Commercial National Bank v. Johnson

48 P. 267, 16 Wash. 536, 1897 Wash. LEXIS 358
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 8, 1897
DocketNo. 2233
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 48 P. 267 (Commercial National Bank v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commercial National Bank v. Johnson, 48 P. 267, 16 Wash. 536, 1897 Wash. LEXIS 358 (Wash. 1897).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Scott, C. J.

This is a consolidated action, and there are two appeals from the decree entered. April 12, 1887, James McNaught and wife platted an addition to the city of Seattle, which was composed in part of tidelands to which they had no title. Subsequently, by divers mesne conveyances from McNaught and wife, lots 14, 15, 24 and 25 of block 29 were conveyed to appellant James Dougan, said conveyances being by warranty deeds. About three-fourths of the easterly part of said lots 24 and 25 were upland. The remaining westerly parts and all of lots 14 and 15, lying in front and to the westward thereof, were tidelands. Thereafter, in July, 1888, the appellant Dougan and his wife, Mary Dougan, conveyed said lots to Thomas Johnson, and, to secure the sum of $4,000 of the purchase money, said Johnson and his wife, Ann Johnson, mortgaged said lots back to Dougan. Excepting a row of piles which Dougan had placed along the side of said lots, and in front thereof, to deep water, they were unimproved. Johnson purchased other lots adjacent to these, and built a wharf over all of them, and extending beyond to deep water. This wharf was also used as a mill site, and upon certain [538]*538portions of said wharf, including parts of the upland and tideland parts of said lots, Johnson erected substantial buildings. This was the condition of the property in October, 1889, when Dougan commenced a foreclosure suit upon his said mortgage. All of the other parties hereto were made parties to said suit, and in September, 1890, a decree was rendered against Thomas Johnson, Ann Johnson and the Commercial National Bank (then defendant, under the name of Bank of North Seattle), and a certified copy filed in the county auditor’s office for record. In March, 1891, a decree was entered against all the other defendants. By these decrees the mortgage debt of Dougan, amounting to about $4,000, was adjudged a first lien on all the mortgaged premises. In April, 1891, said lots 14, 15, 24 and 25 were sold under the decree, and Dougan became the purchaser for the full amount of his judgment; and, there being no redemption, in April, 1892, he received a sheriff’s deed accordingly. After giving said mortgage to Dougan, Johnson and his wife gave a second mortgage to the plaintiff herein, the Commercial National Bank of Seattle. This mortgage covered the Dougan lots, and also, by specific description by metes and bounds, the tidelands in front of said lots and the adjoining lots, which were covered by the wharf aforesaid. This is one of the mortgages that plaintiff sought to foreclose in this action. In January, 1891, on execution of judgment for the sum of $2,000, obtained by appellant Klosterman against Thomas Johnson, all of said property was sold to said Klosterman; and in June, 1894, he received a sheriff’s deed thereto accordingly.

In April, 1890, the city of Seattle commenced proceedings to extend a street known as “ Water Street” through the property covered by the improvements of [539]*539Johnson, and to condemn a strip 100 feet wide across lots 14, 15, 16 and 17 (said last two lots being a part of those subsequently purchased by Johnson above referred to) of said block 29. Said strip was taken equally from lots 14 and 15 and lots 16 and 17 adjoining, and the parts taken were equal in value. The sum of $2,100 was awarded to Thomas Johnson for the portion of the improvements situated thereon. These proceedings were had under the city's charter, and in pursuance of the ordinance - passed for establishing said street: and in August, 1890, the award was confirmed by a decree of the superior court. In September, 1890, the city paid said amount into court, and took possession of the strip of land and the wharf situated thereon, and ever since has used the same as a public street; and, with the consent of Johnson, the amount so paid into court was thereafter withdrawn by the Commercial National Bank, and applied by it on its mortgage indebtedness due from Johnson. Appellants Dougan were not served with any .personal notice of said proceedings to condemn, and neither of them had any knowledge thereof until the same had been determined and the money paid to the bank, as aforesaid. Notice was given, however, by publication, in accordance with the charter.

