Bartlett Mortgage Co. v. Morrison

1938 OK 427, 81 P.2d 318, 183 Okla. 214, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 231
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 28, 1938
DocketNo. 28158.
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 1938 OK 427 (Bartlett Mortgage Co. v. Morrison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bartlett Mortgage Co. v. Morrison, 1938 OK 427, 81 P.2d 318, 183 Okla. 214, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 231 (Okla. 1938).

Opinion

BAYLESS, Y. C. J.

Bartlett Mortgage Company appeals from the action of the district court of Blaine county refusing to revive a judgment in favor of it and against Harvy James Morrison et al.

The objection to the motion to revive was based upon the ground that the judgment ' had become dormant and more than one year had passed thereafter, by reason of which the court was without authority to revive the judgment over the objection of defendants. Bartlett’s theory was that it was precluded by law from issuing execution for a period of time after judgment was rendered, and that this period should be deducted from the life of the judgment in .determining whe’her sufficient time had elapsed to bring about dormancy. It, likewise, urged that its judgment now is in the . nature of a deficiency judgment and as such dates from the ascertainment of a deficiency at the time of the confirmation of the sheriff’s sale, and therefore, revivor is not precluded.

The undisputed record facts are: Judgment whs rendered September 1, 1930; an order of sale was issuable after March 1, 1931; an order of sale was issued March 11, 1931: the sale was conducted April 13 1931; the sale was confirmed April 29, 1931, and the amount of the deficiency found on that date: the motion to revive was filed March 1, 1937; the hearing thereon was set for March 20, 1937; and the order denying revivor was made March 27, 1937.

It is the contention of the defendants that the judgment was not only dormant at the time the motion to revive was filed, but that the year within which' the dormant judgment might be revived would expire before the court could hear the motion on the date set; and that the ascertainment' of the amount of the deficiency at the time of the confirmation was not a judgment.

Several matters were argued, but only two points need discussion. (1) Was the order of April 29. 1931, ascertaining the amount of the deficiency, a judgment? (2) When did the judgment become dormant?

■ Much of the controversy arises over divergent views as to the nature and extent ■ of a judgment in a foreclosure action, and especially regarding deficiency judgments. From the brmf of Bartlett it appears that the judgment rendered September 1, 1930, and the so-called deficiency judgment ren- . dered April 29 1931, are separate, independent judgments.

Section 424, O. S. 1931 (12 Okla. Stat. Ann. sec. 686), governs judgments in foreclosure actions, and the pertinent parts read:

“In a action to enforce a mortgage, * * * a personal judgment or judgments shall be rendered for the amount or amounts due as well to the plaintiff as other parties to the action having liens-upon the mortgaged premises by mortgage or otherwise, with interest thereon, and for sale of the property charged and the application of the proceeds: or such application may be reversed (reserved) for the future order of the court, and the court shall tax the costs, attorney’s fees and expenses which may accrue in the action. * * *”

It. must be noticed that it is commanded, by the use of the word shall, that judgment be taken for the money du-\ This means simply that the amount of the debts, for which a lien or charge on the property has been given, shall b-' ascertained and personal judgment rendered therefor.. The only relaxation in this command we recognize is when tlm personal obligation is waived and the debt is established against the mortgaged premises only. Tracey v. Crepin, 40 Okla. 297. 138 P. 142: Brocker v. Stallard. 34 Okla. 612 126 P. 781: and Kerr v. McKinney, 69 Okla. 88, 170 P. 685. It is then commanded that the sale of the property be ordered. It is then commanded that the application of the proceeds arising from ihe sale of the prop- ’ erty shall be ordered, but with the proviso that the matter of the application of these proceeds may be reserved for 'future "consideration. It is then command"d that ' judgment shall be rendered taxing t'.he costs, attorney’s fees, and expenses. Therefore, it is arranged by statute that the is- ' sues . between the parties shall be decided in one judgment, except as to the application of the proceeds arising from the sale conducted under the judgment.

In this respect, our procedure relating to so-called deficiency judgments falls within the history of the subject as set out in 42 C. J. 290, sec. 1974, et seep, as follows :

“Under the original equity practice, unmodified by any statute or authorized rule of court, a proceeding to foreclose a mortgage was strictly in rem, and consequently, the court had no power to render a personal judgment against the mortgagor or any other defendant * * *.
“Since this procedure subjected the debt- *216 or to double litigation, statutes have now been enacted in most jurisdictions, wbicli permit the court either to include in the foreclosure decree a provision ordering the payment of the deficiency if any shall arise. * * *»

In other words, once our trial courts are vested with jurisdiction in a foreclosure action, they render judgment for the debt once and for all, order the sale of the property, and provide that if the property fails to sell for sufficient to pay the judgment debt, an execution may issue against the debtor’s property generally. In this aspect of the case the ascertainment of the deficiency becomes a mere clerical act and partakes of none of the aspects of a judgment.

It is customary to speak of deficiency judgments, but strict attention to expression would require the use of words designating a deficiency on a judgment. In other words, simply a balance owing on a judgment after part has been paid by the application of the proceeds of the sale of the security. The language in Paschal Inv. Co. v. Atwater, 174 Okla. 356, 50 P.2d 357, at page 359, as follows:

“Clearly plaintiff is not entitled to a general execution until its deficiency judgment is determined, and it cannot be determined until after the proper'y is sold on special execution and the plaintiff is not entitled to a general execution until it has first complied with section 505, O. S. 1931. After the deficiency judgment is determined, if any. then it becomes a personal judgment upon which a general execution can be issued against any property of the judgment creditors”

—is susceptible of being construed to mean that a deficiency on a judgment aft"r the application of the proceeds of the sale is, when ascertained, a new judgment, a personal judgment then and not before. A construction such as this is contrary to the true rule pointed out above.

The^ section 505, supra, reads:

“In special cases not hereinbefore provided for, the execution shall conform -to the judgment or order of the court. When a judgment for any specified amount, and also for the sale of specific real or personal property shall have been rendered, and an amount sufficient to satisfy the amount of the debt or damages and costs be pot made from the sale of property specified, an execution may issue for the balance, as in other cases.”

This statute is in keeping with ihe section relating to judgment in foreclosure actions.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bank of the Panhandle v. Hill
1998 OK CIV APP 140 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1998)
Bank of Oklahoma, N.A. v. Welco, Inc.
1995 OK CIV APP 43 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1995)
State ex rel. Commissioners of the Land Office v. Thompson
1993 OK CIV APP 112 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1993)
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. v. Tidwell
1991 OK 119 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1991)
Mehojah v. Moore
1987 OK CIV APP 43 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1987)
Mark v. Mark
697 P.2d 799 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1984)
Reliable Life Ins. Co. of St. Louis v. Cook
1979 OK 88 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1979)
Baker v. Martin
1975 OK 112 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1975)
Smith v. Carlson
127 N.E.2d 257 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1955)
Reconstruction Finance Corp. v. Breeding
211 F.2d 385 (Tenth Circuit, 1954)
North v. Haning
1950 OK 280 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1950)
Youts v. Tri-State Supply Co.
1949 OK 246 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1949)
Fenimore v. State ex rel. Com'rs of the Land Office
1948 OK 93 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1948)
Tucker v. Gautier
1945 OK 357 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
Anderson v. Warren
1945 OK 217 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1945)
Jersak v. Risen, Ex'x
1944 OK 278 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1944)
Aycock v. Harriman
1939 OK 421 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1938 OK 427, 81 P.2d 318, 183 Okla. 214, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 231, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bartlett-mortgage-co-v-morrison-okla-1938.