amounts to a waiver of the lien thereon, so that such property will pass into the hands of a purchaser free from the lien of the mortgage, is unquestionably the law. And it is generally held that the consent of the mortgagee that the mortgagor may sell the mortgaged property, given upon the agreement of the mortgagor that he will apply the proceeds of such sale on the mortgage debt, amounts to a substitution of the personal promise of the mortgagor in lieu of the mortgaged security, and that the proceeds of such sale, while in the hands of the mortgagor, are subject to levy by the mortgagor’s judgment creditors. White Mountain Bank v. West, 46 Me. 15; Maier v. Freeman, 112 Cal. 8, 44 P. 357, 53 Am. St.Rep. 151; Smith v. Crawford County State Bank, 99 Iowa 282, 61 N.W. 378, 68 N.W. 690; Smith v. Clark, 100 Iowa 605, 69 N.W. 1011; Carr v. Brawley, 34 Okl. 500, 125 P. 1131, 43 L.R.A.,N.S., 302; Loughlin v. Larson, 27 S.D. 376, 131 N.W. 304. * * *

[435]*435“The facts in this case are on all fours with the facts in Hoyt v. Clemans, 167 Iowa 330, 149 N.W. 442, L.R.A.1915C, 166, and the principles applied by the court in that case should govern in this. In that case the court say:

Tt is elementary that, as a general rule, a garnishing creditor acquires no greater rights against the garnishee than the judgment debtor would have had against him, had he sought to recover from the garnishee, and it is manifest under the facts above stated, that the Clemanses could not have recovered anything from Roberts, save as for a breach of trust.

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

Related

Stafford v. Wallace
258 U.S. 495 (Supreme Court, 1922)
Tagg Bros. & Moorhead v. United States
280 U.S. 420 (Supreme Court, 1930)
Morgan v. United States
298 U.S. 468 (Supreme Court, 1936)
Sig Ellingson & Co. v. De Vries
199 F.2d 677 (Eighth Circuit, 1952)
Sig Ellingson & Co. v. Butenbach
199 F.2d 679 (Eighth Circuit, 1952)
John Clay & Co. Livestock Commission v. Clements
214 F.2d 803 (Fifth Circuit, 1954)
Walker v. Caviness
256 S.W.2d 880 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1953)
Forbush v. San Diego Fruit & Produce Co.
266 P. 659 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1928)
Carr v. Brawley
1912 OK 490 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1912)
Northern Finance Corp. v. Midwest Comm. Credit Co.
239 N.W. 242 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1931)
First National Bank v. Siman
275 N.W. 347 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1937)
White Mountain Bank v. Presbury West
46 Me. 15 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1858)
Maier v. Freeman
44 P. 357 (California Supreme Court, 1896)
Hackett v. Potter
135 Mass. 349 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1883)
Annas v. Milwaukee & Northern Railroad
30 N.W. 282 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1886)
Meuer v. Chicago, M. & St. P. Ry. Co.
75 N.W. 823 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1898)
La Crosse Boot & Shoe Mfg. Co. v. Mons Anderson Co.
83 N.W. 331 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1900)
Smith v. Donahoe
83 N.W. 264 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1900)
La Rue v. St. Anthony & Dakota Elevator Co.
95 N.W. 292 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1903)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
291 F. Supp. 432, 1968 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-loken-sdd-1968.