United States v. Progressive Drug Co.

492 F. Supp. 23, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13972
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedDecember 7, 1978
DocketNo. SA76CA95
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 492 F. Supp. 23 (United States v. Progressive Drug Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Progressive Drug Co., 492 F. Supp. 23, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13972 (W.D. Tex. 1978).

Opinion

JUDGMENT

SPEARS, District Judge.

This matter came on for trial before the Court on the 24th day of October, 1975. [24]*24The Small Business Administration, hereinafter referred to as “S.B.A.”, an agency of the United States Government, sought judgment against Progressive Drug Company, hereinafter referred to as “Progressive”, in the amount of $101,951.66, plus interest thereon at the daily rate of $21.2107 from October 15, 1975, until paid, and against Walter G. Lagerquist, Jr. in the amount of $76,825.00. After hearing the evidence, it appears to the Court that two issues call for resolution. The first is whether the actions of the S.B.A. in seizing the assets of Progressive on November 27, 1975, were taken pursuant to lawful authority. In this connection, a history of the relationship between the parties is necessary.

On January 24, 1972, defendant Progressive Drug Company, by and through its president, Walter G. Lagerquist, Jr., executed a promissory note in the amount of $175,000.00, payable to the order of the Alamo National Bank of San Antonio, Texas, hereinafter referred to as “Bank”. Contemporaneous with the execution of the note, a “Small Business Administration Loan Agreement” between the Bank and the S.B.A., a security agreement covering accounts and contract rights, and a security agreement covering inventory, each naming the Alamo National Bank of San Antonio as the secured party, were also signed by Mr. Lagerquist as president of Progressive. In addition, and on the same date, Mr. Lagerquist executed a “Small Business Administration Guaranty”, by which he undertook a personal guaranty of Progressive’s indebtedness to the Bank to the extent of $76,-825.00.

Under the terms of the above referred to note, payments thereon were to be made on the 24th of each month. No payment was made on November 24,1974. On November 26, 1974, Mr. Lagerquist called the Bank to discuss the possibility that the Bank might foreclose on the company and allow it to stay open and operate on a “bonded warehouse” basis. Later that day, Mr. Gilmer Williams, a vice president of the Bank, called Mr. Anthony S. Reyna, a loan officer at the S.B.A. office in San Antonio, and requested that the S.B.A. take over and liquidate Progressive’s assets. The next day, November 27,1974, Mr. Williams wrote a letter to the S.B.A. requesting that the S.B.A. purchase its 85% participating interest in the note. The letter also stated “[y]ou are hereby authorized to liquidate subject loan and dispose of assets and collateral as needed.”

During the afternoon of the 27th, Mr. Reyna, Mr. Charles D. Richardson, and another S.B.A. officer went to Progressive’s business premises at 114 Stumberg in San Antonio. They were there when Mr. Lagerquist returned from lunch, at which time he was informed of their intention to lock the doors of the business, which they proceeded to do without any objection, challenge, or argument from him. The doors, except those leading to Mr. Lagerquist’s personal offices and those of his staff, were padlocked, and “no trespassing” signs were posted around the premises. A security guard was also placed on the premises to protect the inventory, particularly that portion of the inventory consisting of controlled substances.

On December 2, 1974, the November 27, 1974, letter from the Bank was received by the S.B.A. On December 5, 1974, the S.B.A. wrote the Bank, and requested immediate assignment of the note and related agreements to the S.B.A. Mr. Williams evidenced his agreement to the arrangement, including acceleration of the note, seizure and sale of all collateral, and the obtaining of a deficiency judgment, by signing a statement to that effect at the bottom of the December 5 letter on December 9,1974. On December 6, 1974, the S.B.A. mailed a notice of acceleration and demand for payment of the $116,162.64 outstanding balance on the note to Mr. Lagerquist, as president of Progressive. On December 12, 1974, the Bank formally assigned the note and security agreements of Progressive to the S.B.A. without recourse. A similar formal assignment of Mr. Lagerquist’s personal guaranty was made on December 18, 1974.

[25]*25Progressive contends that since the S.B.A. was not the holder of the note, the security agreements, or the guaranty on November 27, 1974, it had no legal authority to seize the assets of the business on that date. The Court finds no merit in this position. Although the S.B.A. did not have the status of assignee of the rights of the Bank under the security agreements on November 27, 1974, it had been requested by the Bank to take possession of the collateral and begin proceedings to liquidate same. An agency relationship was thus created through which the S.B.A. had the authority to proceed as it did. No question concerning the S.B.A.’s authority to seize and liquidate Progressive’s assets was raised at the time of seizure by any of the company’s employees. In fact, as late as February 11, 1975, Mr. Lagerquist, who is a practicing attorney in San Antonio, wrote the S.B.A., stating “I recognize this obligation, of course, and would like to arrange to discharge it.” In addition, on November 27, 1976, it was obvious to the Bank and the S.B.A. that time was of the essence in pursuing their right to seize Progressive’s assets. Mr. Lagerquist had proposed to the Bank that it should foreclose on the company’s inventory in order that trade creditors, some, of whom had begun legal actions to collect their accounts, could not disrupt the company’s business by conducting piecemeal foreclosures on the inventory. Faced with a situation where the business was hurtling downward at an accelerating pace, and where the inventory available for satisfaction of the secured party’s interest was imperiled by an increasing trend on the part of trade creditors to begin protecting their own interests, the actions of the Bank and the S.B.A. appear reasonable in every respect in taking steps to protect the collateral available for satisfaction of Progressive’s indebtedness from waste. On these facts, the Court holds that the actions of the S.B.A. in seizing and proceeding to liquidate the assets of Progressive were proper and reasonable under the circumstances, and were taken pursuant to lawful authority.

The second question before the Court involved the commercial reasonableness of the liquidation of Progressive’s assets. The many factors to be considered by the Court in evaluating the commercial reasonableness of a public liquidation sale of the assets of a business which have been seized after default appear in United States v. Terrey, 554 F.2d 685 (5th Cir. 1977). Before detailing the application of the Terrey standards to the case at bar, a recital of relevant facts is necessary.

After the November 27, 1974, seizure of Progressive’s assets by the S.B.A., the business operations of the company as a going concern halted. Progressive’s employees remained on the job until December 30, 1974, and during that period they pursued collections of accounts receivable and assisted to some degree in attempting to find a private buyer for the company’s assets. The S.B. A.’s efforts to find such a buyer proved fruitless, except for the sale of some of the controlled substances. During this period the S.B.A. was incurring expense for rent, utilities, and a security guard who was on the premises to protect the inventory, particularly the controlled substances, from vandalism.

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492 F. Supp. 23, 1978 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13972, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-progressive-drug-co-txwd-1978.