First National Bank v. Schunk

276 N.W. 290, 201 Minn. 359, 1937 Minn. LEXIS 881
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedDecember 10, 1937
DocketNo. 31,255.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 276 N.W. 290 (First National Bank v. Schunk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota 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. Schunk, 276 N.W. 290, 201 Minn. 359, 1937 Minn. LEXIS 881 (Mich. 1937).

Opinion

Gallagher, Chief Justice.

Appeal by defendant Margaret G. Schunk from a judgment.

During the period here determinative and subject to the involved mortgage, one Cheney was the owner of real estate to which we may refer as tracts 1, 2, and 3. Tract 1 was the Cheney homestead. In September, 1933, he mortgaged all three tracts to plaintiff to secure a note for f1,000. That mortgage, with the secured indebtedness, was later assigned to Jesse A. Schunk, father of defendant Margaret G. Schunk. In June, 1935, the mortgage was assigned by the father to the daughter, who, through him as attorney, forthwith commenced a proceeding to foreclose the mortgage by advertisement. Before the day set for the sale, Cheney, the mortgagor, having departed this life, his representative demanded that the property, other than the homestead, be sold first. In the meantime, plaintiff had got title in fee of tract 3 and had taken a certificate of sale on execution covering tract 2. Both tracts Avere subject to the prior lien of the Schunk mortgage.

On the day preceding that set for the sale on Miss S chunk’s foreclosure, plaintiff served upon her, pursuant .to 2 Mason Minn. St. 1927, § 9633, a demand that she furnish a statement of the amount claimed by her to be due, with interest and costs, under her mort *361 gage. It also offered her the full amount thereof, notifying her that it was insisting “upon paying said mortgage indebtedness and being subrogated to any and all rights of the original mortgagee and the assignee.”

Pursuant to such demand, the required statement was furnished to plaintiff. It disclosed the indebtedness to be $1,239.54, which amount was forthwith tendered Jesse A. Schunk as attorney for his daughter. Plaintiff insisted upon having the assignment before making payment. It has kept the tender good by depositing the money with the clerk of court. Not having procured an assignment of the mortgage, plaintiff promptly commenced this action and got a temporary restraining order halting the foreclosure pendente lite. The trial resulted in a decision for plaintiff. The judgment permanently enjoined the foreclosure and directed an assignment of the mortgage to plaintiff.

The case presents only one issue: May plaintiff compel defendant Margaret G-. Schunk to assign to it the note and mortgage in question upon payment of the full amount due upon said indebtedness Avith costs, disbursements, and attorneys’ fees ? In appellant’s brief her counsel states:

“Appellant admits respondent’s right to pay the amount due her under the mortgage foreclosure proceedings, and thereby stop her from taking further proceedings on it. She denies respondent the right to purchase her mortgage and she refuses to sell her mortgage to respondent.”

Appellant’s admission as to the right of respondent to pay the amount due her and thereby prevent her from proceeding further with the mortgage foreclosure eliminates the necessity of dAvelling upon the right of the court to grant injunctive relief. Regardless of the admission, the court had the right to grant such relief, at least until the disputed issues were determined. O’Brien v. Oswald, 45 Minn. 59, 47 N. W. 316; Ekeberg v. Mackay, 114 Minn. 501, 131 N. W. 787, 35 L.R.A.(N.S.) 909, Ann. Cas. 1912C, 568. The object of a temporary injunction is to maintain the matter in controversy in its existing condition until judgment so that the *362 effect of the judgment shall not be impaired by the acts of the parties during litigation. 3 Dunnell, Minn. Dig. (2 ed. & Supps. 1932, 1937) § 4489.

Equity will enjoin a sale under a mortgage on a showing that the whole debt has been paid or a good and sufficient tender made and refused. 41 C. J. 932. Here there was a tender. The dispute has to do with what respondent ivas entitled to after tender was made. In any event, it was entitled to have the foreclosure enjoined particularly until the issue in dispute was determined.

A determination of the real issue in the case presents some difficulty. While the notice and demand served on appellant’s counsel stated that it was given pursuant to the provisions of 2 Mason Minn. St. 1927, § 9633, it is quite apparent that the section of the statute referred to Avas enacted for a purpose other than that relied upon by either of the parties to this action. Section 9633 permits a mortgagor, owner, or the holder of a subsequent encumbrance or lien at any time before sale to pay to the holder of a mortgage being foreclosed the amount actually due and constituting the default existing in the condition of the mortgage at the commencement of the foreclosure proceedings, together with certain items of costs and disbursements referred to in the statute, whereupon the mortgage shall be fully reinstated and further proceedings in such foreclosure shall thereupon be abandoned.

The mortgage by its terms did not become due until September 9, 1938. All that appellant could have required respondent to pay was the amount of the actual default plus taxes, costs, disbursements, and attorney’s fees. However, respondent in its notice demanded a statement of the entire amount due on the mortgage plus interest, and offered to tender the full amount of the mortgage, plus interest, attorney’s fees, costs, disbursements, taxes, and insurance due on the date of sale fixed in the notice. In accordance with the demand so made, appellant’s attorney furnished a statement showing the entire amount claimed, whereupon respondent tendered in currency the amount claimed. True, appellant’s attorney did not accept the money tendered nor actually assign the mortgage papers to respondent due to the fact that appellant was out of the city *363 for the day and not available for the purpose of executing the necessary assignment; but a review of the testimony of appellant’s counsel clearly indicates that it was his intention to accept the tender and have his client execute and deliver a proper assignment. What followed — that is, the commencement of the action, may have provoked a refusal to go through with the arrangement agreed upon with the bank officers, but we do not believe that the subsequent events affected the rights of the parties.

The so-called redemption was not in strict compliance with the provisions of § 9633, nor was it made pursuant to the provisions of 2 Mason, Minn. St. 1927, § 9628, for that section pertains to redemption after a foreclosure sale. The statutory remedy given by 2 Mason Minn. St. 1927, § 9633, does not take away the equitable right of subrogation possessed by a junior mortgagee in respect to a prior encumbrance. It was so stated by this court in Minneapolis Inv. Co. v. National Security Inv. Co. 178 Minn. 50, 52, 226 N. W. 189, 63 A. L. R. 1516, in the following language:

“We do not think the statutory remedy given by G. S. 1923, §§ 9632 and 9633, as amended, 2 Mason, 1927, id. took away the equitable right of subrogation possessed by a junior mortgagee in respect to prior encumbrances. When the situation presents itself for the exercise of the right by payment of a prior mortgage, the one who so pays is entitled to step into the rights of the prior mortgagee as they existed when the mortgage was given, provided no rights had been released before such prior mortgagee received knowledge of the existence of the subsequent encumbrance.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
276 N.W. 290, 201 Minn. 359, 1937 Minn. LEXIS 881, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-national-bank-v-schunk-minn-1937.