Federal National Mortgage Ass'n v. Oak Cliff Bank & Trust Co.

552 S.W.2d 190, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2981
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 12, 1977
DocketNo. 4995
StatusPublished

This text of 552 S.W.2d 190 (Federal National Mortgage Ass'n v. Oak Cliff Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Federal National Mortgage Ass'n v. Oak Cliff Bank & Trust Co., 552 S.W.2d 190, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2981 (Tex. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

McCLOUD, Chief Justice.

Plaintiff, Federal National Mortgage Association sued defendant, Oak Cliff Bank and Trust Company, for breach of contract. At issue is whether defendant was required to assign to plaintiff a $25,187 letter of credit when defendant assigned a mortgage to plaintiff. Following a nonjury trial, judgment was entered for defendant. Findings of fact and conclusions of law were filed. We affirm.

On January 9, 1970, defendant, as mortgagee, James C. Huett, as sponsor, and Barclay Square Apartments, as proposed mortgagor, were issued a “Commitment for Insurance of Advances” by the Federal Housing Commissioner (FHA) insuring a $1,983,-900 mortgage note held by the bank on an apartment project in Dallas, Texas. The commitment provided in part:

“(4) The Mortgagor shall establish to the Commissioner’s satisfaction that, in addition to the proceeds of the insured mortgage, the Mortgagor has funds in the amount of $25,187, or has made financial arrangements acceptable to the Commissioner in order to meet the expenses of the project from the date of initial occupancy until 12 months after the date of final endorsement as the Commissioner estimates is necessary to establish a profitable operation. The funds shall be deposited with the Mortgagee or other depository acceptable to the Commissioner on or before the date of initial endorsement, and such funds shall be held in a special account under an agreement approved by the Commissioner.”

Paragraph 20 of the FHA insurance commitment, which was a typed addition to the printed form contract, provided:

“Sponsor to furnish additional funds, FHA Form 2476 and FHA Form 2477, in the amount of $25,187.”

[191]*191On January 14, 1970, plaintiff, FNMA, entered into a written “Advance Commitment Contract” with defendant whereby FNMA agreed to purchase from defendant the $1,983,900 mortgage note. The commitment provided in part:

“12. The term ‘mortgage’ as used in this commitment contract shall be construed to include the security instrument, together with the obligation secured thereby and the title evidence and all other documents, instruments, and other papers pertaining thereto.”

Paragraph 7 of the agreement provided:

“7. The Seller, promptly after being informed of disbursement by the Corporation in execution of this commitment contract, shall remit to the Corporation or dispose of otherwise, in conformity with instructions from the Corporation, the total amount of the balance and the entire contents of every deposit account of the mortgagor, . . . ”

Oak Cliff Bank and Trust Company issued a $25,187 irrevocable commercial letter of credit on February 12, 1970, which provided that “Oak Cliff Bank and Trust Company as Mortgagee under F.H.A. Project No. 112-35088-PM Dallas, Texas” was authorized to draw at sight for the account of “Barclay Square Apartments” the sum of $25,187. The letter of credit stated it would expire on May 12,1972, and provided drafts must be accompanied by the following documents:

“Statement signed by Barclay Square Apartments, a Texas Joint Venture, and Oak Cliff Bank and Trust Company, as Mortgagee Under F.H.A. Project No. 112-35088-PM, that proceeds of such draft are to be used to establish the profitable operation of said Project in order to meet expenses of said Project from the date of initial occupancy and until twelve months after the date of final endorsement of the Project by F.H.A.”

On that same date, February 12, 1970, James C. Huett and Avery Mays, as sponsors of the Barclay Square Apartments project, entered into an Escrow Agreement with defendant as “Depository” which provided:

“ESCROW AGREEMENT
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTION BY SPONSORS
WHEREAS, James C. Huett and Avery Mays are sponsors of a project located in Dallas, Texas, identified as FHA Project No. 112-35088-PM, which project has been, is being, or will be, constructed from the proceeds of a mortgage (or deed of trust) from Barclay Square Apartments to Charles H. Storey & Willard Gragg, with respect to which mortgage the Federal Housing Commissioner has issued his commitment to insure, and without which insurance financing of the construction of the project as proposed by the sponsors could not be obtained, and WHEREAS, said commitment is conditioned upon assurance that additional funds be made available for project purposes, primarily for the absorption of any deficit resulting from the operation of the project during the initial period of occupancy;
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSETH:
1. That the sponsors have deposited with Oak Cliff Bank and Trust Company, Depository,
_(a) in cash,
X (b) by an unconditional irrevocable letter of credit issued to Depository by a banking institution,
_(c) in United States bearer bonds at market value,
$25,187.00, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Depository, to be held and disbursed by the Depository as hereinafter set out.
2. Said deposit shall be held subject to disbursement at the direction of the Commissioner for a period of 12 months following final endorsement of the mortgage loan for insurance plus any additional period by which the beginning of amortization of the loan may be deferred. Disbursements from the escrow may be [192]*192authorized monthly by the Commissioner to meet any cash deficit in the operation of the project for the period immediately following substantial completion of construction. In determining the amount of such cash deficit, effect will be given to the mortgagor’s payments for amortization and deposits in the Reserve for Replacements, but no effect will be given to depreciation, officers’ salaries, and management fees paid to the owners or sponsors of the project or their nominees.
3. The deposit will be subject to immediate application to the mortgage debt in the event of default under the mortgage at any time prior to the expiration of the escrow period.
4. IT IS UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED that at the expiration of the escrow period, or at such earlier date as the Commissioner determines that the project has achieved sustaining occupancy and income, any balance remaining on deposit will be returned to the sponsors, without interest.
5. IT IS FURTHER UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED that the ‘Depository’ will hold and disburse this escrow at the sole direction of the Commissioner; and the sponsors hereby authorize the Depository, in the event the deposit hereunder is other than in cash, to draw against the letter of credit or to sell the bonds to the extent necessary to provide the cash necessary to make the disbursements directed by the Commissioner.”

On or about June 3, 1971, plaintiff purchased the mortgage from defendant and defendant submitted various documents to plaintiff. The $25,187 letter of credit or the related escrow agreement was never delivered to plaintiff. The mortgagor failed to make the required payments and on or about October 19, 1971, plaintiff assigned the mortgage to FHA.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
552 S.W.2d 190, 1977 Tex. App. LEXIS 2981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/federal-national-mortgage-assn-v-oak-cliff-bank-trust-co-texapp-1977.