Auker v. Perry

214 N.W. 628, 115 Neb. 720, 1927 Neb. LEXIS 95
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1927
DocketNo. 24978
StatusPublished

This text of 214 N.W. 628 (Auker v. Perry) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Auker v. Perry, 214 N.W. 628, 115 Neb. 720, 1927 Neb. LEXIS 95 (Neb. 1927).

Opinion

Thompson, J.

In this action Stephen E. Auker, appellee, hereinafter called plaintiff, by way of a petition in usual form, sought to foreclose a mortgage on certain lands in Wayne county. The mortgagors, Edward Perry and Edward J. Auker, appellees herein, were made defendants, as wrere Richard Ritze and Carl L. Ritze, appellants herein, and hereinafter referred to as the Ritzes, vendees of such mortgagors; such Ritzes in the contract of purchase, as well as in the deed of conveyance to them, having assumed and agreed to pay the mortgage. After the issues were duly joined, trial was had, and decree rendered finding the amount due plaintiff [721]*721to be $50,000 on the principal note with interest thereon at 5 per cent, from March 19, 1925, and on the interest coupon due March 19, 1925, the sum of $2,500 with interest thereon at 10 per cent, from its due date, and ordering foreclosure and sale as prayed by plaintiff, and as prayed by the original mortgagors in their cross-petition, and holding the Ritzes primarily, and Perry and Auker secondarily, liable for any deficiency remaining after sale and application of proceeds. To reverse this judgment the Ritzes appeal, alleging as grounds for reversal, among others, fraud which they claim entered into the original written contract of sale from Perry and Auker to them of the land in question, which fraud, as alleged in their answer, in substance, consisted of the following alleged facts: That it was represented to them by Perry and Auker that the land referred to was mortgaged in the sum of $50,000 to secure a principal debt of that amount, bearing interest at 5 per cent; per annum from March 19, 1920, the date thereof, to March 19, 1930, at which time such note and mortgage matured; that the land had been purchased by defendants Perry and Auker from plaintiff for the sum of $80,000, and they had paid plaintiff therefor by executing and delivering to him such mortgage, and paying the balance in cash, when in fact they had not paid $80,000 for the land nor agreed to pay such amount, but had paid $74,000 therefor and no more; that such fraud consisted further in the intentional concealment from them at the time by Perry and Auker that such note and mortgage contained therein the acceleration clauses hereinafter set forth; that they entered into such written contract relying upon and believing that neither the note nor the mortgage contained acceleration clauses, and that Perry and Auker had paid $80,000 for the land; that they did not discover such fraud until the bringing of this action; and that, by reason thereof, the court erred in finding them liable for a. deficiency judgment, and also erred in not canceling such contract and deed, and entering judgment in their favor against Perry and Auker for payments theretofore made by them on such purchase, [722]*722together with the value of such permanent improvements as they had in the meantime placed thereon, as prayed in their answer and cross-petition.

. Upon examination of the record we conclude as follows: That the plaintiff was the owner of the lands in question; that he had sold the same to one Clark for $78,000, and Clark had paid thereon in cash $4,000, but upon his failure to comply with such contract, the same was canceled, and the. land was purchased by Perry and Auker for $74,000, .they thus receiving the benefit of the $4,000 payment by Clark; that Perry and Auker paid plaintiff $24,000 in cash, and gave him back a mortgage on the land for $50,000, such mortgage and the note it secured being the ones here in question; that the mortgage was duly recorded in the office of the county clerk of Wayne county; that at the time of entering into the contract the Ritzes were told of such sale of the land to Clark, and the cancelation of Clark’s contract of purchase, the purchase by Perry and Auker, and their payment therefor as above indicated; that the Ritzes entered into possession of the land under this contract and made some valuable improvements thereon of a permanent nature; that in February, 1921, Perry and Auker furnished the Ritzes with an abstract of title to the land which showed the only mortgage on the tract was one for $50,000, together with the book and page where and when recorded, which abstract was examined by their attorney and returned with certain objections thereto, but without objection of any kind to such mortgage or note; that, on refusal of the Ritzes to comply with the contract of purchase, an action for specific performance was instituted against them by Perry and Auker, trial had, and a decree of performance on the part of the Ritzes was entered; that in such case the Ritzes did not specifically interpose the defense of fraud; that to reverse such judgment, appeal was had to this court, and the decree of the trial court was affirmed, which case is reported in Perry v. Ritze, 110 Neb. 286; that on entry of the mandate in the trial court on June 28, 1923, the balance of the purchase price was paid [723]*723by the Ritzes save the $50,000 mortgage, the receiver who had been appointed and acted during the interim was by mutual consent of the parties discharged, the balance of the money, net income received by such receiver, turned over to the Ritzes, as was also the deed and the possession of the land, which they have ever since retained, and do now; that the Ritzes paid the interest coupon which became due March 19, 1924, but failed to pay that which became due March 19, 1925,' and the plaintiff elected to declare the whole amount due and payable, and instituted this suit; that the interest coupons due in 1922 and 1923 were paid partly by the receiver and partly by the Ritzes; that each and all of such coupons showed on its face that it drew interest after due at 10 per cent, per annum; that the note of $50,-000 and the interest coupons were payable by their terms at the Citizens National Bank of Wayne, and for that purpose were by the plaintiff placed in the' custody of such bank, as was well known by the Ritzes, and could have been inspected by them if desired, especially at the time of any interest payment.

Thus we conclude that in the conversation leading up to this contract, and the signing and execution thereof, there were no fraudulent statements made by Perry and Auker as to the matters in controversy herein; if fraud there was, it was solely by reason of the fact that no mention was made by Perry and Auker at the time of the acceleration clauses in such note and mortgage, except as indicated by the written contract in question.

Our consideration is thus directed to the contract, as evidenced by these different instruments. The provisions of the sale and purchase agreement, so far as material, are as follows: “The party of the second part (the Ritzes) agrees to pay the sum of eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) payable as follows: Cash in hand eleven thousand ($11,000) dollars, receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged. Balance $50,000 by assuming a mortgage of that amount with interest thereon from Márch 1, 1921, this mortgage being due March 1, 1930, and optional. $14,000 on March 1, 1921, [724]*724without interest. $5,000 on or before March 1, 1923, with interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, interest to date from March 1, 1921, to be secured by a second mortgage on the above described property. The party of the second part further agrees to pay the taxes on said mortgage and the debt secured thereby, and to carry $- insurance on said property, payable in case of loss to said first party.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
214 N.W. 628, 115 Neb. 720, 1927 Neb. LEXIS 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/auker-v-perry-neb-1927.