Binga v. Bell

259 Ill. App. 361, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 785
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 16, 1930
DocketGen. No. 34,032
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 259 Ill. App. 361 (Binga v. Bell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Binga v. Bell, 259 Ill. App. 361, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 785 (Ill. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Gridley

delivered the opinion of the court.

In a foreclosure proceeding a decree of sale was entered by the superior court of Cook county on April 1, 1929. At the sale, held on April 23, 1929, the -.premises were sold to complainant, Jesse Binga, for $10,000. In the master’s report of sale he .-•.stated that the proceeds were not sufficient to pay the amount due to complainant, that there was a deficiency of $5,236.49, and that complainant was entitled to a deficiency decree for said sum and interest against James Hill and Mae Allen Hill, his wife, and Bertha K. Chittenden. In the court’s decree confirming the sale, entered June 17, 1929, it was ordered that complainant have judgment against James Hill and Mae Allen Hill for the amount of the deficiency and interest, but the court stated that complainant’s motion, then made, for a deficiency judgment against Bertha K. Chittenden be overruled “for reasons given in the decree of sale entered on April 1, 1929.” In that decree there are the following findings, among others:

“And the court finds from the facts shown that complainant is not entitled to a judgment or deficiency decree against Bertha K. Chittenden for any deficiency after the sale of the premises herein, for the reason that complainant purchased the trust deed and notes of Bertha K. Chittenden from the Northern Trust Company and agreed to loan James Hill and Mae Allen Hill the sum of $15,000, out of which amount the trust deed and notes of said Bertha K. Chittenden were to be paid and cancelled; that the Binga State Bank sold the bonds comprising the fifteen thousand dollar loan after they were issued and delivered, and retained the proceeds for over two years, which issue and sale constihoted an extension of the trust deed and notes without her consent, thereby releasing said Bertha K. Chittenden from any liability, by reason of the failure of James Hill and Mae Allen Hill, or the owners of the premises described in said trust deed, to pay the lien of complainant.”

The sole question involved in the present writ of error is whether, under the facts in evidence and the ■ law, the superior court erred in refusing, on complainant’s motion, to enter a deficiency decree against Bertha K. Chittenden for the sum of $5,236.49.

The facts as disclosed from the evidence are substantially as follows: The premises involved are improved with a three-story brick building, known as 515-19 East 36th Place, Chicago. On or about June 1, 1924, Bertha K. Chittenden, a widow, purchased them from the then owner. About the same time she executed and delivered her principal promissory note for $10,400, dated June 1, 1924, due on or before two years after date, with interest at 6 per cent per annum, payable semiannually, as evidenced by four interest coupon notes of $312 each. All the notes were payable to her own order and by her indorsed. To secure them she executed and delivered a trust deed (which was a first mortgage and contained the usual covenants) conveying the premises to the Northern Trust Company, as trustee. The deed was recorded on October 2, 1924. Thereafter the first three coupon notes were paid and canceled, but neither the last coupon note, due June 1, 1926, for $312, nor the principal note for $10,400, due on the same date, were paid by Mrs. Chittenden or any of the grantees of the premises. After the recording of the trust deed and before the maturity of the principal note the' premises were sold and conveyed to James Hill and Mae Allen Hill subject to the mortgage, which they assumed and agreed to pay. While the Hills were the owners of the premises they, in July, 1925, placed a second mortgage thereon to secure certain notes executed by them. During April, 1926, before the maturity of said principal note of $10,400, and said coupon note, James Hill had a conversation with complainant, Jesse Binga, who was the president of the Binga State Bank. He informed Binga of the incumbrances on the premises, that the principal note of $10,400 and said coupon note, secured by said first mortgage, were held by the Northern Trust Company, and that, upon request to renew the mortgage, it had refused to do so and had demanded payment of the entire indebtedness at maturity, June 1, 1926. Hill further stated to Binga that he desired the Binga Bank to loan him sufficient money to pay off the first mortgage and certain additional sums, taking a new first mortgage as security for the loan. , Binga said that he would “take care” of the matter. During May, 1926, Hill informed Binga that he had a prospective purchaser of the premises and asked Binga what arrangements had been made for the refinancing, and Binga thereupon directed an employee of the Binga Bank, Miss Cantey, “to take care of the mortgage.” Many other conferences were thereafter had between Hill and Binga or representatives of the Binga Bank. At some of these conferences the prospective purchaser, William L. Dawson, was present. On July 16, 1926, acting upon Binga’s advice and in pursuance of his plan of refinancing, the two Hills by quitclaim deed conveyed the premises to one Booker T. McGraw. On the same day McGraw made written application to the Binga Bank for a loan of $15,000, to be due in 3 years from that date with semi-annual interest at 7 per cent per annum, to be secured by a first trust deed on the premises. In the application McGraw stated he would furnish a guaranty policy showing a fee simple title in him to the premises, would pay as a commission $750 for negotiating the loan, and that the two mortgages at present on the premises, viz., a first for $10,400 and a second for $3,000, were “to be paid.” On the same day McGraw executed and delivered to the Binga Bank his 15 notes or bonds, each dated July 16, 1926, and each for $1,000 ($15,000 in all), payable to bearer 3 years after date, with interest at 7 per cent per annum payable semi-annually, as evidenced by six coupons for $35 each attached to each bond. To secure the bonds McGraw executed and delivered to the Binga Bank a trust deed, signed by him on the same day, conveying the premises to the Chicago Title «fe Trust Co., as trustee. This trust deed was recorded on July 22,1926. The day after McGraw. had executed and delivered the bonds and trust deed, to wit, on July 17, 1926, either the Binga Bank or Jesse Binga purchased of the Northern Trust Co. the principal note of $10,400 and the last coupon note, signed by Mrs. Chittenden and secured by the original first mortgage on the premises. It appears that A. M. Burroughs, attorney for the Binga Bank, on that day called at the offices of the Northern Trust Co. and delivered to it a cashier’s check of the Binga Bank for $10,807.61 (being the amount due on said notes with interest, etc.). In turn Burroughs was given the two notes, the original trust deed and two insurance policies on the building on the premises. He signed a receipt for the papers in the name of “Binga State Bank,” and delivered them to Jesse Binga. Thereafter, about August 18,1926, in pursuance of an agreement of the Hills with William L. Dawson, the premises were conveyed to Dawson (and subsequently by Dawson to Thomas E. Bell), subject to the $15,000 mortgage given by McGraw and securing said bonds, which were in the hands of the Binga Bank for the purpose of sale by it. But the Binga Bank did not in fact, as had been arranged and agreed, pay the principal note of $10,400 or said last coupon noté, which Mrs. Chittenden had executed together with said' original first mortgage, and which notes and mortgage the Hills when they purchased the premises had assumed and agreed to pay.

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Bluebook (online)
259 Ill. App. 361, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 785, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/binga-v-bell-illappct-1930.