Vesta State Bank v. Independent State Bank of Minnesota

506 N.W.2d 307, 1993 WL 345868
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedNovember 16, 1993
DocketC6-93-150
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 506 N.W.2d 307 (Vesta State Bank v. Independent State Bank of Minnesota) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vesta State Bank v. Independent State Bank of Minnesota, 506 N.W.2d 307, 1993 WL 345868 (Mich. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinions

OPINION

AMUNDSON, Judge.

Appellants challenge the district court’s denial of their two motions to amend their complaint and the grant of summary judgment for respondents. Respondents cross-appeal, challenging the district court’s partial denial of summary judgment. We affirm in part, reverse in part and remand.

FACTS

In December 1981, appellants Vesta State Bank and State Bank of Belview jointly purchased a lease investment package from respondents Independent State Bank of Minnesota (ISBM), Clayton Management, Inc. (Clayton), and Lease Resources Corporation (LRC). Under the lease package, appellants became the lessors of agricultural lease equipment under a four-year lease to lessee Wendell Klockmann & Sons, Inc. (KSI).

ISBM acted as a broker in arranging for appellants to purchase the lease. LRC originated the sale of the combine and lease package, prepared the bill of sale and lease documentation, purchased the equipment, and then sold the lessor’s interest in the equipment and accompanying lease to appellants. Clayton prepared some of the bill of sale and lease documentation and serviced the lease, collecting rental payments and remitting them to appellants. Appellants were substituted for LRC as the lessor. The lessee was Wendell Klockmann & Sons, Inc. Wendell Klockmann executed a written guaranty for the purpose of guaranteeing payment and performance of the lease.

KSI defaulted on the lease in 1983. Appellants sued KSI and KSI’s president, Wendell Klockmann, in California and North Dakota. In this suit, Klockmann claimed he had no personal liability because he had signed the personal guaranty in his corporate capacity— i.e. as the president of KSI. The case against Klockmann individually was settled May 1, 1990 for $25,000. Appellants argue that this was a nominal recovery. They claim their damages are at least $145,988.27.

Appellants brought suit against ISBM in Minnesota in April 1987. Appellants alleged that ISBM represented that the lease was individually guaranteed by Wendell Klock-mann, who had personal assets in excess of $2 million, that this representation was false and that ISBM was negligent for failing to obtain a proper guaranty. ISBM served a third-party complaint against Clayton and LRC in June 1987.

After discovering “additional evidence of misconduct” by ISBM, Clayton and LRC, appellants moved to amend their complaint to assert additional tort and contract claims, including fraud, against all three on December 4, 1987. The district court denied the motion on the grounds that the Minn.Stat. § 549.21 acknowledgment was lacking in the proposed amended complaint and that fraud was not pleaded with particularity. This court denied appellants’ petition for discretionary review of the order denying the motion.

On May 24,1988, appellants renewed their motion to amend, stating their fraud claim with greater particularity. The district court denied this motion based on the Uniform Commercial Code’s four-year statute of limitations.

On October 31, 1992, ISBM moved for summary judgment on the personal guaranty claims. The district court granted the motion under an election of remedies theory. The court denied ISBM’s motion for summary judgment on the alternative grounds urged by ISBM — (1) that the complaint is time-barred because of the UCC’s four-year statute of limitations, and (2) that the written guaranty executed by Klockmann was signed in a personal rather than representative capacity as a matter of law.

Appellants challenge the district court’s denial of the first and second motions to amend their complaint, and the district court’s grant of summary judgment. ISBM • [310]*310has cross-appealed the partial denial of its motion for summary judgment.

ISSUES

1. Did the district court err by determining that appellants’ personal guaranty claims are barred by the doctrine of election of remedies?

2. Did the district court err by denying appellants’ first motion to amend their complaint for failure to include the Minn.Stat. § 549.21 acknowledgement language in the proposed complaint?

3. Did the district court err by determining appellants’ claims were barred by the Uniform Commercial Code’s four-year statute of limitations? Was the predominant purpose of the parties’ agreement the sale of goods or the provision of services?

4. Did the district court err by refusing to determine that Klockmann’s guaranty was enforceable as a matter of law under Minn. Stat. § 336.3-402?

ANALYSIS

I. Election of Remedies

On appeal from summary judgment, the role of the reviewing court is to review the record for the purpose of answering two questions: (1) whether there are any genuine issues of material fact and (2) whether the disteict court erred in its application of the law. Offerdahl v. University of Minn. Hosps. & Clinics, 426 N.W.2d 425, 427 (Minn.1988). Summary judgment is proper when no material issues of fact exist and one party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Minn.R.Civ.P. 56.03.

Appellants argue the election of remedies doctrine does not apply since there is no double recovery, there are distinct torts, and the claims or remedies are consistent.

ISBM argues that appellants’ claims are barred under the election of remedies doctrine. ISBM argues that appellants, by accepting a settlement with Wendell Klock-mann based on his personal guaranty, has accepted payment based on the contention that Kloekmann’s guaranty was enforceable. ISBM claims that it is inconsistent for appellants to sue in Minnesota based on the contention that Klockmann’s guaranty was not enforceable.

The election of remedies is the adoption of two or more coexisting and inconsistent remedies that the law affords on the same set of facts. Hardware Mut. Cas. Co. v. Ozmun, 217 Minn. 280, 287, 14 N.W.2d 351, 355 (1944). The purpose of the doctrine is not to prevent recourse to a potential remedy but to prevent double redress for a single wrong. Northwestern State Bank v. Foss, 293 Minn. 171, 177, 197 N.W.2d 662, 666 (1972).

In this case there is no double redress for a single wrong. The suit in California was against Wendell Klockmann and was based on Klockmann’s failure to pay his obligation under the guaranty. The suit in Minnesota seeks relief against different parties — ISBM, Clayton and LRC. The suit also focuses on different actions — respondents’ failure to obtain a valid guaranty and their representations regarding that guaranty. It is not based on any of Klockmann’s actions. Since both the parties and the wrongs alleged in this suit are different, we conclude the election of remedies does not apply.

ISBM relies heavily on Kohler v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 416 N.W.2d 469 (Minn.App.1987). We believe Kohler is distinguishable. In that case, the injured party, Kohler, entered into a settlement stipulation that provided that his injury, “arose out of and in the course of his employment.” Id. at 472.

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Related

Vesta State Bank v. Independent State Bank of Minnesota
518 N.W.2d 850 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1994)
Vesta State Bank v. Independent State Bank of Minnesota
506 N.W.2d 307 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1993)

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Bluebook (online)
506 N.W.2d 307, 1993 WL 345868, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vesta-state-bank-v-independent-state-bank-of-minnesota-minnctapp-1993.