Bratcher v. Ohio County Bank's Assignee

153 S.W. 950, 152 Ky. 458, 1913 Ky. LEXIS 701
Court of Appeals of Kentucky·Decided February 25, 1913·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

William Rogers Clay, Commissioner

Affirming.

On April 9, 1906, T. B. Ooghill borrowed from the ¡First National Bank of Hartford, Kentucky, the sum of $100. As evidence of said indebtedness he, with M. T. [459] Likens as surety, executed and delivered to the bank their promissory note payable 90 days from date. Simultaneously with the execution of said note, T. Gr. Coghill and his wife, Mary B. Coghill, executed and delivered to M. T. Likens a mortgage on two tracts of land located in Ohio County, Kentucky, one tract containing 25 acres and the other tract about 15 acres. The material parts of the mortgage are as follows:

“WHEREAS, Thomas Coghill, of Ohio County, Ky., is indebted to the First National Bank of Hartford, Ky., in the sum of One Hundred Dollars, evidence by note of date, April 9, 1906, and whereas, M. T. Likens of Hartford, Ky., has signed said note as .surety. Now, for the purpose of securing the payment of sum and to indemnify the said M. T. Likens against any loss he may ¡sustain or liability he may incur by reason of said surety-ship, the said Thomas Ooghill and his wife, Mary B. Coghill, do hereby mortgage and convey unto the said M. T. Likens the following described property, to wit: (Here follows description).
> ‘-‘Mary B. Coghill, wife of Thomas Coghill, joins in this mortgage and expressly waives and relinquishes all claim of homestead and dower in and to said land, which is warranted free of encumbrance and against any adverse claims. To have and to hold the said property to the said M. T. Likens and his assigns forever; provided however, that if the said Thomas Coghill or his personal representative pay to the First National Bank, aforesaid, the sum of $100.00, with all interest and costs, and pay off and discharge said note and all renewals of same or parts of same, and thereby releases the said M. T. Likens from liability as surety for said Coghill, and that said note or renewals are paid promptly when due, t'hten this deed or mortgage shall be null and void,' .¡otherwise to be and remain in full force and effect.”

The note to the First National Bank was renewed several times. Likens told Coghill that he would not renew the note any longer, and pressed him to make arrangements to pay the debt. Coghill then went to the Ohio County Bank and arranged with it to pay the money, with the agreement and understanding that the mortgage to Likens was to be assigned to it. On April 27, 1907, Coghill borrowed from the Ohio County Bank the sum of $100, and he and his wife, Mary B. Coghill, executed and delivered to the Ohio County Bank their [460] note due 90 days .after date as evidence of said indebtedness. At tbe same time likens made tbe following assignment on the mortgage:

“Ohio County Bank having furnished the money to pay this note in my place, this mortgage is hereby assigned to said Ohio County Bank without recourse on me
April 27, 1907.
M. T. Likens/'

Beneath the above assignment is the following:

“I have this day executed to Ohio County Bank a note for $100 .as a .renewal of the note for which this mortgage is given.
April 27 1907. '
T. Gr. CoGHILL.”

During the month of January, 1911, the Ohio County Bank assigned all of its property to A. E. Pate for the benefit of its creditors. A. E. Pate as assignee brought this action against T. Gr. Coghill’s administrator, Mary B. Bratcher, formerly Mary B. Goghill, and her infant children by T. Gr. Ooghill, to recover on the note executed to the Ohio County Bank, and to enforce the mortgage lien by which it was secured. W. H. Barnes was appointed guardian ad litem for the infant defendants.

Mary B. Bratcher and the infant defendants, after setting up a claim to certain credits on the note in question, pleaded that the two tracts of land covered by the mortgage constituted one farm, and that the farm had been occupied as a homestead by her and her former huslband for several yéars before his death, and by her and the infant children since his death, and further pleaded in substance that the mortgage was discharged when the debt to the First National Bank was paid, and Likens was thereby released from further liability, and that the assignment by Likens did not have the effect of transferring the mortgage lien to the Ohio County Bank.

Subsequently, by amended pleadings, plaintiff admitted certain credits on the note and certain usury therein, and asked judgment for $79.62. The only proof in the record is a deposition by M. T. Likens, who testified that he refused to renew the note any longer and insisted on Ooghill’s making arrangements to pay it, and that at the time the renewal note to the Ohio County Bank was executed and the note to the First National Bank was paid with the proceeds, he assigned the mort[461] gage to the Ohio County Bank. The chancellor rendered judgment in favor of plaintiff against the administrator for the sum of $100, with ;six per cent interest thereon from July 27, 1907, until paid. Plaintiff was also adjudged a lien on the two tracts of land covered by the mortgage, and the land, or so much thereof as was necessary to satisfy the debt, interest and costs, was directed to be sold. From that judgment Mary B. Bratcher and the infant defendants appeal.

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Bratcher v. Ohio County Bank's Assignee, 153 S.W. 950, 152 Ky. 458, 1913 Ky. LEXIS 701 (Ky. Ct. App. 1913).

153 S.W. 950 (Bratcher v. Ohio County Bank's Assignee) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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