In the Supreme Court of British Columbia
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Citation: Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd., 2015 BCSC 787 Date: 20150513 Docket: S116044 Registry: Vancouver Between: Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH Plaintiff 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) And: Tracomex (Canada) Ltd., Metales Tracomex Limitada, Jorge Mitarakis, Pola Namias, Super H. Holdings Ltd., Westcan Rail Ltd. Defendants - and - Docket: S120939 Registry: Vancouver Between: Imbamar S.A. Plaintiff And: Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH Defendant - and - Docket: S122034 Registry: Vancouver Between: 0291633 Manitoba Ltd. Plaintiff Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. Page 2 And: Tracomex (Canada) Ltd., Metales Tracomex Limitada, Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH, and Imbamar S.A. Defendants Before: The Honourable Mr. Justice Voith Reasons for Judgment Counsel for Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH: Alex L. Eged David W.P. Moriarty 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) Counsel for Imbamar S.A.: Michelle Tribe Rosalie Clark Counsel for 0291633 Manitoba Ltd.: Kieran Siddall Scott Boucher Place and Date of Trial: Vancouver, B.C. May 26-30, June 3-6, August 18-20, 2014, January 12-14, 16, 19-22, 27-30, 2015 Place and Date of Judgment: Vancouver, B.C. May 13, 2015 Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) Introduction ................................................................................................................... 5 2) An Understanding of the Parties ............................................................................. 7 3) Background and History ............................................................................................ 8 4) Changes in Position .................................................................................................. 14 5) The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods .................................................................................................................................... 21 i) Romalpa Clauses ..................................................................................................... 22 ii) The Focus of the Convention ................................................................................. 23 iii) The Interaction of Romalpa Clauses, The Convention and Domestic Law .... 24 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) iv) Is the Trac Chile Contract and/or the Title Reservation Clause Governed by the PPSA? ......................................................................................................................... 25 v) Interests Under the PPSA that are not Registered ............................................. 27 vi) Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 27 6) Agency .......................................................................................................................... 28 i) Imbamar’s Position................................................................................................... 28 7) Was Mr. Krause C & F’s Agent? ............................................................................. 35 i) Actual Agency ........................................................................................................... 35 ii) Implied Agency ......................................................................................................... 38 iii) Ostensible Authority ................................................................................................. 39 iv) Agency and Section 26 of the SGA ....................................................................... 44 8) Is C & F Entitled to Rescission of the Trac Chile Contract? .......................... 46 9) Did the Tracomex Companies Make a Fraudulent Misrepresentation to C & F that Induced it to Enter into the Trac Chile Contract? ................................. 46 10) Limits on Rescission............................................................................................. 47 i) Laches........................................................................................................................ 47 ii) Affirmation ................................................................................................................. 48 iii) Third-Party Rights .................................................................................................... 48 a) Ordinary Course of Business ............................................................................. 50 b) The “Good Faith” Issue ....................................................................................... 57 11) Does the Imbamar Contract Create a Security Interest that is Subject to the PPSA? ............................................................................................................................ 65 i) The Analytical Framework ...................................................................................... 66 ii) Proper Sources of Evidence ................................................................................... 68 iii) The Purpose of the Imbamar Contract ................................................................. 70 Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. Page 4 iv) Value of the Steel Rail Relative to the Price in the Imbamar Contract ............ 75 v) The Repurchase Option .......................................................................................... 75 vi) Obligations of Ownership ........................................................................................ 78 12) Did Imbamar Abandon Possession of the Steel Rail so that 029’s Registration of its Interest in the Steel Rail took Priority over Imbamar’s Interests? ............................................................................................................................. 79 i) Attachment, Perfection and Priorities under the PPSA ...................................... 79 ii) Break in the Continuity of Imbamar’s Possession............................................... 81 13) Summary of Conclusions .................................................................................... 84 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. Page 5 1) Introduction [1] These reasons arise out of three separate actions that were tried at the same time: 1) In action No. S116044, Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH, (“C & F”), a German company, has sued several defendants including Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. (“Trac Canada”), Metales Tracomex Limited (“Trac Chile”), Jorge Mitarakis and his wife Pola Namias. Mr. Mitarakis was the president of both Tracomex companies. C & F alleges that in “back-to-back” contracts dated July 22, 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) 2009 and August 6, 2009 respectively. C & F first bought 3,560 metric tonnes (“MT”) of used steel scrap rails (the “Steel Rail”), from Trac Canada and then sold the Steel Rail to Trac Chile. It was a term of those contracts that the Steel Rail be shipped from a storage yard in Abbotsford, British Columbia to a terminal or storage facility near Tacoma, Washington. It is alleged, inter alia, that the defendants provided C & F with 155 bills of lading and other documents that fraudulently represented that the Steel Rail had been shipped across the United States’ border when that was not so. C & F seeks, inter alia, rescission of the contract it made with Trac Chile (the “Trac Chile Contract”). Mr. Mitarakis passed away prior to the trial of this matter, and neither the Tracomex companies nor Ms. Namias participated at trial. 2) In action No. S120939, Imbamar S.A. (“Imbamar”), a Uruguayan company, has sued C & F. It alleges that it was advised by Mr. Bernd Krause, who it argues was C & F’s agent in Chile, that Trac Chile, rather than C & F, had title to the Steel Rail. Moreover, it says it was told by Mr. Krause that C & F was not only aware of the fraudulent nature of the bills of lading and other commercial documents, but that C & F had actually Coutinho & Ferrostaal GmbH v. Tracomex (Canada) Ltd. Page 6 overseen and directed the preparation of such fraudulent materials. It argues that it relied on Mr. Krause’s representations, qua agent for C & F, that it purchased the Steel Rail bona fide, and for value in the ordinary course of Trac Chile’s business, and that title to the Steel Rail passed to it. 3) In action No. S122034, 0291633 Manitoba Ltd. (“029”) has sued each of the Tracomex companies, Imbamar and C & F. 029 alleges that it loaned money to Trac Canada. Those loans were never repaid. During the course of the trial, 029 discontinued its 2015 BCSC 787 (CanLII) action against C & F and it obtained default judgment against the two Tracomex companies. 029 argues that the agreement made between Imbamar and Trac Chile for the Steel Rail is, in substance, a security agreement, and that 029’s registration of its interest in the Steel Rail takes priority over Imbamar’s interest in that rail. [2] A number of factual and legal issues arise from these three actions and the pleadings that were filed in respect of them. Several of these issues were either conceded or abandoned during the trial. The primary issues which remain are: i. What is the relationship between the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, 11 April 1980, 1489 UNTS 59, [Convention] and either or both of the Sale of Goods Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 410 [SGA], and the Personal Property Security Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 359 [PPSA]? ii. Was Mr. Krause the agent of C & F? iii. Is