Gregg Co. v. Utuado Sugar Co.
Gregg Co. v. Utuado Sugar Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe following opinion:
Tbis conies up upon a petition of Carlos Cabrera for tbe can-celation of a lease wbicb is set out in detail, alleging that tbe company or tbe receiver was to advance Serbia money and be was to raise sugar cane in tbe usual way, but that on account of tbe difficulties of tbe receivership, only $1,000 or $1,200 were advanced, and Serbia was unable to go on, and bas abandoned tbe contract and tbe property; that there is, however, cane on tbe ground wbicb ought to be talien care of in some way, and Cabrera, who bas leased tbe property generally, offers to repay tbe $1,200 advanced, and also to make a certain payment of $2,000 for tbe lease of tbe property up to tbe 1st day of July, 1916.
Tbis was referred to tbe master and tbe master reports favorably upon tbe petition by a report filed January 15, 1915. Felipe Iglesias, claiming to be a refacción creditor, excepts to tbe master’s report on January 20th. Tbe ground of tbe exception is rather general in that tbe exception says merely that said report ought to be “reversed by tbis honorable court be
Tbe question is a delicate one, as tbe whole Utuado matter bas been a delicate one. It bas been totally outside tbe ordinary course with regard to receiverships. Ordinarily receivership is a comparatively simple matter. Tbe receiver takes charge, and under the instructions of tbe court borrows money and operates tbe property and finally turns it over to somebody interested. We have not reached tbe end of this litigation at all. Tbe receiver bas stopped work by direction of tbe court, and it is necessary to make some other arrangement to take tbe place of the receivership. It is a very unusual situation and it calls for unusual procedure.
Tbe court thinks that here, as in other cases, tbe primary duty of tbe court is tbe preservation of tbe property for whatever may be tbe final disposition, whether it all goes to Mr: Iglesias or to tbe creditors, or whatever becomes of ‘it. As long as it is in court, it must be preserved in some way. Mr. Iglesias makes no offer in regard to this particular lease. It is proved before tbe master by tbe affidavit of Serbia himself that it is a
1. In tbe first place, tbe master’s report is confirmed and Cabrera’s petition for lease of tbe property is accepted.
2. In tbe second place, however, tbe proceeds, both the' amount to be paid back and tbe rental, are to stand in place of tbe property and be held and treated as in tbe nature of a special fund. Whatever rights anyone bas upon tbe land itself, whether it be Mr. Iglesias or anyone else, will be recognized in regard to tbe proceeds of tbe property under this arrangement with Mr.- Cabrera. In other words, tbe proceeds take tbe place-entirely of tbe property itself, and there is no change intended by this arrangement in tbe rights of tbe parties one way or the-other, except tbe transfer from tbe land to tbe proceeds, and the-court will not be understood as interfering with tbe land itself, or any rights now existing by tbe lease now made to Cabrera,, that is say, for tbe length of time mentioned in bis petition.
3. And in tbe third place, ten days are allowed to Mr. Igles-ias to apply to tbe court, if be sees proper to do so, to have Mr. Cabrera furnish an inventory of tbe property, of tbe rattoon& there may be, tbe condition of tbe cane, and everything that
Tkis seems to be tke best way of salving tke property, and I kave tkus preserved as well as may be whatever may be tke rights of tke parties, without now passing upon those rights, which may come up at any future time when tke parties are in court and may be beard.
4. A formal renunciation by tke former lessee must be filed in court witkin tke next ten days by Mr. Cabrera or some other party to tke cause, and'tkis is a part and condition of tke arrangement.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GREGG COMPANY, LTD. v. UTUADO SUGAR COMPANY
- Status
- Published