Ellis v. Bashor

105 P. 214, 17 Idaho 259, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 100
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 13, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 105 P. 214 (Ellis v. Bashor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ellis v. Bashor, 105 P. 214, 17 Idaho 259, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 100 (Idaho 1909).

Opinion

SULLIVAN, C. J.

— This action was brought to foreclose- a mortgage executed by the defendants, George W. and Mary J. Bashor, on June 2d, 1904, and to cancel a prior mortgage executed by plaintiff, Pitts Ellis, Olive R. Ellis and Raymond Ellis, to the Idaho Trust Co., a corporation, on October 9, [262]*2621903, which mortgage covered all the property described in the mortgage to plaintiff and a forty acre tract in addition. Lester W. Bashor and the Lewiston National Bank were made parties defendant because they claimed some interest in the last-mentioned mortgage.

■ An amended complaint was filed which will be referred to as the complaint. It is alleged therein that on October 9, 1903, the plaintiff, Pitts Ellis, Olive R. Ellis, his wife, and Raymond Ellis, executed to the defendant, the Idaho Trust Co., a certain promissory note for the sum of $1,400, which ■obligation matured on October 9, 1905, and also executed a mortgage to secure the payment of said note upon certain real estate situated in Nez Perce county; that after the mortgage was executed to the Trust Co., the real estate described therein was sold and conveyed by the plaintiff and others to the defendant, George W. Bashor, who expressly assumed and agreed to pay said note and mortgage as part of the purchase price for said land; that after said property had been sold to George "W. Bashor, as aforesaid, he executed and delivered to plaintiff on May 2, 1904, two certain promissory notes, each for the sum of $500, payable respectively in eighteen and thirty months after their date, with interest from their date at ten per cent per annum, and at the time of executing said notes, the said George W. Bashor and Mary J. Bashor, his wife, executed and delivered to plaintiff a certain mortgage, which mortgage covered all of the real estate included in the first mortgage above mentioned except a forty acre tract thereof. Plaintiff further alleges that the first note above mentioned, for $1,400, had been paid in full, and that the mortgage given to secure the same should be canceled and discharged of record; that the real estate described in the mortgages will not at forced sale bring a sufficient amount to satisfy both of said mortgages. Defendants George W. and Mary J. Bashor answered the amended complaint and denied that the debt secured by the first-mentioned mortgage had been paid. The defendants, Lester W. Bashor and the Idaho Trust Co., and the Lewiston National Bank, filed a joint answer in which they denied that said $1,400 note had been paid, and averred that the Idaho Trust Co. transferred said note and [263]*263mortgage to Lester W. Bashor, and that said Trust Co. has no further interest in said note and mortgage. . The defendants Lester W. Bashor and the Lewiston National Bank filed a cross-eomplaint, in which they sought to foreclose the first-mentioned mortgage given to secure the payment of said $1,400 promissory note, which we shall hereafter refer to as the Pitts Ellis note and mortgage. They also allege that said note and mortgage were assigned to Lester W. Bashor and by him pledged to the Lewiston National Bank to secure the payment of $1,068, and that said bank holds said note and mortgage by reason of said pledge.

Olive R. Ellis and Raymond Ellis filed an answer to the cross-eomplaint, raising the same issues as were raised by the complaint and answer thereto. The plaintiff also answered the cross-eomplaint, denying the allegations thereof, and asked for relief as set forth in his amended complaint. Neither of the defendants, George W. nor Mary J. Bashor, answered the cross-eomplaint.

On the issues thus made the cause was tried by the court and judgment was entered in favor of the Lewiston National Bank and Lester ~W. Bashor, to the effect that the Pitts Ellis note had not been paid, and that the Pitts Ellis mortgage was a first lien upon the said real property, and directed that it be sold and the proceeds thereof be applied, first, upon the payment of the Pitts Ellis note and the overplus, if any, be applied on the George W. Bashor notes. A motion for a new trial was made by plaintiff and overruled by the court. This appeal is from the judgment and the order denying the new trial.

All of the errors assigned go to the sufficiency of the evidence to support the findings and deeision of the court and to the overruling of plaintiff’s motion for a new trial.

The first contention is that the evidence does not sustain the findings to the effect that the Pitts Ellis note secured by said mortgage had not been paid. It is contended that the evidence shows that said note had been fully paid, and that the evidence shows that the Pitts Ellis note was not assigned as alleged in the cross-complaint, but that it was paid in full.

[264]*264The following facts appear from the record:

The appellant, Pitts Ellis, owned, on October 9, 1903, the real estate included in the Pitts Ellis mortgage, and on that date he, with Olive R. Ellis, his wife, and Raymond Ellis, executed said $1,400 note and secured the payment of same by said mortgage in favor of the respondent, the Idaho Trust Co.; that after the execution of said note and mortgage, Pitts Ellis sold and conveyed said real estate to the respondent George W. Bashor, who expressly assumed and agreed to pay said mortgage as a part of the purchase price for said land; that after said real estate had been sold to said Bashor he executed and delivered to the plaintiff on May 2, 1904, two promissory notes for the sum of $500 each, payable respectively in eighteen and thirty months from date, and secured the payment thereof by mortgage on all of the real estate included in the first mortgage except one forty acre tract; that George W. Bashor paid $280 interest due on said Pitts Ellis note, which was paid to the Idaho Trust Co. The Pitts Ellis note and mortgage remained in the possession and custody of the Idaho Trust Co. from the time of their execution in 1903 until April 11, 1908. No other payments were made upon said Pitts Ellis note until April 11, 1908, when George W. Bashor sold and conveyed to said Trust Go. real estate for which it paid him $5,500. On that date the Idaho Trust Co. received full payment for said $1,400 note.

But it is contended by counsel for respondents that said Pitts Ellis note was purchased by Lester W. Bashor and assigned to him, and the trial court found that as a fact and based its judgment upon that finding. In order to prove the payment of said promissory note, the plaintiff placed upon the stand Frank Kettenbach, who was president of the said Idaho Trust Co., and' also of the Lewiston National Bank, who was, no doubt, as friendly to the Bashors as he was to the appellant, and he testified, among other things, as follows:

“The Pitts Ellis note and mortgage was owned by the Idaho Trust Co. That was paid, so far as the Idaho Trust Co. was concerned, April 11, 1908. The Idaho Trust Co. got its principal and the balance with interest in full. That was $1,750, and was paid on April 11, 1908. I rather think that [265]*265was paid at the time the Idaho Trust Co. bought a farm from Mr. Bashor, either out of funds that he got or during the transaction. I know it was paid.
‘ ‘ Q. Paid in full on April 11, 1908 ?
“A. With the distinct understanding, hgwever, that it was to be assigned — but it was not paid; we got our money, with the instruction it be turned over to Lester Bashor. We took this ranch of George W. Bashor.
“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
105 P. 214, 17 Idaho 259, 1909 Ida. LEXIS 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ellis-v-bashor-idaho-1909.