First Nat. Bank North Platte v. Cardenas

299 Neb. 497, 909 N.W.2d 79
Nebraska Supreme Court·Decided March 30, 2018·No. S-17-360.·Published·Cited by 57 cases

Opinion

Cassel, J.

I. INTRODUCTION

After a bank lender exercised powers of sale under deeds of trust, it sought to recover a deficiency owed by the borrowers. The borrowers appeal from a jury verdict in favor of the bank. Because the borrowers failed to move for a new *83 trial, we cannot review their assertion that excessive damages were awarded, but we examine and reject their argument that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury's verdict. We also find no error in the trial court's refusal to give the borrowers' requested jury instructions. Accordingly, we affirm.

II. BACKGROUND

1. MOVE TO NORTH PLATTE

In 2006, Jose A. Cardenas and Christina Cardenas moved to North Platte, Nebraska, where Jose began working as a neurologist. Jose and Christina purchased 127 acres of land on which to build a house. They obtained a loan from First National Bank North Platte (FNBNP) for the purchase of the land. The 127 acres were ultimately divided into three parcels: a 57-acre tract (the pasture tract), a 20-acre tract (the house tract), and a 50-acre tract (the barn tract). After purchasing the land, Jose and Christina obtained a loan from FNBNP for the construction of their house.

Christina purchased two Andalusian horses. She planned to provide horse riding and polo lessons and to operate a horse breeding business. Jose and Christina formed a Nebraska limited liability company to conduct their horse business (the LLC). Christina was the sole member of the LLC. Jose, Christina, and the LLC (collectively the Cardenases) constructed on their property a barn, indoor stable, and horse breeding area, financed by FNBNP. The Cardenases also financed the purchase of Andalusian breeding stallions and a horse trailer.

The Cardenases obtained multiple loans from FNBNP, which were refinanced multiple times. These promissory notes were secured by a variety of collateral, including their real property through several deeds of trust. 1 The details of these notes and deeds of trust will be expanded later in this opinion.

2. MOVE TO KENTUCKY

The LLC never became profitable. The Cardenases' tax returns showed a loss from the LLC of over $100,000 most years. Jose's annual income as a neurologist increased to over $400,000.

In 2012, Jose and Christina moved from Nebraska to Kentucky. They decided that the climate in Nebraska was not conducive to the Andalusian breed of horses and that the LLC was unlikely to be successful in Nebraska. Jose was able to obtain employment as a neurologist in Kentucky.

The Cardenases listed for sale all of their real property-the house tract, the barn tract, and the pasture tract-for $855,000. After receiving no written offers, they relisted the house tract and the barn tract (not including the pasture tract) for $774,000. The Cardenases received only one offer for the property at $300,000, which they did not accept.

3. FNBNP TRUSTEE'S SALES

In February 2013, the president of FNBNP demanded that the Cardenases pay their loans in full within 10 days due to their failure to make installment payments. As a statutory prerequisite to exercising its power of sale under the trust deeds that secured the Cardenases' real property, FNBNP sent them a notice of default in March. This first notice of default pertained to the trust deeds securing the house tract. It provided the Cardenases 1 month to cure the default by repaying their debt in full. In May, FNBNP sent a second notice of default to the Cardenases with regard to the trust deeds securing the *84 barn tract and the pasture tract, giving them 2 months to cure the default.

In May 2013, FNBNP exercised its power of sale as trustee under the trust deed and sold the house tract at auction. The bank bid $380,000 and was the only bidder. The bank issued itself a trustee's deed from the sale.

In September 2013, FNBNP sold the barn tract and the pasture tract. The bank purchased the property at auction for $100,000.

4. LITIGATION ENSUES

In April 2013, FNBNP filed a replevin action in Kentucky to recover horses and other personal property collateral that had been moved to Kentucky. In August, the Kentucky court granted FNBNP's motion for summary judgment, based on three of the loans from FNBNP to the Cardenases, in the amount of $476,612.02.

In July 2013, following the trustee's sale of the house tract, FNBNP filed a deficiency action against the Cardenases in the district court for Lincoln County, Nebraska. In September, after the remaining property was sold separately by trustee's sale, FNBNP filed a second deficiency action. The two cases were consolidated prior to trial.

The consolidated cases were tried to a jury. The jury returned a verdict for FNBNP in the amount of $171,162.66-the amount it had requested. The district court entered judgment in accordance with the jury verdict. The Cardenases did not file a motion for new trial, but they filed a timely appeal from the judgment.

III. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The Cardenases assign that the district court erred by (1) "awarding an excessive verdict for [FNBNP] that was unsupported by the evidence" and (2) refusing their requested jury instructions on (a) FNBNP's duty to comply with the Farm Mediation Act, 2 (b) FNBNP's failure to comply with § 76-1012 and the terms under the deed of trust by denying the Cardenases their right to cure the defaults, and (c) whether FNBNP "bid the fair market value of each of the properties at both of the foreclosure sales as required under ... § 76-1013."

IV. STANDARD OF REVIEW

An appellate court will set aside a jury verdict because of insufficient evidence only if the verdict is clearly wrong. 3 In determining the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain a verdict in a civil case, an appellate court considers the evidence most favorably to the successful party and resolves evidential conflicts in favor of such party, who is entitled to every reasonable inference deducible from the evidence. 4 A jury verdict will be upheld if there is competent evidence presented to the jury upon which it could reasonably find for the successful party. 5

Whether a jury instruction is correct is a question of law, which an appellate court independently decides. 6

*85 V. ANALYSIS

1. SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT AMOUNT OF DAMAGES

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First Nat. Bank North Platte v. Cardenas, 299 Neb. 497, 909 N.W.2d 79 (Neb. 2018).

299 Neb. 497 (First Nat. Bank North Platte v. Cardenas) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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First Nat. Bank North Platte v. Cardenas
299 Neb. 497 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2018)