In November, 1891, the Seattle & Montana Railway Company commenced condemnation proceedings in the superior court of King county, against Thomas Johnson et al., to condemn a strip of land sixty feet wide in front of lots 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 and 25 of said block 29, for a right of way; and in February, 1892, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of all the respondents, including the appellants Dougan, assessing the damages that would result to all of the respondents interested in said tidelands and uplands [540]*540by reason of the taking and using of said right of way, at the sum of $3,000; and in September, 1892, said sum, with costs and interest, was paid into court, from which certain sums were thereafter drawn out by agreement of the parties. A judgment and decree of appropriation were duly entered upon the verdict. Something over $2,500 of the amount paid in remained in the registry of the court after deducting the sums paid out as aforesaid. The appellants Dougan filed a petition, asking that said sum be distributed, and one-half thereof be paid to them. Appellant Klosterman filed a petition, asking that the whole of said sum be awarded to him; and the Commercial National Bank, as successor to the Bank of North Seattle, filed its petition, asking that said sum be ordered paid to it. Pending the hearing of these proceedings, an order was entered consolidating said matters with the foreclosure suit brought by the bank aforesaid. In said foreclosure suit the bank also sought to foreclose a mortgage on real estate situated in Kittitas county, this state, given to it by Johnson and his wife, to secure the same indebtedness. The court having found in favor of the bank, these appeals are prosecuted.

All of the rights and conflicting claims of the respective parties are derived through the Johnsons. In their petition for a distribution of the funds, the. appellants Dougan also asked that the sum of $1,050 additional be paid to them out of the moneys then in the registry of the court, in lieu of the share to which it is claimed they were entitled of the amount theretofore paid by the city in condemning a portion of said property for a street, said sum having been paid to the plaintiff bank. Said appellants contend that they were entitled to one-half of the sum paid in, and that they were not concluded in the proceedings, and that [541]*541the court was in a position to do equity to all the parties by decreeing that the mortgage debt from the Johnsons to the bank should be reinstated in that amount. Their contentions upon this appeal relate to these two funds. The appellant Klosterman contends that the court erred in assuming jurisdiction to foreclose the mortgage on the lands in Kittitas county; also, in finding that the mortgage (Exhibit B) was properly executed, and created a lien on the wharf and property in favor of the plaintiff, superior to his rights, and in directing a reformation of the mortgage. The remaining contentions upon the part of the appellant Klosterman relate to the findings of the court upon certain items, involving an accounting for care of the property, insurance money, and taxes, etc., and in failing to allow said appellant any of the moneys paid into the registry of the court in said condemnation proceedings; also, in finding that there was any amount due the plaintiff.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Ralph v. Weyerhaeuser Co.
Washington Supreme Court, 2016
Queen City Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Mannhalt
760 P.2d 350 (Washington Supreme Court, 1988)
Sparkman & McLean Income Fund v. Wald
520 P.2d 173 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1974)
First Connecticut Small Business Investment Co. v. Hoffman
265 A.2d 508 (Connecticut Superior Court, 1970)
Bank of Commerce v. Williams
69 P.2d 525 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1937)
Seattle Savings & Loan Ass'n v. King County
65 P.2d 1274 (Washington Supreme Court, 1937)
State Ex Rel. Seattle National Bank v. Joiner
244 P. 551 (Washington Supreme Court, 1926)
Tacoma Savings Bank & Trust Co. v. Safety Investment Co.
212 P. 726 (Washington Supreme Court, 1923)
Benn v. Trobert
1919 OK 292 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1919)
Citizens National Bank v. Abbott
129 P. 1085 (Washington Supreme Court, 1913)
Empire State Surety Co. v. Ballou
118 P. 923 (Washington Supreme Court, 1911)
Brodsky v. Nelson
107 P. 840 (Washington Supreme Court, 1910)
Spedden v. Sykes
98 P. 752 (Washington Supreme Court, 1908)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 P. 267, 16 Wash. 536, 1897 Wash. LEXIS 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commercial-national-bank-v-johnson-wash-1897.