FIRST NAT. BANK IN ALBUQUERQUE v. Abraham

639 P.2d 575, 97 N.M. 288
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 13, 1982
Docket13635
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 639 P.2d 575 (FIRST NAT. BANK IN ALBUQUERQUE v. Abraham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
FIRST NAT. BANK IN ALBUQUERQUE v. Abraham, 639 P.2d 575, 97 N.M. 288 (N.M. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION

FEDERICI, Justice.

This is an appeal from the District Court of Bernalillo County. The trial judge found that appellee, Abe Abraham, was liable to appellant, First National Bank in Albuquerque (FNBIA) on a promissory note; that appellee, Lillian Abraham, was not liable to FNBIA on the same note; and that the conveyances of real property by Abe and Lillian Abraham to appellee, Susan Ayesh, was not a fraudulent conveyance of creditor’s rights of FNBIA. FNBIA appeals. We affirm.

The issues on appeal are:

I. Whether the renewal note signed by Abe Abraham on October 15, 1979, represented a community debt and was binding upon Lillian Abraham, even though the note was signed after the community was dissolved by divorce.

II. Whether the conveyances of real property by Abe and Lillian Abraham to Susan Ayesh were fraudulent as to FNBIA’s rights as a creditor.

Abe Abraham and Lillian Abraham were married at the time they moved to Albuquerque in 1975. Abe Abraham operated an Indian jewelry store in Albuquerque for about four years. Susan Ayesh moved to Albuquerque in 1979; she is Abe Abraham’s sister.

On November 13, 1978, Abe Abraham executed a promissory note to FNBIA for $31,775.32. The note was renewed on May 29, 1979, and renewed again on October 15, 1979. The renewal notes contained a different rate of interest than the original note. No payments were ever made on the October renewal. The notes and renewals were signed only by Abe Abraham. Lillian was not aware of the change in interest, nor did she consent to the change. Abe Abraham and Lillian Abraham were married at the time of the May renewal, but were divorced by the time of the October renewal. Under the divorce decree, Abe Abraham retained all real property he had acquired in New Mexico, while Lillian Abraham retained a home purchased in Michigan.

In December 1979, Abe Abraham quit-claimed his interest in North Albuquerque Acres to Susan Ayesh, and Abe and Lillian Abraham together quitclaimed their interest in their former family residence in Albuquerque, also to Susan Ayesh. These properties were transferred to Susan Ayesh in return for a $37,000 cash loan made by Susan Ayesh to Abe Abraham during a time that Abe Abraham was having financial difficulties following an armed robbery of his jewelry store.

I. Community Debt.

The general rule is that a debt contracted for during marriage is presumptively a community debt and the burden of showing otherwise is on the party so asserting. Malcolm v. Malcolm, 75 N.M. 566, 408 P.2d 143 (1965); Strong v. Eakin, 11 N.M. 107, 66 P. 539 (1901). Unless Lillian Abraham rebuts the presumption, she is also liable for the indebtedness.

The money advanced to Abe Abraham by FNBIA and represented initially by the note of November 13, 1978, was to be used by Abe Abraham in his jewelry business. The debt for materials bought by a spouse for use in that spouse’s business is a community debt. Id. The November 1978 note was renewed in May 1979 and again on October 1979.

FNBIA claims that the transactions of May and October 1979 constituted mere extensions of the original note and that a renewal note, absent an agreement to the contrary, does not extinguish the initial debt. Lillian Abraham, on the other hand, contends that the subsequent renewal transactions of May and October 1979 constituted new contracts because they provided a different rate of interest than the original note. Lillian Abraham also asserts that because she and Abe Abraham were divorced at the time of the October 1979 transaction, she is not bound by the contract entered into by Abe Abraham and FNBIA at that time.

