Verschoor v. Miller

143 N.W.2d 385, 259 Iowa 170, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 822
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 14, 1966
Docket52106
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 143 N.W.2d 385 (Verschoor v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Verschoor v. Miller, 143 N.W.2d 385, 259 Iowa 170, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 822 (iowa 1966).

Opinion

Moore, J.

On October 26, 1964, plaintiffs filed an action at law against defendant Abe Miller claiming $87,652.07 for drafts drawn on them for purchase of cattle. Aided by a writ of attachment plaintiffs immediately garnished Frank E. Scott Commission Company. The commission company answered and later under a stipulation of the parties paid into court $18,204.13 being the proceeds from 183 cattle sold for Abe Miller prior to 3:30 p.m., October 26, 1964. On January 4, 1965, intervenors filed separate but almost identical petitions of intervention claiming the garnished proceeds were from cattle Miller obtained from them to which they retained title. Upon trial to the court the petitions of intervention were dismissed and judgment entered against intervenors. They have appealed. Only the controversy between plaintiffs and intervenors for the $18,204.13 is involved in this appeal.

Defendant Miller, a dealer in livestock for 35 years, had for about a year prior to Wednesday, October 21, 1964, purchased cattle consigned to Kist Livestock Auction Company, Incorporated, of Mandan, North Dakota, under an arrangement by which he was given possession of the stock and the following Thursday or Friday sent a check to Kist for the same by the trucker who had done the hauling.

On the above date Miller personally bought at the Kist Auction consignments totaling 106 cattle for $11,344.46. Although purporting to sell only for cash and knowing the cattle would be trucked to market, Kist without receiving payment issued an invoice showing Miller as owner of these cattle. At Miller’s direction 81 head were loaded Wednesday night to be trucked to Scott in Sioux City, Iowa. The other 25 were moved out the next morning and also shipped to Scott as part of a load with cattle bought by Miller the next day from Dobler Company in Jamestown, North Dakota. Miller testified he sent a check to Kist by' a trucker. It was not received by Kist. Kist on the ■ day of the auction paid the consignors for their cattle. Kist was not paid except on December 22, 1964, Miller made a partial payment of $3388.40.

*173 On Thursday, October 22, 1964, Miller bought 165 cattle at Dobler’s Livestock Auction at Jamestown and issued three checks for the total purchase price of $14,379.44. Invoices were issued showing the cattle were sold to Miller. Dobler was aware they were to be sent to market. The next morning 52 head were shipped by rail consigned to Scott. The remaining 113 together with, the 25 from Kist were shipped Friday morning by Miller to Scott by trucks.

Miller stopped payment on the cheeks after garnishment. Dobler received only a partial payment of $3388.40 which Miller made December 22, 1964.

Miller began shipping cattle to Scott Commission Company for sale in September or October 1, 1964. The following is a list of cattle received from Miller by Scott after October 11, 1964.

October 12, 1964 — 82 head

October 14, 1964 — 117 head

October 15, 1964 — 319 head

October 19, 1964 — 100 head

October 20, 1964 — 195 head

October 21, 1964 — 183 head

October 24, 1964 — 219 head

October 25, 1964 — 52 head

No cattle were received from Miller after October 25. Scott on receipt of a shipment from Miller put the cattle in pens and weighed, graded and sorted them for better sale. After a sale Scott’s remittance was made to Miller by head count, not by any particular cattle shipment.

Scott did not buy or sell on Saturdays or Sundays and seldom sold cattle from a shipment on the day it was received.

The testimony of intervenors’ witness Charles Chapman, a partner in the Scott Commission Company, is conflicting and confusing to some extent regarding the identity of the 183 cattle sold by Scott at Sioux City prior to 3:30 p.m. on October 26, 1964. He testified regarding the dates and number of cattle received from Miller from October 11 through 25, the method used for sorting and head count and was unable to state from which shipment a particular critter came after the sorting had been completed. The 183 sold on October 26 consisted of a sale of 106 and another of 77 head. On cross-examination Chapman stated 106 head came in on October 21 and those specific cattle were sold on the 26th and also 77 head arrived at Scott’s yard on October 21 and all sold on the 26th except eight calves.

*174 Chapman further testified a few head were sold on the 26th after the garnishment, on the evening of October 26 Seott still had approximately 260 head which had been consigned by Miller, 44 head, including some of the cattle received on the 25th by rail, were sold on the 27th and about four days later 219 head were “returned home” to Miller.

Defendant Miller’s answer to the garnishment states Seott is not indebted to him but to the owners of the cattle and that Gideon Dobler, doing business as Dobler Sales Company of Jamestown, North Dakota, owned the cattle sold on October 26. Miller as intervenors’ witness related the details of his purchases from Kist and Dobler, the manner of shipping the cattle to Scott, his stopping payment on the Dobler checks after garnishment and his disposition of the 219 head which were returned to him and he sold at Eldora, Iowa. He testified he recognized most of the 219 as light cattle purchased from Harvey Livestock Auction Company, at Harvey, North Dakota, October 20. On cross-examination he stated some light cattle had also been bought at Kist and Doblers.

The petition of each intervener pleaded ownership of the cattle obtained by Miller at the respective auctions and the garnished proceeds were from the sale of said cattle. Plaintiffs denied these and other allegations of the petitions of intervention. On the issues thus joined intervenors attempted to prove ownership of the cattle sold on October 26 and therefore a right to the garnished funds.

After making extensive findings of fact the trial court held intervenors failed to meet the burden to prove their claim the money reached by garnishment was proceeds of a sale of Kist or Dobler cattle. The trial court further held the question of whether title passed to Miller at or after purchase need not be decided in view of said holding against intervenors.

The intervenors assert the judgment dismissing their petitions of intervention is contrary to the facts and applicable law, no title passed to Miller, pursuant to the doctrine of commingling they are entitled to the funds, the court should have impressed a trust on the garnished funds in proportion to the interest of each *175 intervenar and plaintiff acquired no greater rights than those of defendant Miller.

Plaintiffs argue the trial court correctly held intervenors had the burden of proving the allegations of their petitions and the court’s finding they failed to meet their burden is supported by the record. Plaintiffs assert failure of intervenors to prove at least some of the cattle sold came from their auctions renders consideration of other issues unnecessary. Stated another way, plaintiffs point out there is substantial evidence the cattle sold on October 26 arrived at Scott’s yard not later than October 21.

I.

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Bluebook (online)
143 N.W.2d 385, 259 Iowa 170, 1966 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 822, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/verschoor-v-miller-iowa-1966.