United States v. Schumacher

154 F. Supp. 425, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedAugust 29, 1957
DocketNo. 57-C-38
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 154 F. Supp. 425 (United States v. Schumacher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Schumacher, 154 F. Supp. 425, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111 (E.D. Wis. 1957).

Opinion

GRUBB, District Judge.

Action brought on an installment note purchased by the plaintiff under the provisions of the Federal Housing Administration. The defendants claim various false and fraudulent misrepresentations and thát the note and papers concerning the transaction are void under the rules of State Department of Agriculture, Ag-110 Roofing and Siding, Ag-110.01 Cease and Desist, and Ag-110.02 Contract Requirements, which rules were promulgated pursuant to the authority in section 100.20, Wis.Stats.

On April 18, 1953 the third party defendant, Harry Stroiman d/b/a General Builders Co., through one W. H. Pessin, sold to the defendants siding under contract, Exhibit 3. On April 25, 1953, defendants executed a Completion Certificate, Exhibit 2, and the installment note in question, Exhibit 4. Third party defendant, Stroiman, furnished defendants with a written warranty of the Vitraside Industries, Inc., Exhibit'8.

Plaintiff claims that it was the holder in due course of the note and that it purchased the note from Allied Building Credits, Inc., third party defendant, and that said third party defendant was á holder in due course. Defendants seek recovery from third party defendants for damages for alleged fraud and misrepresentation and alleged violation of the • rules of the State Department of Agriculture, also damages for alleged breach of warranty.

The burden of establishing these alleged defenses is on the defendants. The court finds the facts to be as follows: The note in question was endorsed to third party defendant, Allied Building Credits, Inc. “without recourse” by Stroiman. The date of this negotiation or sale of the note and the date of Stroiman’s endorsement are not shown by the evidence. On May 10, 1955 Allied Building Credits, Inc. endorsed the note to the plaintiff “without warranty, except that the note qualified for insurance”. It appears from the stipulations in the pretrial order that on May 10, 1955 the plaintiff gave value for the note, that there has been paid against the note the -sum of $788.68, that none of the alleged misrepresentations made to the defendants in connection with obtaining their signatures to • the note were known to the plaintiff. At the time plaintiff acquired the note, there were several overdue and unpaid installments. ■ ■

Defendants claim, among other things,' that this siding was guaranteed for life by Stroiman; that, in fact, the siding was defective. The court finds that the siding was defective. With reference to the warranty, the evidence, Exhibit 8, shows that the siding was, in fact, warranted by Vitraside Industries, Inc. The court finds that third party defendant, Stroiman, made no personal warranty of the. siding and that none .was made by Allied Building Credits, Inc. The court also finds that the warranty which- was given was by a separate document arid was not contained in the- cob-tract, Exhibit - 3. The contract;' Ek[428]*428hibit 3, contains in bold face type this statement: “The Contractor Will Not Be Responsible for Any Statements, Promises or Any Representations Whatsoever, Not Contained In This Contract.”

Defendants were given a card, Exhibit 7, in which it is stated that Stroiman (General Builders Co.) would pay $50 for information as to the identity of prospective purchasers of the siding who actually purchased the siding, the $50 payment to be made when the siding was installed.

With reference to the date on which the note was negotiated, testimony of defendant Schumacher indicates that he was advised that Allied Building Credits,,. Inc. was going to finance the transaction; that General Builders Co. (Stroiman) didn’t have the money to finance it,, and that defendants would make payments direct to Allied Building Credits, Inc. This was notice to defendants that the note would be negotiated but it does not establish the date of the negotiation of the note to, Allied Building Credits, Inc., Section 116.50, Wis.Stats., provides:

“Prima facie evidence of negotiation. Except where an indorsement bears date after the maturity of the instrument, every negotiation is deemed prima facie to have been effected before the instrument was overdue.”

Section 116.57 of the statutes defines a holder in due course as a holder who has taken the instrument under the following conditions:

“(1) That it is complete and regular upon its face;
“(2) That he became the holder of it before it was overdue, and without notice that it had been previously dishonored, if such was the fact;
“(3) That he took it in good faith and for value.
“(4) That at the time it was negotiated to him he had no notice of any infirmity in the instrument, or defect in the title of the person negotiating it.
“(5) That he took it in the usual course of business.”

Section 116.60, Wis.Stats., provides:

“The title of a person who negotiates an instrument is defective within the meaning of chapters 116 to 118 when he obtains the instrument, or any signature thereto, by fraud, duress, or force or fear, or other unlawful means, or for an illegal consideration, or when he negotiates it in breach of faith, or under such circumstances as amount to a fraud and the title of such person is absolutely void when 'such instrument or signature was so procured from a person who did not know the nature of the instrument and could not have obtained such knowledge by the use of ordinary care.”

Section 116.64, Wis.Stats., provides:

“Every holder is deemed prima facie to be a holder in due course; but when it is shown that the title of any person who has negotiated the instrument was defective, the burden is on the holder to prove that he or some person under whom he claims acquired the title as a holder in due course. But the last-mentioned rule does not apply in favor of a party who became bound on the instrument prior to the acquisition of such defective title.”

Section 100.20, Wis.Stats., gives to the Department of Agriculture power to issue general orders forbidding certain trade practices, and section 100.21, Wis. Stats., provides as follows:

“Any person, corporation, partnership or business suffering pecuniary loss because of a violation by any other person of any order issued under section 100.20' may sue such person, corporation, partnership or business for damages therefor in any court of competent jurisdiction and shall, recover twice the amount of such pecuniary loss,, tor [429]*429gether with costs, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.”

Exhibit 6, the State Department of Agriculture Rules, was issued pursuant to statutory authority and in effect at the times in question. The court finds that the defendants have not met the burden of establishing any violation of Ag-110.01 (Exhibit 6).

The court finds that defendants have not met the burden of establishing any fraudulent misrepresentations on the part of third party defendants or either of them.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
154 F. Supp. 425, 1957 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-schumacher-wied-1957.