Allen v. Goldstein

291 S.W.2d 596, 40 Tenn. App. 308, 1956 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 22, 1956
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 291 S.W.2d 596 (Allen v. Goldstein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allen v. Goldstein, 291 S.W.2d 596, 40 Tenn. App. 308, 1956 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1956).

Opinion

BEJACH, J.

This cause involves an appeal by .Elizabeth Allen from a decree dismissing her bill filed against defendant, Sam Goldstein, in the. Chancery Court, of Shelby County, Tennessee, for fhe purpose of setting aside a trustee’s deed. The parties will be referred to .as in the lower court, complainant and defendant, or by their respective names. . . ..

Complainant’s bill alleges that on November 23, 1953, she purchased from defendant, Lots 1, 2, and 3, Dilatush- and' Crane’s East Dixie Heights Subdivision, as shown in plat of record in Plat Book-10, page 55, Register’s Office of Shelby County, Tennessee, — said lots having a: frontage of 210.03-feet on the west side of Ragan-Street, Memphis,- Tennessee,' and running hack -670 feet-. The bill *310 alleges that she paid $1,500 cash and executed a trust deed securing a note for $10,700, representing the balance, — which note was payable in flat monthly installments of $60 per month, beginning December 12, 1953. The bill alleges that complainant received a schedule of payments, and made inquiry as to where she should pay, but was not advised as to this. The bill alleges that she made some payments to Mr. Sam Okeon, the real estate agent who handled the sale, and who was the brother-in-law of defendant; but that Mr. Okeon was reluctant to take the payments, and after having taken same on three occasions, declined to accept any further payments. The bill alleges that she made numerous efforts to make payment to defendant at his place of business, or to his wife, but that they were evasive at all times and in many instances, refused to accept payments, or made it so difficult for her to make payments, that they were deliberately trying to create a default and foreclose the trust deed. The bill alleges that by such unfair tactics, defendant produced an apparent default, on the basis of which he started foreclosure on May 10, 1954; and placed the matter in the hands of his then attorney, Mr. Sam Taubenblatt. The bill alleges that this foreclosure was not warranted, but that in order to reinstate her indebtedness, she was forced to pay the sum of $78.50 before she could carry on with her payments. The bill further alleges that by similar methods, defendant produced another situation which he declared to be a default and employed another lawyer, Mr. Irving Strauch, who began another foreclosure, and that both defendant and Mr. Strauch refused to receive payments. This foreclosure proceeded to conclusion and the trustee’s deed conveying the property to defendant, Goldstein, who bid the property in at the foreclosure for the sum of $7,500, is record *311 ed in Book 3421 at page 186, Register’s office of Shelby County, Tenn., same being dated January 14, 1955. This is the trustee’s deed, recision of which is sought in complainant’s bill. The bill alleges that the foreclosed property has a value of between $15,000 and $20,000.

The answer of- defendant denies that Sam Okeon is his brother-in-law, and denies that he was reluctant to' take payfinents or issue receipts. He denies that complainant could not find him at his place of business, and denies that he was unwilling to execute receipts for payments; or that he sought to cause complainant to be in default. He denies that complainant was at all times able, ready and willing to meet the monthly payments, as is alleged in her bill, and denies that she would have done so regularly had it not been for his conduct. He denies that he had been guilty of any unfair tactics. He admits that the property was foreclosed and bought in by him for $7,500, but denies that same has a value of from $15,000 to $20,-000. The answer calls attention to the fact that the mortgage which was foreclosed, provides that if complainant fails to make payments when due, that same can be accelerated; and that in view of complainant’s default, he did accelerate the indebtedness and required all of same to be paid.

■ The cause was tried by agreement on oral proof. The proof thus adduced in open court, consisted of the testimony of complainant and that of her daughter, Marietta Brinkley.

During the cross-examination of Marietta Brinkley, being advised that the complainant had no further proof to offer, other than the testimony of her lawyer, W. H. Fisher,- who would testify only that .upon- receipt from *312 complainant of the sum of $120, lie telephoned Irving Strauch, solicitor for defendant, and offered to pay that sum to him, the Chancellor, on his own motion, stopped the- trial of the cause, declined to listen further, and stated:

‘ ‘ This proof is wholly unsatisfactory at best; but if I were to assume that it was satisfactory, the complainant couldn’t prevail in the lawsuit. ‘He who comes into equity must do equity. ’ There has .been no proper tender in this case of monies to defendant. Furthermore, the proof shows the matter was in the hands of complainant’s attorney before the foreclosure took place. The court will take judicial knowledge of the fact, and knows as a fact, that there was an available remedy in court if the situation had been as has been stated. The bill will be dismissed at complainant’s cost.
“This Court will be adjourned until 10:00 o’clock ■tomorrow morning.
“You lawyers will divide your exhibits.
“Mr.'Reporter, let the record show that the evidence in this case is wholly incredible. ’ ’

A final decree was entered June 10, 1955, from which decree the present appeal has been taken to this Court.

Complainant, as appellant, has filed four assignments of error in this Court. The first assignment questions a ruling of the Chancellor to the effect that complainant was'not entitled to make use mf statements contained in defendant’s answer as to payments-made on certain dates. The’.second assignment challenges the action of the Chancellor in interrupting the testimony of the witness, Ma *313 rietta Brinkley, closing the trial at this point, and thus depriving complainant of the right to re-examine this witness. The third assignment of error challenges the ruling of the Chancellor that a lack of proper tender was fatal and that some other remedy was available. The fourth assignment complains of the Chancellor’s ruling that the evidence was wholly incredible, and of his dismissal of complainant’s bill.

Before taking up the assignments of error separately, we -deem it advisable to consider the evidence generally. This evidence consisted only of the testimony of complainant, herself, and that of her daughter, Marietta Brinkley, — supplemented by a few documents, or written matter such as receipts, the schedule of payments, the closing statement in connection with complainant’s purchase of the land involved,' the trust deed which was foreclosed, and carbon copies of letters written by Mr. Sam Taubenblatt, and defendant’s present attorneys, Strauch and Jones. Taken as a whole, the testimony is rambling, confusing, and evasive, almost to the point of incoherence. A fair sample of this, taken from complainant’s own testimony, is as follows:

“Q. And then you paid on October 21 ? A. Yes, sir.
‘‘Q. Now, did Mr. Goldstein mark the October 21st payment correctly on your — A.

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Bluebook (online)
291 S.W.2d 596, 40 Tenn. App. 308, 1956 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allen-v-goldstein-tennctapp-1956.