Cantley v. Danaher

87 S.W.2d 81, 191 Ark. 733, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 349
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedOctober 21, 1935
Docket4-3933
StatusPublished

This text of 87 S.W.2d 81 (Cantley v. Danaher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cantley v. Danaher, 87 S.W.2d 81, 191 Ark. 733, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 349 (Ark. 1935).

Opinion

Baker, J.

At the risk of being tedious, a rather full and detailed statement of the facts in this case is made, for the reason that the writer believes such statement of the admitted facts obviates the necessity of much argument.

On January 5, 1923, the St. Louis Joint Stock Land Bank made a loan to J. D., Martha R., and Sallie S. Hawley, in the sum of $14,000. The borrowers executed their note for this money, and gave a first mortgage on 302 acres of land in Lincoln County, as security for the payment of the debt. The debt was payable in 66 semiannual installments.

Shortly after the execution of this first mortgage, a second mortgage, or deed of trust, was given by the same parties to M. Danaher, conveying the same land. This second mortgage secured a debt of $2,400, and matured two years after date.

The Hawleys paid to the bank the first semi-annual installment, due on August 3,1923, and M. Danaher paid the bank other installments, from January 11, 1924, to July 31, 1931, the last payment being made on the last-mentioned date. On April 5, 1932, the bank filed its suit to foreclose and declared the entire debt due and payable, in accordance with an acceleration clause in the mortgage or deed of trust. The bank paid some of the taxes that matured upon the land, and at the time the suit was filed for foreclosure, there was due and owing to it $15,537.43. At the time of the filing of this suit by the bank to foreclose, Danaher had paid $2,988.37, as taxes and special assessments upon the land, and also several thousand dollars of the installments due by the Hawleys to the bank. The first mortgage or deed of trust executed by the Hawleys to M. Danaher contained this provision:

“And if the parties of the first part shall fail to make such payments of taxes, legal assessments, or interest (referring to interest on first mortgage debt to St. Louis Joint Stock Land Bank) the party of the third part (Danaher) may do so, at his option, and all such payments so made by the third party shall be added to and become a part of the principal indebtedness hereby secured.”

At the time Danaher quit paying, on, August 6, 1929, he had advanced or paid out on taxes,, special assessments, installments, insurance, etc., sums, together with the amount secured by the deed of trust of January 19, 1923, which aggregated $10,188.55, and on that date the Hawleys gave to Danaher a new note for that amount, due four years after date, and a new deed of trust to secure this last note, which recited:

“We, J. D. Hawley, Martha R. Hawley, and Sallie S. Hawley, acknowledge that the indebtedness due by us to M. Danaher, secured by deed of trust now of record in Record Book 27, page 29, of the records of Lincoln County, Arkansas, has not been paid, and that at our request M. Danaher has paid out for taxes, insurance, and repairs on the land described in said deed of trust, and for amounts due to the St. Louis Joint Stock Land Bank at various dates large sums of money; and we have made some payments to said M. Danaher. Upon the account between us, allowing proper interest for the sums paid by us to him, there is now due from us to said M. Dana-her, principal and interest included, the sum of $10,'-188.55, which we hereby promise to pay to said M. Dahaher on or before four years after'this date, with interest thereon payable .annually at the rate of six per cent, per annum, from this date until paid. We hereby renew the said deed of trust, recorded in Record Book 27 at page 29 as aforesaid to secure payment of all of said indebtedness.
“If grantors shall fail to pay such taxes, legal assessments, or insurance premiums, when same shall become due, or to do any and all things herein mentioned, then the said M. Danaher may do so, and all sums so expended, by him shall be due and payable on demand, shall bear interest at the rate of six per cent, per annum from the date of such expenditure until repaid, and shall be added to and become a .part of the principal indebtedness hereby secured, and the interest on such expenditures shall be compounded annually until paid.”

During this interval between the dates of the execution of the two mortgages executed by the Hawleys to Danaher, these numerous payments of taxes, special assessments, and installments were made by Danaher for and on behalf of the Hawleys. This is evidenced, not only by the recitals in the two mortgages quoted above, but by numerous letters written by Danaher to the bank. Extracts are copied from some of the letters written when tax receipts were sent to the bank, or when remittances were made to it by Mr. Danaher. The effect of other communications is shown also.

On November 26, 1925, Mr. Danaher wrote, in regard to the tax receipts, which he had sent to the bank, and in asking the return of these receipts to him: “I will need them in collecting the money from Hawley, or in getting judgment if I have to foreclose.”

On July 26, 1926, he wrote: “I paid the taxes for him.” The tax receipt was made to “J. D. Hawley by M. Danaher.”

On April 4, 1927, he sent the bank tax receipts made to J. D.. Hawley by M. Danaher. In 1928 the tax receipt was to J. D. Hawley by M. Danaher.

On July 13, 1928, he wrote the bank as follows: “I merely have been making the payments to you for Mr. Hawley under arrangements with him.”

Prior to that time, on October 11, 1927, in regard to the selling- of some lots, he wrote the bank as follows: “If you are willing to let him sell on these terms, I will agree that the entire purchase price be paid upon his debt to you. ’ ’

On July 26,1929, some improvement taxes were paid and the receipts made to J. D. Hawley by M. Danaher. All of these payments, prior to August 6, 1929, were included in the note and deed of trust of that date, executed by the Hawleys to M. Danaher.

Thereafter, on March 18, 1930, and April 9, 1931, taxes were paid by M. Danaher. These receipts were issued in his name, in the aggregate amount of $532.77.

Danaher joined with Hawley in renting the lands to W. E. Tooke in February of 1928 for five years, and to J. N. Scruggs in March, 1930, for three years. - Rent notes were made payable by these parties to Hawley and M. Danaher, and were indorsed by Hawley to Dana-her, who collected rents from the lands.

One of the provisions for' the acceleration of the mortgage or deed of trust to the bank, was as follows: “It is further agreed that the debt secured herein may be declared due and payable in its entirety at any time on the failure of the mortgagor to. pay taxes, either general or special, or assessments, before delinquency. ”

Danaher testified that he had received, in payment upon his indebtedness, for the account of Hawley, payments made by Hawley and rents, in the aggregate amount of $3,231.64; he also testified that his purpose in paying the taxes and improvement district assessments was to protect his interest in his second, mortgage, to prevent the lands from going delinquent.

After the second mortgage or deed of trust was made to M. Danaher, upon August 6, 1929, he paid taxes on the mortgaged land, amounting, as above stated, to $532.77.

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Bluebook (online)
87 S.W.2d 81, 191 Ark. 733, 1935 Ark. LEXIS 349, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cantley-v-danaher-ark-1935.