Catterlin v. Armstrong

79 Ind. 514
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1881
DocketNo. 7935
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 79 Ind. 514 (Catterlin v. Armstrong) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Catterlin v. Armstrong, 79 Ind. 514 (Ind. 1881).

Opinion

Bicknell, C. C.

— In September, 1851, John W. Blake mortgaged land to Moses A. Kerr. Afterwards, in August, 1859, he and his wife mortgaged the same land and other lands to the appellee, to indemnify him as surety for Blake on certain notes. This mortgage was duly recorded. Kerr obtained a decree foreclosing his mortgage in June, 1860, but did not make Armstrong a party to the foreclosure suit. The land was sold under Kerr’s decree, in August, 1860, and the appellant Catterlin bought it for $305.50, and put valuable buildings upon it. All the other land embraced in the mortgage to Armstrong, except the land in controversy, was sold under executions issued on judgments rendered against Blake before the date of the mortgage to Armstrong. Catterlin has been in possession of the land ever since his purchase, and has enjoyed the rents and profits thereof, which accrued solely by reason of his improvements — the property when he bought it had no rental value. Armstrong, as surety for Blake, had to pay, upon the matters covered by the indemnity mortgage, several thousand dollars. At the March term, 1878, of the Clinton Circuit Court, Armstrong, the junior mortgagee, brought this suit against Catterlin and Blake and wife to foreclose his mortgage. This suit was commenced on the 26th of February, 1878, more than seventeen and a half years after the date of the mortgage.

The complaint stated all the foregoing facts except the improvements of Catterlin, alleged that Catterlin had received rents and profits more than enough to repay him the purchase-money of the land, and prayed for judgment against Blake, and the foreclosure of said junior mortgage, and for an account of the rents and profits, and that the land be sold and proceeds applied, first, to the payment of Catterlin’s purchase-money, to wit, $305.50, with interest, less the amount of the rents and profits; and second, to the payment of the judg[516]*516ment to be rendered in favor of Armstrong against Blake, and for all other proper relief.

The substance of Armstrong’s claim is, that all of Catterlin’s rents and profits shall be taken to pay Armstrong’s claim, and that Catterlin shall lose both his property and rents, and have nothing but his $305.50, and interest, although he holds the property as owner, subject only to Armstrong’s mortgage.

The defendants moved to make said complaint more specific, which motion was overruled. The defendant Catterlin then moved that the plaintiff be compelled to amend his complaint, so as to ask a foreclosure of his mortgage against the other parcels of land therein described, and to seek relief against such property before selling any of said defendant's property, and this motion was overruled.

The defendant Catterlin then demurred to the complaint for the want of facts sufficient, etc., and said demurrer was overruled. The defendants then moved to strike out parts of the complaint, and this motion was overruled. The defendants then moved for a bill of particulars of the moneys paid by said plaintiff as surety for said Blake, and this motion was overruled.

The defendants then answered the complaint. Catterlin answered separately:

1st. In denial.

2d. That the cause of action as to him did not arise within fifteen years next before suit brought.

3d. Payment before suit brought.

4th. Accord and satisfaction before suit brought.

5th. That he paid for the property its full cash value, and that it had of itself no rental value, and that all the rents thereof are the result of the improvements by him placed upon the property.

6th. That when he bought the property it had no improvements except an old worn-out one-story frame building, not fit to live in and of no rental or other value; that he bought the property without actual knowledge of plaintiff’s mortgage and afterward took aw'ay the old building and put on the property [517]*517a two-story block of brick buildings at an expense of $10,000, and that plaintiff stood by and saw defendant buy and pay for the land, and had full knowledge of defendant’s improvements as they were made, and failed to notify defendant of his said claim. Wherefore said plaintiff is estopped, etc.

7th. That he paid the full value of the property and bought and made his improvements without actual notice of the plaintiff’s mortgage; that he built on said mortgaged land and on adjoining land a building worth $10,000; that the part of the building covering said mortgaged land is worth $6,000; that plaintiff stood by and saw him make said purchase and improvements, without giving any notice of his said claim. Wherefore defendant asks that if there be a foreclosure of plaintiff’s mortgage an account be taken, and that plaintiff have foreclosure for so much only as said land was worth over and above the purchase-money, and for the rental value thereof, aside from the rental value arising from said improvements, and over and above the lawful interest on said purchase-money.

The plaintiff replied in denial of the third and fourth paragraphs of said answer, and demurred to each of the other paragraphs except the first for want of facts sufficient, etc., and all of said demurrers were sustained.

The defendant Blake and wife answered jointly: 1st. In denial. 2d. Payment. 3d. Accord and satisfaction.

The plaintiff replied in denial of the second and third paragraphs of this joint answer, and the cause was then at issue as to all of the defendants upon the complaint, the general denial and the pleas of payment and accord and satisfaction denied.

The defendant Catterlin then filed a cross complaint in two paragraphs, to wit;

1st. That he has made improvements on said property of the value of $7,000; that without such improvements the property is not worth more than $300; that for eighteen years [518]*518past he has paid taxes on said property, to wit, $100 per year, and he prays that, in case of foreclosure, he may have credit for the moneys so expended in improvements and taxes, with six per cent, interest, in all $18,000, and that the property shall not be sold for less than $18,000, unless plaintiff will pay to said defendant the deficiency, and that said defendant be fully indemnified for his said outlays and the interest thereon, and that the costs of this suit be paid before any of the proceeds of said property be applied in discharge of said plaintiff’s claim.

2cl. That he bought and paid for said property in good faith and without knowledge of plaintiff’s claim, and has put valuable improvements thereon, and paid taxes therefor, amounting in all to $10,000, on which interest has accrued, to wit, $8,000, which he asks may be taken into account, and that the property may not be sold until the plaintiff pays defendant said sums of money and the costs of this suit.

The plaintiff demurred to each of the paragraphs of said cross complaint for want of facts sufficient, etc., and said demurrers were overruled.

The plaintiff then moved to strike out certain parts of said cross complaint, and the court struck out the following, to wit: “That said premises without said improvements were not worth more than $300; ” and also the prayer, that “the property shall not be sold for less than $18,000, unless plaintiff will pay to said defendant the deficiency.”

The plaintiff then answered the cross complaint by a general denial.

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Bluebook (online)
79 Ind. 514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/catterlin-v-armstrong-ind-1881.