Warren Refrigerator Co. v. Cavallino

218 So. 2d 621, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5375
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJanuary 6, 1969
DocketNo. 3264
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 218 So. 2d 621 (Warren Refrigerator Co. v. Cavallino) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Warren Refrigerator Co. v. Cavallino, 218 So. 2d 621, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5375 (La. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinions

CHASEZ, Judge.

The plaintiff in this action, The Warren Refrigerator Company, Inc., filed this suit on October 11, 1966, against the defendant herein, Vincent J. Cavallino, d/b/a Caval-lino’s Super Market, for $62,583.00, plus interest and attorney’s fees, allegedly due on a certain promissory note secured by chattel mortgage.

[622]*622In its petition the plaintiff prayed for and secured a writ of sequestration under which it seized refrigerating equipment owned by defendant subject to the chattel mortgage. The defendant answered the suit and denied that there was a past due balance on the note, averring that as of the time of the filing of the suit all installments which were due were paid and two additional installments had been in fact prepaid. He incorporated a reconventional demand in his answer for alleged damages sustained as a result of the sequestration and seizure. The defendant then filed a motion to have the writ of sequestration dissolved on a rule to show cause.

A lengthy hearing was held on this motion during which considerable testimony and evidence was introduced. The trial judge denied the motion and thereby dismissed the plea for dissolution of the writ.

The defendant applied for writs of cer-tiorari, prohibition and mandamus to this court, and asked that the decision which denied the motion for dissolution be reviewed. This application for writs was denied by this court, on the finding that the showing was insufficient to warrant the exercise of our supervisory jurisdiction.

Defendant then applied for these same writs to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. The Supreme Court denied the application for the stated reason that “There appears no error of law in the ruling complained of.” Warren Refrigerator Company, Inc. v. Cavallino d/b/a Cavallino’s Super Market, 250 La. 636, 197 So.2d 653 (1967).

The matter was then tried on its merits by the trial court. No further evidence or testimony was introduced, and the case was submitted on the record as formulated during the hearing on the motion for dissolution of the writ of sequestration. Judgment was then rendered in favor of plaintiff and against defendant in the full sum of $62,583.00 with six per cent (6%) per annum interest thereon, and fifteen per cent (15%) interest additional upon the aggregate sum of principal and interest with attorney’s fees and all costs of the suit. The writ of sequestration was maintained, the property ordered sold and the defendant’s reconventional demand was rejected. The defendant now prosecutes this appeal.

A full understanding of the chronological development of this case is essential to a correct decision herein. The record reveals that some time during the year 1964, the defendant’s super market was destroyed by fire. In April, 1965, the defendant purchased the refrigerating equipment in question from the plaintiff, for the purpose of opening his new super market. The sale price of this equipment was $79,127.22, of this $8,277.22 was paid in cash and the balance accepted in the form of a promissory note dated April 8, 1965 in face amount of $70,850.00. This note indicated maturity simply by reciting across its margin: “59 payments at $1,-181.00 each and one payment of $1,171.00.”

There was nothing on the note to designate the due date of the first installment. However, the note was paraphed for identification with a chattel mortgage of even date. This mortgage recited the note was payable as follows:

“ * * * in 60 installments 59 installments being'for the sum of $1,181.00 each and the last installment being for the sum of $1,171.00, the first installment being due on the 30 days after opening and one each of the remaining installments shall be due on the same day of each month thereafter until all are paid; * * (Emphasis ours.)

The defendant testified that at the time he purchased the refrigeration equipment and executed the promissory note and chattel mortgage he expected to open his store for business a week or two after the Labor Day Weekend in September 1965. However Hurricane Betsy intervened in early September and did considerable damage to his premises so he was unable to open at that time, and did not in fact open until April 28, 1966.

[623]*623The defendant stated that some time during October 1965 in response to plaintiff’s inquiries for payment on the note he promised that he would make a payment during that month. Finally after repeated demands by plaintiff in the form of telephone calls and letters, on January 24, 1966 the defendant made his first payment of $1,181.00 on the note. He made a second payment of the same amount on January 28, 1966, a third on February 4, 1966, and a fourth on March 17, 1966. Some time thereafter he turned the matter over to his attorney, Mr. Nicholas Gagliano.

Mr. Gagliano testified at the hearing on the motion to dissolve the writ of sequestration. He stated that defendant told him of his problem regarding the note and chattel mortgage some time during the month of April, 1966. Gagliano read the chattel mortgage and advised defendant it was his opinion that no payments were due until 30 days after the super market opened for business, which had not at that time occurred. Gagliano then began to represent the defendant in his dealings with the plaintiff involving the chattle mortgage.

Gagliano testified he telephoned the attorney representing the plaintiff, Mr. Charles D. Viccellio, and advised him that defendant was not in arrears in his payments on the mortgage, but was in fact then prepaid by four installments. He received several letters from Viccellio demanding payment, in which the possibility of litigation and its consequences to defendant were mentioned.

On May 20, 1966 Gagliano wrote a letter to plaintiff’s attorney enclosing a check for $1,181.00. In this letter he stated:

“Enclosed herewith is a check in the sum of $1,181.00 payable to Warren Refrigeration to cover what you have designated as the April 22 payment in your recent letters. Within the next week or ten days I will be sending you another check in the same amount to cover the payment that you have designated as the May 22nd payment.
“Mr. Cavallino would rather make these payments as indicated above rather than expend the sum of $274.16 to bypass the so-called April 22nd Payment.
“I agree with you that it would be expensive for both parties to litigate this matter in court, but if, for some reason, your client decides to pursue their course, I can only suggest that we will defend it vigorously, and do our very best to establish that you have been paid in advance rather than in arrears.
“I hope we can put this matter at rest at least temporarily with the enclosed check and the one to immediately follow”

In response he received the following letter from Viccellio dated May 24, 1966.

“We were happy to receive your letter of May 20th and acknowledge First National Bank money order drawn on Ca-vallino’s Super Market, Inc. in the sum of $1,181.00 representing the April 22, 1966, payment. It is our understanding that in- the next week or ten days we may expect to receive the May 22nd payment of $1,181.00.

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Related

Holmes v. Davis-Ogden, Inc.
274 So. 2d 821 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1973)
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263 So. 2d 96 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
218 So. 2d 621, 1969 La. App. LEXIS 5375, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warren-refrigerator-co-v-cavallino-lactapp-1969.