Before proceeding further, this Court must resolve a preliminary issue. FNBIA claims that the issue of whether the October 1979 transaction represented a material change in the original contract or became a new contract, is raised for the first time on appeal and cannot be considered by the Court at this time. However, the record reflects no doubt about the issue having been presented in the trial court. It is undisputed that the Abrahams were divorced prior to the October 1979 renewal. In addition, the notes were introduced as exhibits, and they indicated the differences in the amount of interest rates charged in the renewal notes of May and October 1979. There are numerous cases in this and other jurisdictions which hold that an appellate court may sustain a judgment of a trial court for reasons other than those relied upon by the trial court. The case of Thomas v. Gardner, 75 N.M. 371, 404 P.2d 853 (1965), held that even though the trial court based its decision upon other grounds, the judgment will be affirmed if it can be sustained upon correct legal principles. Similarly, Scott v. Murphy Corporation, 79 N.M. 697, 448 P.2d 803 (1968), held that the trial court will be upheld if it is right for any reason. This issue is properly before us on appeal.

As applied to a note, the term “renewal” means the re-establishment of a contract evidenced by the note for another period of time. 11 Am.Jur.2d Bills and Notes § 307 (1963). The Court in Bank v. McClellan, 9 N.M. 636, 58 P. 347 (1899), relied on by FNBIA, characterized a renewal as “a mere change of notes from time to time, which evidences the same indebtedness . . . . ” Id. at 644, 58 P. at 349. FNBIA is correct when it argues that a renewal note, absent an agreement to the contrary, does not extinguish the initial debt. See, e.g., Easton v. Ash, 18 Cal.2d 530, 116 P.2d 433 (1941). However, a party to a note may be discharged on his obligation if a material alteration is made in the renewal without his consent. See Ruby v. Talbott, 5 N.M. 251, 21 P. 72 (1889). A material alteration of an instrument is one that changes the legal effect of that instrument. E.g., Fitzgerald v. Lawson, 96 N.H. 447, 78 A.2d 527 (1951). Rate of interest is a material term in a contract. See, e.g., Belt v. Stover, 157 Okl. 176, 11 P.2d 519 (1932).

Although the prior notes of November 1978 and May 1979, signed by Abe Abraham alone, were binding on Lillian Abraham under community property law, Lillian was not liable on the renewal note of October 1979. The record shows that the renewal note of October 1979 was executed by FNBIA and Abe Abraham only. Interest provided for in the May 1979 note was 10.5%. The rate of interest provided for in the October 1979 note was 13%. Rate of interest was a material change from prior notes and a new indebtedness resulted. We hold that this new indebtedness could not bind Lillian Abraham without her signature or consent, since it arose after her divorce from Abe Abraham.

II. Fraudulept Conveyance.

The law of fraudulent conveyances in this jurisdiction is governed by Sections 56-10-1 through 56-10-13, N.M.S.A.1978, known as the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act (Act).

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

Related

Gonzales v. Delgado
D. New Mexico, 2020
Cox v. City of Albuquerque
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2017
Skyline Potato Co. v. Tan-O-On Marketing, Inc.
879 F. Supp. 2d 1228 (D. New Mexico, 2012)
Citibank South Dakota v. Padawer
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2012
J Patrick Murphy v. C Kincaid
New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2010
ASARCO LLC v. Americas Mining Corp.
396 B.R. 278 (S.D. Texas, 2008)
Ellen Equipment Corp. v. C v. Consultants & Associates, Inc.
2008 NMCA 057 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2008)
Wilder v. Miller
17 P.3d 883 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 2000)
Levenson v. Haynes
1997 NMCA 020 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1997)
Saintil v. Armand
34 V.I. 70 (Supreme Court of The Virgin Islands, 1996)
Mazer v. Jones (In Re Jones)
184 B.R. 377 (D. New Mexico, 1995)
First Dakota National Bank v. Maxon
534 N.W.2d 37 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1995)
CADLE COMPANY, INC. v. Wallach Concrete, Inc.
897 P.2d 1104 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1995)
Huntington National Bank v. Sproul
861 P.2d 935 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1993)
Dona Ana Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Dofflemeyer
855 P.2d 1054 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1993)
Beneficial Finance Co. v. Alarcon
816 P.2d 489 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1991)
Naranjo v. Paull
803 P.2d 254 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1990)
Sunwest Bank of Farmington v. Kennedy
109 N.W. 400 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1990)
Cooper Investments v. Conger
775 P.2d 76 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
639 P.2d 575, 97 N.M. 288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-nat-bank-in-albuquerque-v-abraham-nm-1982.