First National Bank v. Haverkampf

121 P. 31, 16 N.M. 497
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 8, 1911
DocketNo. 1356
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 121 P. 31 (First National Bank v. Haverkampf) 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 National Bank v. Haverkampf, 121 P. 31, 16 N.M. 497 (N.M. 1911).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT.

M’FIE, J.

1 There being no denial of the indebtedness represented by the note and mortgage sued on by the plaintiff, the sole question fox determination by this court is, whether or not the trial court erred in its decree warding to the plaintiff a prior lien by virtue of the mortgage indebtedness upon the funds now in the trustee’s hands, the same having been derived from a sale of the mortgaged property. The court, having heard a large amount of evidence, made fifty-two findings of fact covering the disputed points and error is assigned upon several of these findings. The first assignnfent of error is, that the court erred in refusing to make ten findings of fact requested by the defendant. Tn the. case of Oliver v. Enriquez, 16 N. M. 322, decided by this court at the present term, the court held that under. Rule 13, each error relied upon must he separately assigned. This assignment is obnoxious to Bule 13 and cannot bo considered. Counsel attempt to meet the requirements of Bule 13 by stating in the assignment that the court erred as to each of the ten findings refused, but we are of the opinion that this does not meet the requirements of Buie 13. The second assignment of error must fail for the above reasons, as it is identical with No. 1, excepting in that it relates to several conclusions of law instead of findings of fact. However, the remaining seventeen asT signments of error seem to be in proper form and, as they cover the subject matter of the assignments above referred to, no injury can result to the appellant in overruling these assignments.

.2 TPe deem it proper to go at once to the consideration of the main question involved, without prolonging this opinion by a consideration of the large number of assignments of error found in the record, inasmuch as our conclusions upon the valid or fraudulent character of plaintiff’s mortgage will necessarily dispose of the several assignments based upon occurences during the trial. That there was no fraud, in fact, is clear from the following finding of the trial court: “The court further finds that the said mortgage was given in good faith for a present consideration, to secure the payment of the note sued on, and exhibited herein, and that the said mortgage and all the transactions in connection therewith, were free and clear of fraud in fact.” This finding is supported by a substantial preponderance of the evidence and other findings of the trial court. This court has repeatedly held that under such circumstances, the finding will not be disturbed on appeal. Hamilton Mining Co. v. Hamilton, 14 N. M. 272; Hagerman Irrigation Co. v. McMurray, 16 N. M. 172; 113 Pac. 823.

3 Our next inquiry is, was there fraud in law in the taking of the mortgage and failure to promptly record the same as against general creditors ? The record shows, and the court found, that at the time Haverkampf applied for this loan he owed R. 13. Putney about $9,000.00, and that he owed other creditors sums aggregating $600.00 to $1,000.00; that Putney had a bill of sale covering nearly all of the property included in the plaintiff’s mortgage as his security, and was threatening to take possession of the property unless his indebtedness was paid. Haverkampf applied for, and obtained, this loan upon conditions stated in the mortgage and embodied in findings Nos. 10, 11 and 12. X. “That said mortgage to the plaintiff, provided that with the money loaned on it, the defendant Haverkampf, should pay all his indebtedness to other parties and should make purchases only for cash, so that the plaintiff should remain and be his only creditor; but it was orally agreed between him and plaintiff that by "cash” should be meant that he might purchase his goods on short terms of credit, provided he paid his bills therefor promptly, as they became due, and that he should permit and have no overdue indebtedness, and should without delay begin, and thereafter continue, the reduction of said loan, which was on demand, and complete the payment of it without long delay.” XT. “There was no express agreement between the plaintiff and ITaverkampf that the mortgage , should not be recorded, but it was understood that it would not be recorded, unless ITaverkampf violated its terms, or the terms of the agreement above stated; that he should not permit «or have overdue indebtedness.” XII “Tire plaintiff refrained from having the mortgage recorded because of its confidence in ITaverkampf’s integrity, and that he could and would observe and perform the terms of the mortgage and the agreement and understanding between them in relation thereto, and to avoid injuring him in his business, up to the time when it learned, about December, 1906, that he had created to parties other than the plaintiff, indebtedness which was overdue, and was otherwise failing to keep his said agreements. After the time when the plaintiff so learned it refrained from recording said mortgage for about a month, to enable ITaverkampf to obtain money elsewhere to pay its claims.” The findings disclose that all of ITaverkampf’s indebtedness which existed at the time the mortgage was given, had been paid and that the indebtedness now represented by the trustee was incurred since the 11th day of December, 1905, some of it incurred before, and some after, the recording of the mortgage. The following findings are deemed important in this connection, in disclosing the circumstances surrounding this transaction and the actions of the parties. XXI. “That it appeared affirmatively in evidence that one of said creditors (The San ,Jose Market), so selling goods on credit between said times, would not have sold the samé on credit had they known of the existence of said mortgage, and that another would have.” XXII. “It did not appear in evidence that the creditors who extended credit to ITaverkampf before the recording of said mortgage inade any search of the record, nor effort to ascertain whether his property was mortgaged, or not.” XXIIf. “That the only creditors as to whom there was evidence on that point, who extended credit to Haverkampf during the period between the execution of the said mortgage and the recording of the same, also extended credit to him after the said mortgage was recorded.” XXIY. “That said defendant, I-Iaverkampf, made reports of his true true financial condition to R. G. Dunn & Company and Brad street’s Commercial Agency, showing the existence of the indebtedness to the plaintiff.” It further appears that Haverkampf remained in possession of the property in the store, buying and selling and replenishing his stock until the’receiver, Charles F. Spader, was appointed and iook possession May 9th, 1907, and that under an order of the court Spader surrendered possession thereof to Miller, the trustee in 'bankruptcy and appellant herein. The court further finds that Meyer, Bannerman & Company, Brown Bros. Shoe Co., Rothehild’s Bros. Hat Co., and Ilargadine-McKittrick Dry Goods Co., each recovered separate judgments against the defendant, Haverkampf, amounting in the aggregate to the sum of about $1,000.00. Judgments in the two first mentioned cases were filed May 27th, 1911, and the remaining two on June 8th, 1911. As will he seen, the first- were obtained on the same day Haverkampf was adjudicated a bankrupt and the latter about twelve days thereafter. Tn the 47-th finding the court declares that the assets of said defendant, Haverkampf, at their fair market value, exceeded his liabilities at the time the said note and mortgage were executed and that at that lime Haverkampf had $3,000.00 on deposit-in the First National Bank.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
121 P. 31, 16 N.M. 497, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-national-bank-v-haverkampf-nm-1911.