Borg-Warner Leasing v. Doyle Electric Co.

VANCE, Circuit Judge:

In this Florida diversity action the Doyle Electric Company and P.H. Doyle, Jr., its president, challenge the district court’s grant of summary judgment for Borg-Warner Leasing.1 We affirm as to Doyle Electric and reverse as to Doyle.

In 1978 Doyle contacted the Burroughs Corporation on behalf of his company with an eye to obtaining a Burroughs B-80 computer. Preferring a lease to outright purchase, Doyle arranged to have Burroughs sell the computer to Borg-Warner, which in turn contracted to lease the equipment to Doyle Electric with an option to purchase. The computer…