Colbath v. Mechanicks National Bank
Colbath v. Mechanicks National Bank
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff, while admitting a valid factors hen was created by the agreement by the borrower with the bank, claims it was later invalidated because, first, the borrower was permitted by the defendant bank to use the proceeds of sales in the ordinary course of business without accounting to the defendant; second, there was no consignment or pledge monthly or otherwise to the defendant as required by the act; third, there was no monthly inventory delivered to the bank as required by the agreement and the plaintiff argues that this indicates the parties did not intend after acquired goods to be subject to the lien. Finally the plaintiff insists that the defendant lost its lien by failing to comply with certain provisions of our laws relating to bulky article attachments (R. L., c. 388, ss. 23, 25-28), and by neglecting to give notice of the sale as required by R. L., c. 262, s. 43 and R. L., c. 264, s. 5. With reference to the plaintiff’s last claim it seems sufficient to say that the statutes he cites do not appear applicable here. The Factors Lien Act with which we are dealing is a new creation and neither by expression nor by reasonable implication does it seem that R. L., c. 262, s. 43 the so-called Sales in Bulk Act applies. 57 A. L. R. 1049; Wasserman v. McDonnell, 190 Mass. 326; Atamian v. O’Leary, 278 N. Y. S. 218. Nor are the remaining statutes cited under the plaintiff’s last contention authority in his favor. No demand for an account or tender of any amount due the bank was made by the plaintiff. The burden was not on the defendant to seek out and give notice to all possible subsequent attaching creditors but rather on the plaintiff to demand an account. This he did not do and the defendant having complied with all other provisions and given all the notice required under the law maintains its lien against subsequent attaching creditors. R. L., c. 262-A, s. 3. See also, In re Comet Textile Co., 15 F. Supp. 963, aff. 91 F. 2d 1008 (2d Cir. 1937) a case decided under the New York Personal Property Law (Consol. Laws of N. Y., c. 41, s. 45) which is similar to ours.
The disposal of the above issues brings us to the plaintiff’s final claim that the defendant lost its lien by allowing the borrower to sell goods in the usual course, the proceeds of which exceeded the amount of the loans and to use these proceeds at pleasure without accounting to the bank. The answer to this seems to be that there is no provision in chapter 262-A requiring the borrower to account. Furthermore section 7 of the act demands that it be “construed liberally.” It therefore seems that the failure to account did not invalidate the lien.
It follows that the defendant’s lien on the goods prevails except as to certain articles admittedly not covered by it as set forth in par. 6 of the agreed statement of facts.
This seems to dispose of all exceptions briefed or argued and the order is
Case discharged.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting: It is not disputed that the agreement between the borrowers and the defendant bank established a valid factor’s lien. The dispute relates to whether particular merchandise attached by the plaintiff was subject to the lien. The agreed statement contains no stipulation that this property was located at the borrowers’ place of business when the lien was created, and since the attachment was made more than a year later, it is a fair inference that it was not. The statute (R. L., c. 262A, s. 1) provides that “if so provided by any written agreement, all factors shall have a general continuing lien upon all merchandise from time to time consigned to or pledged with them, whether in their . . . possession or not ...” The agreement which created a lien in favor of the defendant provided that the “Borrowers shall make and deliver to the Bank an actual inventory of the contents of their factory once each month,” showing “actual cost ... of each item ...” This may well be thought to be “substantial compliance” with the provisions of section 1 with respect to the requisites of a written agreement sufficient to create a lien (s. 7).
Other proof which in my view is essential to the establishment of a lien is lacking. Nowhere does it appear that the attached goods were either subject to the lien originally created, or if after-acquired, that they became subject to it as “merchandise from time to time consigned to or pledged with” the bank {supra, s. 1). So far as appears, no monthly inventory was ever made or delivered. I recognize that a transfer of possession of the goods is not required. Cf. In re Comet
While the statutes of some other jurisdictions contain more explicit provisions with respect to the appropriation of after acquired goods to a lien contract (See Minn. Laws 1947, c. 590, s. 2; Purdon, Penna., Ann. Stats. Tit. 6, s. 222), the provision of our statute that the lien shall be upon merchandise “from time to time consigned ... or pledged” should not be disregarded and is reasonably plain. The Legislature cannot well be said not to have intended what it expressly required. Since the merchandise in question was not shown to have been made subject to the lien at any time, the defendant has failed to establish the existence of a valid lien upon it.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George A. Colbath & a v. Mechanicks National Bank
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published