Gregg Co. v. Utuado Sugar Co.
Gregg Co. v. Utuado Sugar Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe following opinion:
Let me state tbe point which is in my mind. In receiver-ships, what are called administration expenses necessarily come ahead of everything else. That is the necessity of the case. But there are two kinds of administration expenses, and within the past few years the courts have been beginning to differentiate them. It is that distinction which gives me trouble in this case, and I want to call your attention to it, so as to see whether you want to furnish any authorities on it.
In a good many kinds of business, particularly railroads, the court has to authorize the operation of the plant, I will call it for short. That is a necessity, that is, to keep the business in existence at all. It is not to make money especially, but to keep it a going concern. If it is not a going concern, it is worth nothing. So the custom has grown up of issuing receiver’s certificates for the operation of the business, and that has been fully sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the United States. But how far that goes, is a question that has not been settled by the Supreme Court of the United States. There are conflicting decisions in other courts. A great many courts have said that, as to everything except railroads, a court cannot authorize a business to be carried on. This has come up pro and con in this court in connection with the receiverships of different centrals.
1. So much for the general principle. Now as to this particular case: This claim of Armstrong the court found in existence when the receivership started. The court had nothing to do with creating it, but, to use an analogy, it was in the nature of a mortgage. The court took possession of certain
2. Now as to Iglesias: I think he was the first to loan money to the receiver, so far as what is now before the court is concerned. The order of June 8, 1914, authorized the receiver to borrow money. I do not recall whether it said for the preservation of the property, — whatever it says is in the order. It authorized him to borrow money and issue receiver’s certificates therefor. He did not, so far as appears, follow that order of the court. He borrowed $50,000, but did not issue receiver’s certificates therefor. He proceeded to enter into what seems in form to have been intended to be a refacción contract, although it is limited to the crop of one specific year.
The Iglesias claim as a priority was contested when presented, and it went to the master. The master, after careful hearing and deliberation, reported that it was not entitled to any priority at all, that it was simply a common debt. Iglesias, of course, excepted to that, and the matter came up before me and was considered in the opinion, which has been read once or twice. It did not seem to me that the master’s view was the correct solution of it. Here is money which had been borrovTed under an order of court, not in the way directed by the court, but still which had been borrowed under an order of court, so that it seemed right for one of two ox three things to be done.
In the first place, all the money that had been borrowed and had actually gone into what the court unquestionably had a right to authorize, the preservation of the property, should be, if possible, segregated from the rest, and that should be declared to be an administration expense in every sense of the word, and should be paid as such. The present receiver has found and reported, as I understand it, that this is some $2,Y00. There is no question about that. It will be allowed as a proper administration expense, and will be paid along with any other proper administration expense. That is out of the way.
3. Now, what becomes of the balance of about $9,000 ? The
The matter, then, comes up before me for solution, as to the condition of that $9,000, borrowed by direction of the court, but not in the form directed by the court. Armstrong contends that he is at least on a parity with that $9,000; that all that the court has done has been subject to the mortgage, using the word as above, with which the court took the property. That is the problem before me. And it is a problem
There is this further matter which I would be glad, Mr. Dominguez, if you would look at. To what extent, supposing that the receiver did not borrow this money in the exact way the court directed, has the court recognized, however, his borrowing the money? Of course I do not carry all the record in my mind. Was this loan reported to the court and confirmed by the court?
Reference
- Full Case Name
- GREGG COMPANY, LIMITED v. UTUADO SUGAR COMPANY, Dft.
- Status
- Published