Brown v. Crawford

254 F. 146, 1918 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 725
District Court, D. Oregon·Decided November 25, 1918·No. Nos. 7426, 8015·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

WOLVERTON, District Judge.

This is a suit to foreclose a mortgage and to subject the property covered thereby to the payment of the mortgage obligations. Previously to this a suit was instituted by Russell H. Brown, trustee in bankruptcy of the estate of Monarch Lumber Company of Oregon, against the Assets Realization Company and William W. Crawford, for an accounting touching the property supposed to have been covered by the mortgage. A cross-bill was filed by the David investment Company, claiming that as guarantor it had paid certain installments of interest on the mortgage obligations, and seeking subrogation for a recovery of the sums paid. The mortgage was set up in all its features. Brayton & Lawbaugh, and Moody, the successor to Bjelik, controverted the legality of the execution of the mortgage, charging that it was usurious, and that recovery thereon should be reduced to less than the face value of the obligations. After hearing, a decision was rendered sustaining the mortgage and set tling the account as prayed for by the trustee in bankruptcy. Later, by leave of court, the defendants Assets Realization Company and William W. Crawford, trustee, filed a cross-bill setting up the mortgage and praying foreclosure, and the issues on the pleadings have been subsequently completed. These two causes were consolidated for trial. The former case has been largely lost sight of on the present hearing, and the trial has proceeded in the main upon the direct foreclosure proceeding as above entitled.

[148]*148The defendants Brayton & Lawbaugh and J. D. Moody set up their judgments, which it is claimed are liens against the mortgaged property, and again insist that the mortgage is usurious.

The David Investment Company by its answer again claims that it is entitled to subrogation for interest paid on the principal obligations.

The defendant Kaste answers that he is the owner of the legal title covered by the mortgage; that in a certain cause pending in the circuit court of the state of Oregon for Multnomah county, entitled Bray-ton & Lawbaugh v. The Monarch Lumber Company et al., upon condition that the state court appoint a receiver of the mill property covered by the mortgage, he subordinated his title for the benefit of the general creditors, he to retain the legal title when they were paid; that a receiver was accordingly appointed, who, through a writ of assistance, was put into possession of the property, and is now entitled to such possession, although the same was wrongfully taken from him by Russell H. Brown as receiver in bankruptcy, but who now retains the same as trustee; that by reason thereof this court is without jurisdiction of the subject-matter to entertain cognizance of the foreclosure suit.

Russell H. Brown, trustee, for answer relies upon his right of possession of the property, with a view to administering it for the benefit of the general creditors.

[1-3] The question of prime importance is one of jurisdiction. It is insistently urged that the federal court is without jurisdiction to’ entertain the present suit to foreclose the Monarch Lumber Company mortgage. The basis of the proposition is that the state court is entitled to the possession of the res, and, being so entitled, no suit or action will lie in any other court, whether federal or state, with respect thereto.

Let it be conceded for the present that the state court, by the rules of comity, is entitled to such possession; or we may go further, and let it be admitted that such court has the actual possession, and is holding it in accordance with such rules of comity. I am persuaded that in either aspect the position of counsel is unsound. Reference will later be made to the state of the record. The Supreme Court, in a comparatively recent case, has laid down the broad rule applicable in the following language:

“The rule is well recognized that the pendency of an action in the state court is no bar to proceedings concerning the same matter in the federal court having jurisdiction, for both the state and federal courts have certain concurrent jurisdiction over such controversies, and when they arise between citizens of different states the federal jurisdiction may be invoked, and the cause carried to judgment, notwithstanding a state court may also have taken jurisdiction of the same case.” McClellan v. Carland, 217 U. S. 268, 282, 30 Sup. Ct. 501, 505 (54 L. Ed. 762).

And in an earlier case, Gordon v. Gilfoil, 99 U. S. 168, 178 (25 L. Ed. 383), the court observes:

“It has been frequently held that the pendency of a suit in a state court is no ground even for a plea in abatement to a suit upon the same matter in a federal court.”

[149]*149The proposition is very well illustrated by the case of Mercantile Trust Co. v. Lamoille Val. R. Co., 17 Fed. Cas. 25, No. 9432. The plaintiff in that case, being the owner and holder of certain railroad mortgage bonds, instituted a suit, in behalf of itself and other like owners and holders, to foreclose the mortgage and for removal of trustees who were seeking to foreclose an alleged preference mortgage upon the same property in the state court, one of whom had been appointed receiver in that court, and was at the time in possession of such property. The court stated the question for its decision not to be whether it would grant relief that would disturb the state court, for ‘''surely,” it was declared, “it will not do that,” but whether it would hear and determine any question or grant any relief concerning the right to the property, and not extending to possession, while the state court had possession. The question is the direct one involved here. Answering it, the court says:

“There is nothing, either in the letter or the spirit of the statute, that prohibits a party having a question of right, or a claim to relief, that can be determined without meddling with the possession of any court, from having the question determined or the relief granted by any court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose. Neither is there anything in the nature of things which should prevent.”

After referring to the case of Watson v. Jones, 13 Wall. 679, 20 L. Ed. 666, the court goes on to say:

“In this case, as in that, some of the relief which the bill might cover would interfere with the possession of the state court, and. some of it would not. The execution of an order of sale, under the provisions of the mortgage, or of an order for the delivery of possession, under other provisions, would have that direct effect, and, perhaps, the general prayer for relief would cover either; but, as before mentioned, it is clear that the plaintiff cannot have such relief. None can be had except that which will not interfere with the present possession. A decree of forelosure would npt. It would only cut off the equity óf redemption of the plaintiff's bonds, which the mortgagors now have, and would not affect the possession at all, but only the right. * * *
“The objection on account of the receivership cannot prevail to prevent proceeding in this cause, so far as it can go without interfering with the receivership; and a decree of foreclosure can be had, if the plaintiff is otherwise entitled to one, without involving such interference.”

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Brown v. Crawford, 254 F. 146, 1918 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 725 (D. Or. 1918).

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