MorAmerica Mortg. Co. v. Home Sav. Ass'n of Kansas City, WD
| Decision Date | 05 July 1983 |
| Docket Number | No. WD,WD |
| Parties | 36 UCC Rep.Serv. 1025 MORAMERICA MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. HOME SAVINGS ASSOCIATION OF KANSAS CITY, Defendant-Respondent. 33353. |
| Court | Missouri Court of Appeals |
Herbert Horowitz, Justin J. Johl, Horowitz & Shurin, P.C., Kansas City, for plaintiff-appellant.
Frank P. Sebree, Richard D. Woods, J. Scott McCandless, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City, for defendant-respondent.
Before TURNAGE, P.J., and MANFORD and KENNEDY, JJ.
MorAmerica Mortgage Company filed suit against Home Savings Association of Kansas City, Missouri, to recover possession of the personal property located in the Ramada Inn in Belton, Missouri, or to recover damages for the taking and detention of that property. The case was tried to a jury, but at the conclusion of all the evidence the court directed a verdict in favor of Home Savings.
On this appeal, MorAmerica contends that the court erred in directing a verdict because the MorAmerica lien was superior to the Home Savings lien. Affirmed.
On July 26, 1973, Bryan Investment Company executed a promissory note secured by a deed of trust on real estate on which the Ramada Inn was located. This note was later assigned to Home Savings Association. In August of 1973, a financing statement indicating a security interest in Home Savings was filed with the Cass County recorder and with the secretary of state covering personal property located in the Ramada Inn. No security agreement was ever executed covering the personal property.
In January of 1974, MorAmerica made a loan of $150,000 to the Bryan Investment Company on the basis that its security interest would be junior to Home Savings' security interest on both the real estate and the personal property. In the same month, MorAmerica filed a financing statement and, in addition, filed a security agreement describing the personal property. The MorAmerica loan was evidenced by a promissory note and deed of trust subject to the Home Savings loan.
In the latter part of 1974, the Ramada Inn operation experienced financial difficulties, and Home Savings scheduled a foreclosure sale on the real property for February of 1975. Home Savings was the successful bidder at the foreclosure sale and on March 17, 1975, it took possession of both the real and personal property located at the Ramada Inn. The possession of the personal property was taken with the consent of Bryan Investment Company and with the knowledge of MorAmerica. It was not until July of 1976, that MorAmerica made any complaint or demand regarding the personal property. This lawsuit followed.
This appeal relates solely to a question of law. That question is whether or not the failure of Home Savings to make its security interest enforceable until after MorAmerica acquired a security interest in the personal property gave MorAmerica a superior security interest to Home Savings' interest.
MorAmerica concedes that Home Savings' security interest in the personal property attached under UCC § 9-204(1) 1 when Home Savings paid the loan proceeds to Bryan Investment on September 26, 1973. MorAmerica also concedes that Home Savings perfected its security interest under UCC § 9-303(1) when the financing statements were filed with the recorder and secretary of state. However, MorAmerica contends that Home Savings' security interest did not become enforceable under UCC § 9-203 until March of 1975, when Home Savings took possession of the personal property. MorAmerica contends that because its security interest attached, was perfected, and became enforceable in January of 1974, it has priority over Home Savings as to the personal property.
MorAmerica's argument centers primarily on its assertion that the financing statement which Home Savings acquired was not a security agreement as provided in UCC § 9-203(1)(b). Home Savings contends that even if the financing statement did not constitute a security agreement, it nevertheless acquired priority because the security interest of both parties was acquired by filing, and under UCC § 9-312(5)(a), the order of filing determines priority. Home Savings contends that because its financing statement was filed first, it thereby acquired priority.
In determining the propriety of directing a verdict at the close of all the evidence, this court must view the evidence in a light most...
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