First Enterprise Bank v. Be-Graphic, Inc.

2006 OK CIV APP 141, 149 P.3d 1064, 2006 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 120, 2006 WL 3359691
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 16, 2006
Docket102,383
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 2006 OK CIV APP 141 (First Enterprise Bank v. Be-Graphic, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Enterprise Bank v. Be-Graphic, Inc., 2006 OK CIV APP 141, 149 P.3d 1064, 2006 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 120, 2006 WL 3359691 (Okla. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Opinion by

CAROL M. HANSEN, Judge.

. T1 Plaintiff/Appellant, First Enterprise Bank (Bank), seeks review of the trial court's Judgment in favor of Defendant/Appellee, Carrie R. Moberly, on Moberly's counterclaim against Bank in Bank's action to foreclose mortgages securing loans it made to Defendant, BeCGraphic, Inc. (Principal), a printing business owned by Moberly's former husband, Defendant Jeffery G. Behymer. At issue is whether Moberly contractually waived the statutory defense of 15 O.S.2001 § 338 and 15 O.S.2001 § 377, 1 which exonerates a surety from liability if the creditor alters the original obligation without the surety's consent. We hold the trial court properly construed the contractual waiver not to include waiver of the alteration defense as a matter of law, and its fact findings are not against the clear weight of the evidence.

T2 On February 28, 1996, Bank made a $50,000.00 line-of-credit loan (LOC Loan) to Principal, as Loan No. 15894. Behymer and Moberly, then married, granted a second mortgage (LOC Mortgage) on their residence to secure the note, "together with all renewals of, extensions of, modifications of, refinancings of, consolidations of, and substitutions for the promissory note or agreement." The mortgage provided,

Grantor waives all rights or defenses arising by reason of any "one action" or "anti-deficiency" law, or any other law which may prevent Lender from bringing any action against Grantor, including a claim for deficiency to the extent Lender is otherwise entitled to a claim for deficiency, before or after Lender's commencement or completion of any foreclosure action, either judicially or by exercise of a power of sale.

T3 On April 19, 1996, Bank and Principal agreed to increase the amount of the LOC Loan to $100,000.00 and to extend the maturity date. Behymer and Moberly signed a modification of mortgage agreeing to the changes. On April 10, 1997, Bank and Principal agreed to extend the maturity date of the $100,000.00 LOC Loan by one year. *1067 Behymer and Moberly again signed a modification of mortgage agreeing to the change.

{4 On February 17, 1998, Bank made Loan No. 15812 to Principal in the amount of $488,478.50 (Heidelberg Loan) for the purchase of a Heidelberg Press. Behymer and Moberly signed a mortgage (Heidelberg Mortgage) on their residence to secure the loan. The mortgage contained language similar to that in the 1996 mortgage described above. Behymer signed a guaranty agreement promising to pay Principal's indebtedness to Bank. The guaranty included the following waiver language: _

Guarantor also waives any and all rights or defenses arising by reason of (a) any "one action" or "anti-deficiency" law or any other law which may prevent Lender from bringing any action, including a claim for deficiency, against Guarantor, before or after Lender's commencement or completion of any foreclosure action, either judicially or by exercise of a power of sale; ... (f) any defenses given to guarantors at law or in equity other than actual payment and performance of the indebtedness....

It also included broad language authorizing Bank to take a variety of actions, including modifying Principal's indebtedness, without notice to Behymer.

T5 On March 4, 1998, Bank and Principal agreed to increase the Heidelberg Loan to $513,478.50, and on May 26, 1998, they agreed to increase it to $578,018.50. The record does not reflect mortgage modifications accompanied these increases. On September 15, 1998, Bank and Principal increased the LOC Loan to $200,000.00 and extended its maturity date to September 15, 1999. Behymer and Moberly signed a mortgage modification agreeing to these two changes, but the document identified the Heidelberg Mortgage, by the book and page where recorded, as the mortgage being modified, rather than the LOC Mortgage. On April 16, 1999, Bank and Principal increased the Heidelberg Loan to $622,148.16.

T6 Moberly petitioned for divorcee from Behymer in February 2000. The divorce decree, entered in September 2000, awarded Principal to Behymer and the parties' residence to Moberly. It required Behymer to hold Moberly harmless from Principal's indebtedness to Bank secured by the residence and from any other debt of Principal.

T7 Principal and Bank agreed to extensions of the Heidelberg Loan on March 1, 2000, and again on August 21, 2000. On July 31, 2000, they agreed to increase the LOC Loan to $282,249.44 and extend its maturity date. According to Moberly, on July 31, 2000, Behymer asked her to sign a mortgage modification approving the increase and extension of the LOC Loan, but she refused. Whether the signature appearing on the ° mortgage modification is Moberly's is disputed. Bank later released that mortgage modification. On November 21, 2000, Principal . and Bank agreed to extend the LOC Loan. On January 23, 2001, Principal and Bank agreed to extend the Heidelberg Loan and increase its amount by $20,000.00.

T8 Principal defaulted on the notes and Behymer filed for bankruptey. Bank brought the present suit on the notes and mortgages. Moberly answered and counterclaimed for declaratory judgment that she was exonerated from her obligations as surety and for damages arising from Bank's failure to timely release the mortgages after exoneration. Moberly cross claimed against Principal and Behymer for indemnification. Bank answered and denied liability. Behymer answered, disclaimed any interest in the real estate being foreclosed, and asserted his personal liability was discharged in bank-ruptey. Moberly later dismissed her claim against Behymer. Principal did not answer.

T9 At bench trial on March 23 and 24, 2005, Bank asked the trial court to reform the mortgage modification of September 15, 1998, to modify the LOC Mortgage rather than the Heidelberg Mortgage, and to grant judgment in rem against the property. Moberly sought a determination she was exonerated as surety by the modifications made without her consent.

T10 After trial, the trial court adopted findings of fact and conclusions of law. It * found the September 15, 1998 mortgage modified the Heidelberg Mortgage so that it covered the LOC Loan, the modification conformed to Moberly's understanding as to what the house secured, and Moberly was not mistaken in signing the modification as *1068 written. It concluded the modification should not be reformed because Bank failed to show a mutual mistake.

11 The trial court found the mortgages did not contain language waiving Moberly's surety rights or authorizing Bank to modify the terms of the loans without notice to Moberly. It found Bank modified both loans without Moberly's consent and concluded Moberly was exonerated from lability under the mortgages. It granted judgment against +- Bank on its foreclosure claim against Moberly, and in favor of Moberly on her declaratory judgment claim, declaring the lien created by the LOC Mortgage discharged and exonerated. Bank appeals from this judgment.

112 At trial, only the parties' rights in rem were at issue; therefore, the trial court sat in equity. Mid-State Homes, Inc. v. Donnelly, 1978 OK 15, 574 P.2d 1036, 1037.

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

Related

City of Oklahoma City v. First American Title & Trust Co.
2013 OK CIV APP 42 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 2012)
JPMorgan Chase Bank v. Specialty Restaurants, Inc.
2010 OK 65 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2010)
Wylie v. Chesser
2007 OK 81 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2006 OK CIV APP 141, 149 P.3d 1064, 2006 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 120, 2006 WL 3359691, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-enterprise-bank-v-be-graphic-inc-oklacivapp-2006.