Calidino Hotel Co. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n

87 P.2d 923, 31 Cal. App. 2d 295, 1939 Cal. App. LEXIS 632
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 1, 1939
DocketCiv. No. 2170
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 87 P.2d 923 (Calidino Hotel Co. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Calidino Hotel Co. v. Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n, 87 P.2d 923, 31 Cal. App. 2d 295, 1939 Cal. App. LEXIS 632 (Cal. Ct. App. 1939).

Opinion

GRIFFIN, J.

On March 8, 1938, appellant bank, acting as trustee under a trust indenture which was then in default, entered the premises in the city of San Bernardino known as the California Hotel. Solt, Inc., a corporation, successor of Durbin Building Corporation, was the owner of a ground lease upon the premises and was the debtor or trustor under a trust indenture dated May 1, 1925. By this trust indenture the Durbin Building Corporation conveyed, among other things, its leasehold interest in certain property in San Bernardino to Heilman Commercial Trust & Savings Bank, as trustee, for the purpose of securing its issue of $200,000 in first closed mortgage 7 per cent leasehold gold bonds. These bonds matured serially on May 1st of each of the years commencing with 1928 and ending with 1935, and bore interest at the rate of 7 per cent per annum payable semi-annually. The leasehold hypothecated as security for the bonds was evidenced by a lease from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Los Angeles and San Diego, as lessor, to R. E. Durbin and Stella K. Durbin, lessees and assignors of Durbin Building Corporation. Thereafter, and in 1931, Durbin Building Corporation, a California Corporation, caused its corporate name to be changed to 'Solt, Inc., by which name it has since been designated. Also, through various consolidations and mergers, all transpiring prior to 1930, the present defendant and appellant, Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, became the successor trustee under the trust indenture. At the time of appellant’s entry, $167,000 in prin[298]*298eipal amount of the bonds was still outstanding and unpaid and all of these bonds had become due, the last of the serial maturity accruing in 1935. Likewise, interest was unpaid on these bonds since 1931. At the time of entry the respondent corporation was in possession of the premises as lessee of Solt, Inc., under a lease dated August 31, 1936.

The respondent contended that the entry had been effected with force and violence and commenced an action for forcible entry and detainer, asking for restitution of the premises and damages for wrongful detention. The appellant appeared, pleading by way of defense (1) that it had taken peaceable possession as trustee of the premises under and pursuant to the deed of trust; (2) that the respondent had consented to and acquiesced in appellant’s entry; (3) that respondent was estopped to assert possession by reason of the alleged representations made in a certain 77-B (bankruptcy) proceeding before the United States District Court; (4) that Solt, Inc., and not the respondent, was in possession at the time of the entry; (5) that the action was not brought in good faith, but for the purpose of harassing the appellant; and (6) that Solt, Inc., and not the respondent, was the real party in interest.

The trial court found that while the respondent was in actual, quiet and peaceable possession, and entitled to possession of the same, the appellant, with violence and a strong hand and by force, and without the consent of respondent, entered upon and broke open and into the premises, and with force and violence removed, put out and expelled the respondent therefrom; and that the said entry was commenced on the 8th day of March, 1938, and completed on the 11th day of March, 1938; and accordingly the court gave judgment-in favor of the respondent, and awarded it possession of the premises and damages in the sum of $4,000. The court further decreed that the rights of the respondent to the possession of the premises under and by virtue of the provisions of its lease with Solt, Inc., were paramount and superior to the rights of the appellant, pursuant to the trust indenture.

Appellant now contends (1) that the lease to respondent, even if respondent were actually in possession at the time of appellant's entry, was subject to and subordinate to the rights of appellant under the trust indenture; (2) that even though appellant had excluded respondent by force, the provisions of the indenture are a bar to any recovery in this [299]*299action; (3) that appellant’s entry was not accomplished by the use of force or threats of force, as the same have been defined by the decisions; (4) that the trial court erred in admitting evidence which was prejudicial to appellant; (5) that the evidence conclusively shows that Solt, Inc., and not respondent, was in possession at the time of appellant’s entry; and (6) that there is no proper evidence to sustain the recovery of damages awarded.

The general rule is to the effect that a subsequent lessee of mortgaged property, taking under a lease from the mortgagor, takes subject to the mortgage. (McDermott v. Burke, 16 Cal. 580; Nineteenth Realty Co. v. Diggs, 134 Cal. App. 278 [25 Pac. (2d) 522] ; Mercantile Trust Co. v. Sunset etc. Co., 176 Cal. 458 [168 Pac. 1036]; Schroeder v. Berlin Arcade Real Estate Co., 175 Wis. 79 [184 N. W. 542] ; vol. 2, Jones on Mortgages, 8th ed., p. 367; Dugand v. Magnus, 107 Cal. App. 243 [290 Pac. 309].) Yet, where the mortgage in express terms or by clear implication authorizes the mortgagor to make such a lease for the benefit of the mortgagee, a lease made in pursuance of such authority is binding upon the mortgagee and those claiming under him. (Sammons v. Kearney Power & Irr. Co., 77 Neb. 580 [110 N. W. 308] ; 19 R C. L. 321, sec. 97; 8 L. R. A. (N. S.) 404.)

Considering the first and -all-important point presented for consideration in the light of this general rule, it becomes necessary to examine the terms of the trust indenture. Section 7, article Y, contains the following provision:

“The said company (Solt, Inc., lessor) covenants and agrees that it will use every endeavor to lease all portions of the building erected upon said premises hereinabove described and that, upon the expiration or surrender of any portion of said building, it will immediately use its best endeavors to re-let the said vacated portion of said building upon the most favorable terms and at the highest rent reasonably to be obtained. ”

Section 10, article Y, further provides:

“The company covenants and agrees that it will well and truly keep, observe and perform any and all obligations and regulations now or hereafter imposed upon it by contract or prescribed by any law of the United States or of any state, or by any ordinance of any municipality or governmental body having jurisdiction or control thereof, or in respect [300]*300thereto, as a lawful condition to the continued enjoyment of the leases, contracts or rights now owned or held by the company, or hereafter acquired by it, to the end that such leases, contracts and rights may be maintained and preserved and may not become abandoned, forfeited or in any manner impaired; ...”

Sections 5 and 6 of article V provide:

“The company covenants and agrees that upon the making of any lease on any portion of the real property described in the granting clause, or of the buildings erected upon said real property, it will at once deliver to and pledge with the said trustee the said lease to be held by said trustee as a further and additional security for the payment of all of the bonds secured hereby, and the performance by the company of every term, covenant and condition imposed upon it by this indenture. . . .

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Bluebook (online)
87 P.2d 923, 31 Cal. App. 2d 295, 1939 Cal. App. LEXIS 632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/calidino-hotel-co-v-bank-of-america-national-trust-savings-assn-calctapp-1939.